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The differences between help desk analysts and desktop support technicians 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 analyst and a desktop support technician. Additionally, a desktop support technician has an average salary of $41,792, which is higher than the $37,318 average annual salary of a help desk analyst.
The top three skills for a help desk analyst include customer service, troubleshoot and technical support. The most important skills for a desktop support technician are customer service, desktop support, and troubleshoot.
| Help Desk Analyst | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $37,318 | $41,792 |
| Hourly rate | $17.94 | $20.09 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 87,591 | 108,944 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 1 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Help Desk Analysts generally provide technical support by assisting customers with their system issues. These analysts are expected to be highly knowledgeable about application processes and basic troubleshooting. Help Desk Analysts usually communicate with end-users through phone calls or e-mail and are required to attend on customers technical issues promptly. Depending on the expertise, the Help Desk Analysts are often categorized to support levels wherein the most complex issues are often handle by the highest tier. The Help Desk Analysts must have critical-thinking skills on solving network problems and document specific concerns and progress.
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.
Help desk analysts and desktop support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Help Desk Analyst | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $37,318 | $41,792 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $52,000 | Between $32,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Philadelphia, PA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Pennsylvania |
| Best paying company | Pacific Investment Management Company LLC | NTT Data International L.L.C. |
| Best paying industry | Government | Finance |
There are a few differences between a help desk analyst and a desktop support technician in terms of educational background:
| Help Desk Analyst | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Computer Information Systems | Computer Information Systems |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between help desk analysts' and desktop support technicians' demographics:
| Help Desk Analyst | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.8% Female, 28.2% | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 11.1% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |