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The differences between help desk engineers and help desk representatives 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 help desk representative. Additionally, a help desk engineer has an average salary of $52,444, which is higher than the $37,449 average annual salary of a help desk representative.
The top three skills for a help desk engineer include troubleshoot, help-desk support and technical support. The most important skills for a help desk representative are customer service, troubleshoot, and technical support.
| Help Desk Engineer | Help Desk Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $52,444 | $37,449 |
| Hourly rate | $25.21 | $18.00 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 100,003 | 51,501 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| 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 help desk representative mainly provides client support services through face-to-face interactions, aiming to resolve issues and concerns to ensure client satisfaction. Their responsibilities include answering inquiries, assisting clients in filling up forms, identifying their needs, providing detailed solutions, and referring them to other services as needed. Aside from face-to-face interactions, there are also instances where a help desk representative may provide services through calls and correspondence, troubleshoot problems, and provide step-by-step instructions according to the clients' needs.
Help desk engineers and help desk representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Help Desk Engineer | Help Desk Representative | |
| Average salary | $52,444 | $37,449 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $74,000 | Between $29,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | Radnor, PA | Stow, OH |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | Bain & Company | City of Jacksonville |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a help desk engineer and a help desk representative in terms of educational background:
| Help Desk Engineer | Help Desk Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between help desk engineers' and help desk representatives' demographics:
| Help Desk Engineer | Help Desk Representative | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.8% Female, 18.2% | Male, 52.0% Female, 48.0% |
| 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, 12.0% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |