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The differences between desktop support technicians and desktop support specialists 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 technician and a desktop support specialist. Additionally, a desktop support specialist has an average salary of $44,962, which is higher than the $41,792 average annual salary of a desktop support technician.
The top three skills for a desktop support technician include customer service, desktop support and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a desktop support specialist are customer service, desktop support, and troubleshoot.
| Desktop Support Technician | Desktop Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $41,792 | $44,962 |
| Hourly rate | $20.09 | $21.62 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 108,944 | 102,191 |
| Job satisfaction | 1 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A desktop support technician is responsible for troubleshooting defective computer systems, affecting its performance and efficiency. Desktop support technicians must be highly familiar with the technology systems and programming codes to navigate system applications and locate the discrepancy of the system. They keep documentation of the ticket issue and the resolution for reference and quality improvement. A desktop support technician also configures and updates computer systems and networks for better optimization, as well as conducting regular inspections and monitoring the efficiency of installed programs and patches.
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.
Desktop support technicians and desktop support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Desktop Support Technician | Desktop Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $41,792 | $44,962 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $54,000 | Between $33,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Philadelphia, PA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | NTT Data International L.L.C. | Cornerstone Research |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a desktop support technician and a desktop support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Desktop Support Technician | Desktop Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Computer Information Systems | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between desktop support technicians' and desktop support specialists' demographics:
| Desktop Support Technician | Desktop Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% | Male, 87.6% Female, 12.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 11.7% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |