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The differences between exchange administrators and help desk administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an exchange administrator and a help desk administrator. Additionally, an exchange administrator has an average salary of $93,513, which is higher than the $49,798 average annual salary of a help desk administrator.
The top three skills for an exchange administrator include powershell, windows server and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a help desk administrator are customer service, desk support, and troubleshoot.
| Exchange Administrator | Help Desk Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $93,513 | $49,798 |
| Hourly rate | $44.96 | $23.94 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 71,304 | 130,180 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An Exchange Administrator is responsible for setting up and managing an organization's Microsoft Exchange server. As an Exchange Administrator, you will assist in creating mailboxes and user accounts as well as restoring files and backup security. You will also conduct routine maintenance of the server, configure new users, and help in managing server infrastructure. Other duties include managing email-related tools and systems, assisting in server migration and disaster recovery, and handling and managing client inquiries.
Help desk administrator is responsible for handling activities related to system support for their company or organization. They are in charge of providing superb client experiences and working in resolving support issues in a professional and timely manner. One of their primary tasks includes providing login resets and passwords for end-users. In addition, they will also perform innovative systems and network repairs, as well as assist computer information responses as required. Moreover, they support complete equipment set-up, renewal, or termination of a user account, handle server, and domain account changes.
Exchange administrators and help desk administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Exchange Administrator | Help Desk Administrator | |
| Average salary | $93,513 | $49,798 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $123,000 | Between $34,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Unisys | Houlihan Lokey |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between an exchange administrator and a help desk administrator in terms of educational background:
| Exchange Administrator | Help Desk Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between exchange administrators' and help desk administrators' demographics:
| Exchange Administrator | Help Desk Administrator | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% | Male, 74.3% Female, 25.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 11.6% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 8.8% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |