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The differences between help desk engineers and systems 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 systems support engineer. Additionally, a systems support engineer has an average salary of $82,561, 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 systems support engineer are linux, troubleshoot, and technical support.
| Help Desk Engineer | Systems Support Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $52,444 | $82,561 |
| Hourly rate | $25.21 | $39.69 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 100,003 | 182,434 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| 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.
Systems support engineers are information technology professionals who are responsible for building and maintaining the IT infrastructure of an organization. They are required to provide network administration and technical support to identify complex problem issues and come up with solutions to solve them. They must assist the system support engineers in accomplishing any projects they are working with. They must troubleshoot servers, personal computers, and peripheral equipment while liaising with their customers. They must also create and maintain user accounts and implement group policy management through an active directory.
Help desk engineers and systems support engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Help Desk Engineer | Systems Support Engineer | |
| Average salary | $52,444 | $82,561 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $74,000 | Between $62,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | Radnor, PA | Novato, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Bain & Company | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a help desk engineer and a systems support engineer in terms of educational background:
| Help Desk Engineer | Systems Support Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between help desk engineers' and systems support engineers' demographics:
| Help Desk Engineer | Systems Support Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.8% Female, 18.2% | Male, 89.5% Female, 10.5% |
| 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, 8.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 11.5% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 9% |