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The differences between help desk engineers and help desk specialists 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 specialist. Additionally, a help desk engineer has an average salary of $52,444, which is higher than the $51,065 average annual salary of a help desk specialist.
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 specialist are customer service, troubleshoot, and technical support.
| Help Desk Engineer | Help Desk Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $52,444 | $51,065 |
| Hourly rate | $25.21 | $24.55 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 100,003 | 75,004 |
| 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.
The primary role of help desk specialists is to maintain relationships between the company and its customers. Their duties and responsibilities include responding to guests' queries, providing technical computer support, and maintaining computer systems' performance. Help desk specialists are also responsible for following up with customers to resolve issues and train computer users. There are several requirements to be qualified for this position, which include having relevant customer service experience, problem-solving and analytical skills, and the ability to prioritize vital tasks.
Help desk engineers and help desk specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Help Desk Engineer | Help Desk Specialist | |
| Average salary | $52,444 | $51,065 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $74,000 | Between $35,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | Radnor, PA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Bain & Company | Schulte Roth & Zabel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a help desk engineer and a help desk specialist in terms of educational background:
| Help Desk Engineer | Help Desk Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between help desk engineers' and help desk specialists' demographics:
| Help Desk Engineer | Help Desk Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.8% Female, 18.2% | Male, 79.4% Female, 20.6% |
| 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, 12.3% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 11.6% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |