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The differences between help desk engineers and customer support engineers 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 engineer and a customer support engineer. Additionally, a customer support engineer has an average salary of $82,674, which is higher than the $52,444 average annual salary of a help desk engineer.
The top three skills for a help desk engineer include troubleshoot, help-desk support and technical support. The most important skills for a customer support engineer are customer support, technical support, and customer service.
| Help Desk Engineer | Customer Support Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $52,444 | $82,674 |
| Hourly rate | $25.21 | $39.75 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 100,003 | 138,641 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Help desk engineers solve problems. They have the technical know-how and have the right troubleshooting tools. They are required to set up computer hardware and software for users and events. When individuals have a certain issue or problem relating to their computer, they bring it to the help desk engineer, who then analyzes and provides a solution. Furthermore, they attend to the issues registered by clients via emails, chats, instant messages, or phone calls.
A customer support engineer is responsible for providing the highest customer service by responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns and resolving their complaints regarding the technical products of the company. Customer support engineers handle escalated requests, determine technical solutions, and write resolution reports for reference. They also manage the installation and upgrades of network systems based on clients' specifications to ensure that their systems work with maximum performance. A customer support engineer must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially in recommending improvements to prevent system failures and minimize customers' complaints.
Help desk engineers and customer support engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Help Desk Engineer | Customer Support Engineer | |
| Average salary | $52,444 | $82,674 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $74,000 | Between $59,000 And $114,000 |
| Highest paying City | Radnor, PA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | Bain & Company | Nokia |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a help desk engineer and a customer support engineer in terms of educational background:
| Help Desk Engineer | Customer Support Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between help desk engineers' and customer support engineers' demographics:
| Help Desk Engineer | Customer Support Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.8% Female, 18.2% | Male, 85.8% Female, 14.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 12.2% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 15.0% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |