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The differences between help desk representatives and support representatives 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 a support representative takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a help desk representative has an average salary of $37,449, which is higher than the $33,372 average annual salary of a support representative.
The top three skills for a help desk representative include customer service, troubleshoot and technical support. The most important skills for a support representative are patients, customer service, and troubleshoot.
| Help Desk Representative | Support Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $37,449 | $33,372 |
| Hourly rate | $18.00 | $16.04 |
| Growth rate | 10% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 51,501 | 246,710 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
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.
The primary job of technical support representatives is to answer incoming calls and resolve customer problems or complaints related to computer hardware and software. They typically work in team environments and report directly to the technical department manager. Aside from answering phone calls, they also maintain the solutions database and respond to online chat requests and technical support emails. A successful technical support representative should have an in-depth knowledge of diagnosing and fixing computer problems, customer service skills, and problem-solving skills.
Help desk representatives and support representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Help Desk Representative | Support Representative | |
| Average salary | $37,449 | $33,372 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $48,000 | Between $26,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Stow, OH | Santa Barbara, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Alaska |
| Best paying company | City of Jacksonville | Accenture |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a help desk representative and a support representative in terms of educational background:
| Help Desk Representative | Support Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | - |
Here are the differences between help desk representatives' and support representatives' demographics:
| Help Desk Representative | Support Representative | |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.0% Female, 48.0% | Male, 44.4% Female, 55.6% |
| 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, 11.5% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 7.0% White, 55.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 7% |