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The differences between help desk analysts 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 a help desk analyst and a help desk administrator. Additionally, a help desk administrator has an average salary of $49,798, 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 help desk administrator are customer service, desk support, and troubleshoot.
| Help Desk Analyst | Help Desk Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $37,318 | $49,798 |
| Hourly rate | $17.94 | $23.94 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 87,591 | 130,180 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| 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.
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.
Help desk analysts and help desk administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Help Desk Analyst | Help Desk Administrator | |
| Average salary | $37,318 | $49,798 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $52,000 | Between $34,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Pacific Investment Management Company LLC | Houlihan Lokey |
| Best paying industry | Government | Finance |
There are a few differences between a help desk analyst and a help desk administrator in terms of educational background:
| Help Desk Analyst | Help Desk Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Computer Information Systems | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between help desk analysts' and help desk administrators' demographics:
| Help Desk Analyst | Help Desk Administrator | |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.8% Female, 28.2% | Male, 74.3% Female, 25.7% |
| 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, 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 | 11% | 9% |