Help desk operator demographics and statistics in the US
Help desk operator demographics research summary. Zippia estimates help desk operator demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our help desk operator estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about help desk operators after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 36,479 help desk operators currently employed in the United States.
- 34.9% of all help desk operators are women, while 65.1% are men.
- The average help desk operator age is 42 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of help desk operators is White (55.5%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (16.5%), Black or African American (11.4%) and Asian (10.7%).
- In 2022, women earned 95% of what men earned.
- 11% of all help desk operators are LGBT.
- Help desk operators are 52% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Help desk operator demographics by:
Help desk operator gender statistics
34.9% of help desk operators are women and 65.1% of help desk operators are men.
- Male, 65.1%
- Female, 34.9%
Help desk operator gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 65.1% |
| Female | 34.9% |
Help desk operator gender pay gap
Women earn 95¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$35,248
Female income
$33,636
Help desk operator gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in help desk operator positions over time. Currently, 34.9% of help desk operators are female.
Help desk operator gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 59.01% | 40.99% |
| 2011 | 60.17% | 39.83% |
| 2012 | 61.89% | 38.11% |
| 2013 | 62.52% | 37.48% |
| 2014 | 62.98% | 37.02% |
| 2015 | 65.11% | 34.89% |
| 2016 | 65.27% | 34.73% |
| 2017 | 65.16% | 34.84% |
| 2018 | 66.04% | 33.96% |
| 2019 | 64.46% | 35.54% |
| 2020 | 65.07% | 34.93% |
| 2021 | 65.13% | 34.87% |
Help desk operator related jobs gender ratio
We compared help desk operators with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, dell certified systems expert and software applications architect have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Informatics Nurse Specialist | 13% | 87% |
| Clinical Support Specialist | 22% | 78% |
| Clinic Administrator | 23% | 77% |
| Help Desk Operator | 65% | 35% |
| Senior Data Center Engineer | 98% | 2% |
| Software Applications Architect | 98% | 2% |
| Dell Certified Systems Expert | 99% | 1% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Help desk operator demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among help desk operators is White, which makes up 55.5% of all help desk operators. Comparatively, 16.5% of help desk operators are Hispanic or Latino and 11.4% of help desk operators are Black or African American.
- White, 55.5%
- Hispanic or Latino, 16.5%
- Black or African American, 11.4%
- Asian, 10.7%
- Unknown, 5.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
Help desk operator race
| Help desk operator race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 55.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 16.5% |
| Black or African American | 11.4% |
| Asian | 10.7% |
| Unknown | 5.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.5% |
Help desk operator race and ethnicity over time
See how help desk operator racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Help desk operator race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 64.13% | 11.87% | 7.34% | 13.53% |
| 2011 | 64.83% | 11.96% | 7.48% | 13.03% |
| 2012 | 63.56% | 12.19% | 7.73% | 13.67% |
| 2013 | 62.50% | 11.43% | 8.54% | 14.05% |
| 2014 | 62.21% | 11.65% | 8.19% | 14.76% |
| 2015 | 62.11% | 11.11% | 9.37% | 14.65% |
| 2016 | 61.91% | 11.07% | 9.34% | 14.54% |
| 2017 | 61.12% | 10.74% | 9.80% | 14.94% |
| 2018 | 61.24% | 10.69% | 9.88% | 14.68% |
| 2019 | 59.42% | 10.62% | 10.59% | 15.80% |
| 2020 | 57.38% | 11.19% | 10.37% | 15.97% |
| 2021 | 55.53% | 11.42% | 10.74% | 16.50% |
Help desk operator wage gap by race
According to our data, asian help desk operators have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american help desk operators have the lowest average salary at $32,617.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $33,541 |
| White | $34,670 |
| Black or African American | $32,617 |
| Asian | $42,499 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $33,754 |
Average help desk operator age
See how the average age of help desk operators varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Help desk operator age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 44 | 43 |
| Unknown | 40 | 45 |
| Asian | 41 | 41 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 37 | 39.5 |
| White | 41 | 46 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 41 |
Help desk operator age breakdown
The average age of help desk operators is 40+ years years old, representing 56% of the help desk operator population.
Help desk operator age breakdown
| Help Desk Operator Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 56% |
| 30-40 years | 30% |
| 20-30 years | 15% |
Help desk operator educational attainment
- Bachelor's, 46%
- Associate, 33%
- High School Diploma, 10%
- Master's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 6%
Help desk operators by degree level
| Help desk operator degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 46% |
| Associate | 33% |
| High School Diploma | 10% |
| Master's | 5% |
| Other Degrees | 6% |
Help desk operator jobs you might like
Help desk operator wage gap by degree level
According to the data, help desk operators with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $47,123 annually. With a Doctorate degree, help desk operators earn a median annual income of $43,165 compared to $36,164 for help desk operators with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $47,123 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $29,364 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $36,164 |
| Doctorate Degree | $43,165 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $30,588 |
Help desk operator employment statistics
Most help desk operators work for a private in the technology industry.
Company size where help desk operators work
Below, you can see the size of companies where help desk operators work.
Help desk operator jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 6% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 12% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 17% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 8% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 28% |
| > 10,000 employees | 29% |
Help desk operator jobs by company type
Employees with the help desk operator job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most help desk operators prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Help desk operator jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 13% |
| Public | 30% |
| Private | 52% |
| Government | 5% |
Help desk operator jobs by industry
The most common industries for help desk operators are technology, health care and education.
Help desk operator industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Technology | 13% |
| Fortune 500 | 13% |
| Health Care | 11% |
| Education | 10% |
| Finance | 9% |
| Professional | 7% |
| Manufacturing | 6% |
| Government | 4% |
| Hospitality | 4% |
| Retail | 4% |
| Telecommunication | 4% |
| Media | 3% |
| Insurance | 3% |
| Transportation | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
Help desk operator turnover and employment statistics
Help desk operator unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for help desk operators between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Help desk operator unemployment rate by year
| Year | Help desk operator unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 7.58% |
| 2011 | 6.70% |
| 2012 | 5.32% |
| 2013 | 5.21% |
| 2014 | 4.89% |
| 2015 | 4.00% |
| 2016 | 3.51% |
| 2017 | 3.56% |
| 2018 | 3.06% |
| 2019 | 3.58% |
| 2020 | 4.61% |
| 2021 | 4.34% |
Average help desk operator tenure
The average help desk operator stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,100 help desk operators resumes in Zippia's database.
Help desk operator tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 22% |
| 1-2 years | 39% |
| 3-4 years | 15% |
| 5-7 years | 12% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 9% |
Help desk operator LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of help desk operators that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Communications Watch Officer | 7.31% | 70,416 |
| Systems Integration Lead | 8.42% | 85,472 |
| Consultant-Application Development | 8.46% | 282,808 |
| Cryptologist | 8.59% | 1,469 |
| Information Systems Administrator | 9.03% | 176,724 |
| Intelligent Systems Engineer | 10.54% | 72,487 |
| Help Desk Operator | 10.88% | - |
Similar help desk operator jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Communications Watch Officer | 7.31% | 70,416 |
| Systems Integration Lead | 8.42% | 85,472 |
| Consultant-Application Development | 8.46% | 282,808 |
| Cryptologist | 8.59% | 1,469 |
| Information Systems Administrator | 9.03% | 176,724 |
| Intelligent Systems Engineer | 10.54% | 72,487 |
Foreign languages spoken by help desk operators
The most common foreign language among help desk operators is Spanish at 56.5%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 13.0% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 4.3%.
- Spanish, 56.5%
- French, 13.0%
- Chinese, 4.3%
- Albanian, 4.3%
- Japanese, 4.3%
- Other, 17.6%
Help desk operator languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 56.5% |
| French | 13.0% |
| Chinese | 4.3% |
| Albanian | 4.3% |
| Japanese | 4.3% |
| Other | 17.6% |
