Help desk operator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a help desk operator. Help desk operators usually study business, computer science, or computer information systems. 46% of help desk operators hold a bachelor's degree, and 33% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,100 real help desk operator resumes to see exactly what help desk operator education sections show.

The most common colleges for help desk operators are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online help desk operator courses to help get the education required to be a help desk operator.

There are certain help desk operator certifications that you should consider. These help desk operator certifications include IT Information Library Foundations Certification (ITIL) and IBM Certified Product Technical Support 4.0.

What education do you need to become a help desk operator?

What degree do you need to be a help desk operator?

The most common degree for help desk operators is bachelor's degree, with 46% of help desk operators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 33% and associate degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 46%

Associate, 33%

High School Diploma, 10%

Master's, 5%

Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a help desk operator?

You should major in business to become a help desk operator. 20% of help desk operators major in business. Other common majors for a help desk operator include computer science and computer information systems.

Business, 20%

Computer Science, 16%

Computer Information Systems, 11%

Information Technology, 8%

Other Majors, 45%

Most common colleges for help desk operators

Help desk operators often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Strayer University, and DeVry University. Here are the most common colleges for help desk operators in the US based on their resumes.

Help desk operator common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	17.28%
Strayer University	8.64%
DeVry University	8.64%
Marist College	6.17%
Western Washington University	4.94%

Show more common help desk operator colleges

Best majors for help desk operators

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	19.6%
2	Computer Science	15.8%
3	Computer Information Systems	11.4%
4	Information Technology	8.0%
5	Computer Networking	5.6%

Show more common help desk operator majors

Best colleges for help desk operators

The best colleges for help desk operators are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A help desk operator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for help desk operators. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become help desk operators.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

7. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,530

Enrollment

4,571

20 best online courses for help desk operators

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Boost your career with this course, pass the e-Learning course, and achieve your Help Desk Analyst certificate...

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17. Basic Computer Course - Windows 7/10 - IT & Desktop Support

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20. Customer Service, Customer Support, And Customer Experience

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Top 10 most affordable universities for help desk operators

The most affordable schools for help desk operators are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for help desk operators are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for help desk operators.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

10. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for help desk operators

The hardest universities for help desk operators to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for help desk operators are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for help desk operators based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,415

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for help desk operators

The easiest schools for help desk operators to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, barry university, and nyack college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a help desk operator without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for help desk operators.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

4. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

8. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

9. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

10. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

Average help desk operator salary by education level

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.

Help desk operator education level	Help desk operator 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 education FAQs

What is the best college for Help Desk Operators?

Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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