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The differences between desktop support analysts and systems support analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a desktop support analyst and a systems support analyst. Additionally, a systems support analyst has an average salary of $82,219, which is higher than the $48,674 average annual salary of a desktop support analyst.
The top three skills for a desktop support analyst include desktop support, customer service and computer system. The most important skills for a systems support analyst are troubleshoot, customer service, and database.
| Desktop Support Analyst | Systems Support Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $48,674 | $82,219 |
| Hourly rate | $23.40 | $39.53 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 99,621 | 161,168 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A desktop support analyst's role is to develop strategies and systems to improve and coordinate desktop support efforts. Their responsibilities revolve around testing and modifying existing networks and systems, providing corrective measures on issues and concerns, performing regular inspections, troubleshooting, and maintaining inventories on software, hardware, and other applications. Furthermore, as a desktop support analyst, it is essential to respond to calls and correspondence from clients, all while adhering to the policies and regulations of the company.
A systems support analyst is responsible for supporting the operations of the technology department of an organization, resolving network issues, and maintaining the safety and security of the system database. Systems support analysts must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, identifying system process improvements, upgrading system infrastructure, and assisting end-users with navigation. They also create resolution reports for reference, including recommendations to prevent future inconsistencies and glitches. A systems support analyst conducts regular maintenance checks on the technology servers and immediately performs troubleshooting as needed for optimization.
Desktop support analysts and systems support analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Desktop Support Analyst | Systems Support Analyst | |
| Average salary | $48,674 | $82,219 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $65,000 | Between $58,000 And $114,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Washington |
| Best paying company | Cambridge Associates | Virtu Financial |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a desktop support analyst and a systems support analyst in terms of educational background:
| Desktop Support Analyst | Systems Support Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between desktop support analysts' and systems support analysts' demographics:
| Desktop Support Analyst | Systems Support Analyst | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.9% Female, 12.1% | Male, 70.4% Female, 29.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 12.3% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 12.5% White, 54.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |