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The differences between desktop support technicians and software 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 technician and a software support technician. Additionally, a software support technician has an average salary of $79,670, 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 software support technician are customer service, troubleshoot, and java.
| Desktop Support Technician | Software Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $41,792 | $79,670 |
| Hourly rate | $20.09 | $38.30 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 108,944 | 117,059 |
| Job satisfaction | 1 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| 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 software support technician is responsible for resolving software application issues, diagnosing related system failures, and writing resolution reports for reference. Software support technicians must be highly-familiarized with the system's infrastructure and interface to immediately diagnose malfunctions and identify maintenance techniques to prevent the reoccurrence of downtimes and delays. They also assist the system engineers in the configuration and optimization of networks, including the installment of upgrades and patch updates. A software support technician must have excellent organizational and communication skills, especially in navigating computer tools and applications to create support tickets and fix the customers' issues efficiently.
Desktop support technicians and software support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Desktop Support Technician | Software Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $41,792 | $79,670 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $54,000 | Between $55,000 And $113,000 |
| Highest paying City | Philadelphia, PA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | California |
| Best paying company | NTT Data International L.L.C. | RSM US |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a desktop support technician and a software support technician in terms of educational background:
| Desktop Support Technician | Software Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Computer Information Systems | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between desktop support technicians' and software support technicians' demographics:
| Desktop Support Technician | Software Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% | Male, 73.8% Female, 26.2% |
| 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, 10.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 12.4% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |