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The differences between desktop support technicians and technical support engineers 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 technical support engineer. Additionally, a technical support engineer has an average salary of $85,716, 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 technical support engineer are technical support, customer service, and troubleshoot.
| Desktop Support Technician | Technical Support Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $41,792 | $85,716 |
| Hourly rate | $20.09 | $41.21 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 108,944 | 184,542 |
| Job satisfaction | 1 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| 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 technical support engineer is responsible for responding to customer issues, providing immediate resolutions to their system issues through remote assistance. Technical support engineers must have strong knowledge of software and hardware applications to diagnose system defects and process troubleshooting. They also assist customers with the installation of programs and updates to improve system performance, escalating high-level concerns to appropriate internal technology teams. A technical support engineer must have strong command with technical systems, as well as excellent communication and time-management skills to understand clients' issues while documenting procedures.
Desktop support technicians and technical support engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Desktop Support Technician | Technical Support Engineer | |
| Average salary | $41,792 | $85,716 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $54,000 | Between $61,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | Philadelphia, PA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | Washington |
| Best paying company | NTT Data International L.L.C. | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a desktop support technician and a technical support engineer in terms of educational background:
| Desktop Support Technician | Technical Support Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Computer Information Systems | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between desktop support technicians' and technical support engineers' demographics:
| Desktop Support Technician | Technical Support Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% | Male, 83.3% Female, 16.7% |
| 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, 9.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 15.0% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |