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The differences between help desk administrators and junior systems administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a help desk administrator and a junior systems administrator. Additionally, a junior systems administrator has an average salary of $62,225, which is higher than the $49,798 average annual salary of a help desk administrator.
The top three skills for a help desk administrator include customer service, desk support and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a junior systems administrator are windows server, troubleshoot, and technical support.
| Help Desk Administrator | Junior Systems Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $49,798 | $62,225 |
| Hourly rate | $23.94 | $29.92 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 130,180 | 154,134 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
A junior systems administrator is primarily responsible for handling and maintaining systems for users while under the supervision of a more experienced systems administrator. Their responsibilities often revolve around assisting senior administrators, troubleshooting support, providing installations and configurations, and handling inquiries and concerns, providing them with corrective measures. Aside from support tasks, one may also have administrative duties such as producing reports and presentations, managing schedules, and maintaining accurate data of all transactions. Furthermore, it is essential to adhere to all the policies and regulations of the company.
Help desk administrators and junior systems administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Help Desk Administrator | Junior Systems Administrator | |
| Average salary | $49,798 | $62,225 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $71,000 | Between $51,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | Houlihan Lokey | Jacobs Engineering Group |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a help desk administrator and a junior systems administrator in terms of educational background:
| Help Desk Administrator | Junior Systems Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between help desk administrators' and junior systems administrators' demographics:
| Help Desk Administrator | Junior Systems Administrator | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.3% Female, 25.7% | Male, 88.4% Female, 11.6% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 12.1% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |