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The differences between help desk representatives and information systems technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a help desk representative, becoming an information systems technician takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an information systems technician has an average salary of $46,346, which is higher than the $37,449 average annual salary of a help desk representative.
The top three skills for a help desk representative include customer service, troubleshoot and technical support. The most important skills for an information systems technician are customer service, troubleshoot, and technical support.
| Help Desk Representative | Information Systems Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $37,449 | $46,346 |
| Hourly rate | $18.00 | $22.28 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 51,501 | 173,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A help desk representative mainly provides client support services through face-to-face interactions, aiming to resolve issues and concerns to ensure client satisfaction. Their responsibilities include answering inquiries, assisting clients in filling up forms, identifying their needs, providing detailed solutions, and referring them to other services as needed. Aside from face-to-face interactions, there are also instances where a help desk representative may provide services through calls and correspondence, troubleshoot problems, and provide step-by-step instructions according to the clients' needs.
An information systems technician is responsible for maintaining the efficiency of various network systems' performance. Information systems technicians provide network troubleshooting, upgrading systems for optimization, maintaining the security of databases, managing the interaction of networks, and inspecting and troubleshooting system inconsistencies. Additional duties include creating network designs based on clients' specifications, configuring software and hardware applications, and creating reports on system issues and resolutions. An information systems technician must have excellent knowledge of information systems procedures, programming languages, detecting malfunctions, and making resolutions promptly.
Help desk representatives and information systems technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Help Desk Representative | Information Systems Technician | |
| Average salary | $37,449 | $46,346 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $48,000 | Between $28,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | Stow, OH | Rahway, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New York | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | City of Jacksonville | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Government |
There are a few differences between a help desk representative and an information systems technician in terms of educational background:
| Help Desk Representative | Information Systems Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between help desk representatives' and information systems technicians' demographics:
| Help Desk Representative | Information Systems Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.0% Female, 48.0% | Male, 73.6% Female, 26.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |