Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between field applications specialists and help desk 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 field applications specialist and a help desk specialist. Additionally, a field applications specialist has an average salary of $85,614, which is higher than the $51,065 average annual salary of a help desk specialist.
The top three skills for a field applications specialist include technical support, CRM and customer support. The most important skills for a help desk specialist are customer service, troubleshoot, and technical support.
| Field Applications Specialist | Help Desk Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $85,614 | $51,065 |
| Hourly rate | $41.16 | $24.55 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 97,974 | 75,004 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A field application specialist is responsible for installing and calibrating instruments and conducting training for customers on how to use and maintain the product. As a field applications specialist, you are expected to prepare a technical report for all products and provide recommendations for improvements. Other duties include identifying and resolving network and desktop issues, providing customers with a detailed solution to their product needs and requirements, and supporting the implementation process in collaboration with the sales department staff.
The primary role of help desk specialists is to maintain relationships between the company and its customers. Their duties and responsibilities include responding to guests' queries, providing technical computer support, and maintaining computer systems' performance. Help desk specialists are also responsible for following up with customers to resolve issues and train computer users. There are several requirements to be qualified for this position, which include having relevant customer service experience, problem-solving and analytical skills, and the ability to prioritize vital tasks.
Field applications specialists and help desk specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field Applications Specialist | Help Desk Specialist | |
| Average salary | $85,614 | $51,065 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $119,000 | Between $35,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | Enfield, CT | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Bio-Rad Laboratories | Schulte Roth & Zabel |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Technology |
There are a few differences between a field applications specialist and a help desk specialist in terms of educational background:
| Field Applications Specialist | Help Desk Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Biology | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between field applications specialists' and help desk specialists' demographics:
| Field Applications Specialist | Help Desk Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.3% Female, 32.7% | Male, 79.4% Female, 20.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 14.4% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 11.6% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |