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The differences between help desk engineers and technical 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 technical support engineer. Additionally, a technical support engineer has an average salary of $85,716, 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 technical support engineer are technical support, customer service, and troubleshoot.
| Help Desk Engineer | Technical Support Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $52,444 | $85,716 |
| Hourly rate | $25.21 | $41.21 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 100,003 | 184,542 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| 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 technical support engineer is responsible for responding to customer issues, providing immediate resolutions to their system issues through remote assistance. Technical support engineers must have strong knowledge of software and hardware applications to diagnose system defects and process troubleshooting. They also assist customers with the installation of programs and updates to improve system performance, escalating high-level concerns to appropriate internal technology teams. A technical support engineer must have strong command with technical systems, as well as excellent communication and time-management skills to understand clients' issues while documenting procedures.
Help desk engineers and technical support engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Help Desk Engineer | Technical Support Engineer | |
| Average salary | $52,444 | $85,716 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $74,000 | Between $61,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | Radnor, PA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | Bain & Company | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a help desk engineer and a technical support engineer in terms of educational background:
| Help Desk Engineer | Technical Support Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between help desk engineers' and technical support engineers' demographics:
| Help Desk Engineer | Technical Support Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.8% Female, 18.2% | Male, 83.3% Female, 16.7% |
| 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, 9.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 15.0% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |