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Help desk administrator salary
Average help desk administrator salary
$49,798
Understanding Help Desk Administrator Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Help Desk Administrator stands at $49,798 per year. This salary can vary significantly based on factors such as location, experience, and the specific industry in which an administrator works. For instance, administrative roles in technology firms typically offer higher compensation compared to those in non-profit organizations.
Salary by State
Geographical location plays a crucial role in determining salary levels. For example, states like Washington and California are known for higher average salaries, reflecting the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals. In contrast, states with lower living costs might offer salaries closer to the national average.
Job Opportunities
With the continuous evolution of technology, the demand for Help Desk Administrators is expected to grow. Employers value individuals with strong problem-solving skills and technical knowledge. Job seekers in this field should consider gaining certifications and experience to enhance their qualifications. Overall, pursuing a career as a Help Desk Administrator can lead to stable job prospects and opportunities for advancement in the tech industry.
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Where can a Help Desk Administrator earn more?
Help desk administrator salary estimates from across the web
Average help desk administrator salary by state
The average help desk administrator salary in New Jersey, Michigan, and Maine are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average help desk administrator salary states are Louisiana, New Mexico, and Arkansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for help desk administrators
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $60,337 | $29.01 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $55,885 | $26.87 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $64,345 | $30.94 |
| 4 | New York | $55,949 | $26.90 |
| 5 | Michigan | $60,143 | $28.91 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $53,340 | $25.64 |
| 7 | Illinois | $56,096 | $26.97 |
| 8 | Maine | $57,685 | $27.73 |
| 9 | Virginia | $50,891 | $24.47 |
| 10 | North Carolina | $52,182 | $25.09 |
| 11 | California | $55,650 | $26.75 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $48,927 | $23.52 |
| 13 | Vermont | $49,796 | $23.94 |
| 14 | Maryland | $50,239 | $24.15 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | $52,858 | $25.41 |
| 16 | Arizona | $46,410 | $22.31 |
| 17 | Utah | $46,043 | $22.14 |
| 18 | Ohio | $49,622 | $23.86 |
| 19 | South Dakota | $52,618 | $25.30 |
| 20 | Washington | $51,451 | $24.74 |
| 21 | Alaska | $48,854 | $23.49 |
| 22 | Massachusetts | $50,015 | $24.05 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $50,418 | $24.24 |
| 24 | Oregon | $48,496 | $23.32 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $45,111 | $21.69 |
| 26 | Delaware | $49,361 | $23.73 |
| 27 | Idaho | $46,266 | $22.24 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $44,893 | $21.58 |
| 29 | Texas | $43,890 | $21.10 |
| 30 | Nevada | $44,057 | $21.18 |
| 31 | Connecticut | $49,435 | $23.77 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $45,318 | $21.79 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $44,154 | $21.23 |
| 34 | Colorado | $43,219 | $20.78 |
| 35 | Iowa | $44,593 | $21.44 |
| 36 | Indiana | $43,830 | $21.07 |
| 37 | Kansas | $43,258 | $20.80 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $43,679 | $21.00 |
| 39 | Montana | $41,166 | $19.79 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $42,877 | $20.61 |
| 41 | Minnesota | $42,496 | $20.43 |
| 42 | Florida | $40,344 | $19.40 |
| 43 | Missouri | $41,920 | $20.15 |
| 44 | Georgia | $41,555 | $19.98 |
| 45 | New Mexico | $38,961 | $18.73 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $40,548 | $19.49 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $38,023 | $18.28 |
| 48 | Alabama | $36,621 | $17.61 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $38,294 | $18.41 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $39,020 | $18.76 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $36,680 | $17.63 |
Highest paying cities for help desk administrators
The highest-paying cities for help desk administrators are Washington, DC, Ann Arbor, MI, and Davis, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $60,398 | $29.04 |
| 2 | Ann Arbor, MI | $59,870 | $28.78 |
| 3 | Davis, CA | $58,094 | $27.93 |
| 4 | Chicago, IL | $56,450 | $27.14 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $56,043 | $26.94 |
| 6 | Milwaukee, WI | $53,025 | $25.49 |
| 7 | Bellevue, WA | $51,653 | $24.83 |
| 8 | Hampton, VA | $50,889 | $24.47 |
| 9 | Charlotte, NC | $50,613 | $24.33 |
| 10 | Baltimore, MD | $50,491 | $24.27 |
| 11 | Worcester, MA | $49,937 | $24.01 |
| 12 | Phoenix, AZ | $46,480 | $22.35 |
| 13 | Fort Wayne, IN | $45,411 | $21.83 |
| 14 | Davenport, IA | $45,256 | $21.76 |
| 15 | Omaha, NE | $44,531 | $21.41 |
| 16 | San Antonio, TX | $44,441 | $21.37 |
| 17 | Lenexa, KS | $43,760 | $21.04 |
| 18 | Boulder, CO | $43,308 | $20.82 |
| 19 | Saint Louis, MO | $42,580 | $20.47 |
| 20 | Saint Paul, MN | $42,565 | $20.46 |
Help desk administrator salary details
A help desk administrator's salary ranges from $34,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $71,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a help desk administrator's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $71,000 | $5,917 | $34 |
| 75th Percentile | $60,000 | $5,000 | $29 |
| Average | $49,798 | $4,150 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
| 10th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
Highest paying help desk administrator jobs
The highest paying types of help desk administrators are systems administrator lead, senior system administrator, and senior network administrator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Technical Support | $46,753 | $3,896 | $22.48 | 186,858 |
| Information Technology Administrator | $73,195 | $6,100 | $35.19 | 159,499 |
| Windows System Administrator | $79,845 | $6,654 | $38.39 | 94,648 |
| Managing Administrator | $75,025 | $6,252 | $36.07 | 64,677 |
| Network/Server Administrator | $78,919 | $6,577 | $37.94 | 167,546 |
| Systems Administrator Lead | $99,956 | $8,330 | $48.06 | 132,285 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for help desk administrators, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Richard Huff Ph.D.
Assistant professor, assistant chair, Virginia Commonwealth University
These groups likely present varying degrees of salary requirements and qualifications. In the federal service, an MPA qualifies as one at the GS-9 entry-level. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) publishes salary tables at Link The beginning salary varies by location from $53K to $61K, with the higher amount near large metropolitan areas. Higher salaries are common in overseas areas. Progression is based on performance with opportunities to achieve salaries of $150K and over at the executive levels. Overall, beginning salaries for the MPA considering nonprofits and government agencies is estimated at $53K.
Top companies hiring help desk administrators now:
Which companies pay help desk administrators the most?
Help desk administrator salaries at Houlihan Lokey and Deloitte are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average help desk administrator salary at companies like Booz Allen Hamilton and FleetCor Technologies are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houlihan Lokey | $75,215 | $36.16 |
| 2 | Deloitte | $69,012 | $33.18 |
| 3 | Booz Allen Hamilton | $68,049 | $32.72 |
| 4 | FleetCor Technologies | $64,932 | $31.22 |
| 5 | Nebraska Methodist Health System | $64,745 | $31.13 |
| 6 | Alert Logic | $60,518 | $29.10 |
| 7 | ProSphere | $57,712 | $27.75 |
| 8 | Parsons | $57,030 | $27.42 |
| 9 | Wipro Limited | $56,682 | $27.25 |
| 10 | Swedish Hospital | $55,693 | $26.78 |
| 11 | Minnesota State Fair | $55,505 | $26.69 |
| 12 | Analysts | $55,149 | $26.51 |
| 13 | MetroStar | $54,422 | $26.16 |
| 14 | Kforce | $53,442 | $25.69 |
| 15 | Central States Mfg | $53,121 | $25.54 |
| 16 | WestRock | $50,756 | $24.40 |
| 17 | Paladin Consulting | $49,858 | $23.97 |
| 18 | Sharp | $49,783 | $23.93 |
| 19 | EMCOR Group | $48,696 | $23.41 |
| 20 | Teleflex | $48,379 | $23.26 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Help Desk Administrator salary by industry
The average help desk administrator salary varies across industries:
- The average help desk administrator salary in the finance industry is $56,503, the highest of any industry.
- The average help desk administrator salary in the finance industry is $46,989.
- Help desk administrators in the professional industry earn an average salary of $43,133, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for help desk administrators
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $56,503 | $27.16 |
| 2 | Technology | $46,989 | $22.59 |
| 3 | Health Care | $46,409 | $22.31 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $43,334 | $20.83 |
| 5 | Professional | $43,133 | $20.74 |
High paying help desk administrator jobs
Help desk administrator salary trends
The average help desk administrator salary has risen by $9,087 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average help desk administrator earned $40,711 annually, but today, they earn $49,798 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for help desk administrators over the last decade.
Compare help desk administrator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average help desk administrator salary over time
Compare help desk administrator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Help desk administrator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $49,800 | $23.94 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $48,200 | $23.15 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $47,100 | $22.63 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $46,500 | $22.37 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $45,700 | $21.98 | +2.4% |
Recently added help desk administrator salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teksystems | Desktop Support | Wichita, KS | 06/27/2025 | $41,740 |
| Virtual Service Operations?Source=Indeed_Feed | Cleared Desktop Support | Largo, FL | 06/25/2025 | $41,740 |
| Byline Bank | Help Desk Administrator-Temp (On-Site) | Schaumburg, IL | 06/24/2025 | $52,175 |
| Cerus Corporation | Help Desk Administrator III (Temp) | Concord, CA | 06/24/2025 | $70,000 |
| Dent Wizard International | Central Desk Administrator | Noel, MO | 06/22/2025 | $39,653 |
| Teksystems | Desktop Support | Waukegan, IL | 06/21/2025 | $48,001 |
| Aspen Institute | Desktop Support Administrator | Washington, DC | 06/18/2025 | $90,000 |
| Teksystems | Desktop Support | Waukegan, IL | 06/17/2025 | $48,001 |
| Bcforward | Desktop Support | Charleston, SC | 06/10/2025 | $29,510 |
| Bcforward | Desktop Support | Mason, OH | 06/10/2025 | $41,740 |
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