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The differences between desktop support consultants and desk support technicians 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 consultant and a desk support technician. Additionally, a desktop support consultant has an average salary of $46,733, which is higher than the $40,715 average annual salary of a desk support technician.
The top three skills for a desktop support consultant include desktop support, customer service and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a desk support technician are customer service, technical support, and troubleshoot.
| Desktop Support Consultant | Desk Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $46,733 | $40,715 |
| Hourly rate | $22.47 | $19.57 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 100,650 | 130,485 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
The duties of a desk support consultant vary on their line of work or industry of employment. Most of their responsibilities are likely to revolve around reaching out to clients through calls and correspondence, answering inquiries, troubleshooting, and providing corrective measures, all to attain customer satisfaction. Moreover, a desk support consultant may devise strategies to better communicate with clients, produce progress reports, and maintain accurate records of all transactions. Furthermore, it is essential to adhere to all policies and regulations at all times.
A desktop support technician is responsible for assisting end-users with their network issues, grant authorization requests, and create user accounts. Desktop support technicians maintain the safety and security of networks, preventing unauthorized access and illegal dissemination of database information. They also handle the software configurations and upgrading the network infrastructure to avoid system downtimes and operational delays. A desktop support technician must have excellent communication and technical skills to monitor systems performance and enhance network navigation.
Desktop support consultants and desk support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Desktop Support Consultant | Desk Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $46,733 | $40,715 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $64,000 | Between $26,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | NTT Data International L.L.C. | BNY Mellon |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a desktop support consultant and a desk support technician in terms of educational background:
| Desktop Support Consultant | Desk Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between desktop support consultants' and desk support technicians' demographics:
| Desktop Support Consultant | Desk Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.0% Female, 15.0% | Male, 82.6% Female, 17.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 13.5% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 11.7% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |