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The differences between help desk analysts and software 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 software support technician. Additionally, a software support technician has an average salary of $79,670, 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 software support technician are customer service, troubleshoot, and java.
| Help Desk Analyst | Software Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $37,318 | $79,670 |
| Hourly rate | $17.94 | $38.30 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 87,591 | 117,059 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| 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 software support technician is responsible for resolving software application issues, diagnosing related system failures, and writing resolution reports for reference. Software support technicians must be highly-familiarized with the system's infrastructure and interface to immediately diagnose malfunctions and identify maintenance techniques to prevent the reoccurrence of downtimes and delays. They also assist the system engineers in the configuration and optimization of networks, including the installment of upgrades and patch updates. A software support technician must have excellent organizational and communication skills, especially in navigating computer tools and applications to create support tickets and fix the customers' issues efficiently.
Help desk analysts and software support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Help Desk Analyst | Software Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $37,318 | $79,670 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $52,000 | Between $55,000 And $113,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Pacific Investment Management Company LLC | RSM US |
| Best paying industry | Government | Finance |
There are a few differences between a help desk analyst and a software support technician in terms of educational background:
| Help Desk Analyst | Software Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Computer Information Systems | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between help desk analysts' and software support technicians' demographics:
| Help Desk Analyst | Software Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.8% Female, 28.2% | Male, 73.8% Female, 26.2% |
| 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, 10.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 12.4% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |