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The differences between desktop support specialists 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 specialist and an information technology/support technician. Additionally, an information technology/support technician has an average salary of $45,591, which is higher than the $44,962 average annual salary of a desktop support specialist.
The top three skills for a desktop support specialist include customer service, desktop support and troubleshoot. The most important skills for an information technology/support technician are customer service, troubleshoot, and computer system.
Desktop Support Specialist | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
Yearly Salary | $44,962 | $45,591 |
Hourly rate | $21.62 | $21.92 |
Growth Rate | 10% | 10% |
Number Of Jobs | 102,191 | 161,748 |
Job Satisfaction | - | - |
Most Common Degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
Average Age | 42 | 42 |
Years Of Experience | 2 | 2 |
A Desktop Support Specialist is focused on troubleshooting different software packages, hardware devices, and other peripherals. They monitor the performance of the company's desktop infrastructure.
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 specialists and information technology/support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
Desktop Support Specialist | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
Average Salary | $44,962 | $45,591 |
Salary Range | Between $33,000 And $59,000 | Between $31,000 And $66,000 |
Highest Paying City | Boston, MA | San Francisco, CA |
Highest Paying State | Massachusetts | Pennsylvania |
Best Paying Company | Cornerstone Research | Microsoft |
Best Paying Industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a desktop support specialist and an information technology/support technician in terms of educational background:
Desktop Support Specialist | 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 | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between desktop support specialists' and information technology/support technicians' demographics:
Desktop Support Specialist | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
Average Age | 42 | 42 |
Gender Ratio | Male, 87.6% Female, 12.4% | Male, 85.4% Female, 14.6% |
Race Ratio | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 12.3% White, 54.8% 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% |