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The differences between desktop support consultants and information technology/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 an information technology/support technician. Additionally, a desktop support consultant has an average salary of $46,733, which is higher than the $45,591 average annual salary of an information technology/support technician.
The top three skills for a desktop support consultant include desktop support, customer service and troubleshoot. The most important skills for an information technology/support technician are customer service, troubleshoot, and computer system.
| Desktop Support Consultant | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $46,733 | $45,591 |
| Hourly rate | $22.47 | $21.92 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 100,650 | 161,748 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| 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.
An information technology (IT) support technician is an individual who is responsible for providing support and troubleshoots software and hardware problems faced by customers. As for larger organizations that have their own IT department, technicians must work together internally with their IT staff members. IT support technicians are involved in inspecting and resolving minor local area network and wireless network issues, which include TCP/IP, DHCP, and VPN. They are also required to obtain an associate's degree in computer science or related field.
Desktop support consultants and information technology/support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Desktop Support Consultant | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $46,733 | $45,591 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $64,000 | Between $31,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Pennsylvania |
| Best paying company | NTT Data International L.L.C. | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a desktop support consultant and an information technology/support technician in terms of educational background:
| Desktop Support Consultant | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between desktop support consultants' and information technology/support technicians' demographics:
| Desktop Support Consultant | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.0% Female, 15.0% | Male, 85.4% Female, 14.6% |
| 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, 10.7% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 13.2% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |