How To Become A Desktop Support Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a desktop support manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Kate Marek Ph.D.

The average desktop support manager salary is $59,450. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an business major. It usually takes 1-2 years of experience to become a desktop support manager. Desktop support managers with a IT Information Library Foundations Certification (ITIL) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 10% and produce 83,100 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a desktop support manager?

Kate Marek Ph.D.

Director and Professor, Dominican University

Choose an organization in tune with one's values. Look for a job in growth areas, such as data asset management, data analysis, etc.

ScoreDesktop Support ManagerUS Average

Salary

4.6

Avg. Salary $59,450

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.7

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.41%

Asian 10.56%

Black or African American 12.03%

Hispanic or Latino 15.56%

Unknown 5.33%

White 56.11%

Gender

female 14.46%

male 85.54%

Age - 41

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41

Stress level

6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.5

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.4

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a desktop support manager

Explore desktop support manager education requirements

Most common desktop support manager degrees

Bachelor's

56.5 %

Associate

24.6 %

Master's

8.8 %

Start to develop specific desktop support manager skills

Skills	Percentages
PC	7.61%
ITIL	6.72%
OS	5.46%
Mac	4.96%
Level Agreements	4.68%

Complete relevant desktop support manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New desktop support managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a desktop support manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real desktop support manager resumes.

Gain additional desktop support manager certifications

Desktop support manager certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific desktop support manager certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for desktop support managers include IT Information Library Foundations Certification (ITIL) and ITIL Foundation.

More About Certifications

Research desktop support manager duties and responsibilities

Manage all the static internal/external IP addresses in the network.
Manage the roll-out of software updates and OS patches via SCCM.
Perform notifications and status of all incidents to high level internal leadership and client while managing SLA's.
Manage the HQ print server, including adding and removing printers and updating drivers and settings as needed.

Prepare your desktop support manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your desktop support manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a desktop support manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

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