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The differences between help desk engineers and desk 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 engineer and a desk support technician. Additionally, a help desk engineer has an average salary of $52,444, which is higher than the $40,715 average annual salary of a desk support technician.
The top three skills for a help desk engineer include troubleshoot, help-desk support and technical support. The most important skills for a desk support technician are customer service, technical support, and troubleshoot.
| Help Desk Engineer | Desk Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $52,444 | $40,715 |
| Hourly rate | $25.21 | $19.57 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 100,003 | 130,485 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| 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 desktop support technician is responsible for assisting end-users with their network issues, grant authorization requests, and create user accounts. Desktop support technicians maintain the safety and security of networks, preventing unauthorized access and illegal dissemination of database information. They also handle the software configurations and upgrading the network infrastructure to avoid system downtimes and operational delays. A desktop support technician must have excellent communication and technical skills to monitor systems performance and enhance network navigation.
Help desk engineers and desk support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Help Desk Engineer | Desk Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $52,444 | $40,715 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $74,000 | Between $26,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | Radnor, PA | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Bain & Company | BNY Mellon |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a help desk engineer and a desk support technician in terms of educational background:
| Help Desk Engineer | Desk Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between help desk engineers' and desk support technicians' demographics:
| Help Desk Engineer | Desk Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.8% Female, 18.2% | Male, 82.6% Female, 17.4% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 11.7% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |