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The differences between help desk analysts and information technology analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a help desk analyst, becoming an information technology analyst takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an information technology analyst has an average salary of $83,078, 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 an information technology analyst are infrastructure, customer service, and security policies.
| Help Desk Analyst | Information Technology Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $37,318 | $83,078 |
| Hourly rate | $17.94 | $39.94 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 87,591 | 145,565 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
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.
An information technology analyst is responsible for identifying business opportunities by creating and designing technology systems that would help business operations perform efficiently and accurately. Information technology analysts manage systems maintenance, upgrade and install updates for better optimization, and perform feature revisions and adjustments based on the end-user experience. They analyze client and business specifications and research a multiple system approach to generate technology solutions. An information technology analyst must have excellent analytical skills, as well as broad knowledge of the technology industry.
Help desk analysts and information technology analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Help Desk Analyst | Information Technology Analyst | |
| Average salary | $37,318 | $83,078 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $52,000 | Between $62,000 And $111,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Washington |
| Best paying company | Pacific Investment Management Company LLC | Mayo Clinic |
| Best paying industry | Government | Technology |
There are a few differences between a help desk analyst and an information technology analyst in terms of educational background:
| Help Desk Analyst | Information Technology Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Computer Information Systems | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between help desk analysts' and information technology analysts' demographics:
| Help Desk Analyst | Information Technology Analyst | |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.8% Female, 28.2% | Male, 68.8% Female, 31.2% |
| 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, 10.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 15.3% White, 58.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 8% |