Help desk specialist demographics and statistics in the US
Help desk specialist demographics research summary. Zippia estimates help desk specialist demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our help desk specialist 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 specialists after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 391,517 help desk specialists currently employed in the United States.
- 20.6% of all help desk specialists are women, while 79.4% are men.
- The average help desk specialist age is 42 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of help desk specialists is White (55.0%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (15.3%), Black or African American (12.3%) and Asian (11.6%).
- Help desk specialists are most in-demand in Washington, DC.
- The technology industry is the highest-paying for help desk specialists.
- 11% of all help desk specialists are LGBT.
On this page
Help desk specialist demographics by:
Help desk specialist gender statistics
20.6% of help desk specialists are women and 79.4% of help desk specialists are men.
- Male, 79.4%
- Female, 20.6%
Help desk specialist gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 79.4% |
| Female | 20.6% |
Help desk specialist gender pay gap
Women earn 97¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$52,883
Female income
$51,397
Help desk specialist gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in help desk specialist positions over time. Currently, 20.6% of help desk specialists are female.
Help desk specialist gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 74.80% | 25.20% |
| 2011 | 75.70% | 24.30% |
| 2012 | 77.01% | 22.99% |
| 2013 | 77.48% | 22.52% |
| 2014 | 77.82% | 22.18% |
| 2015 | 79.37% | 20.63% |
| 2016 | 79.49% | 20.51% |
| 2017 | 79.41% | 20.59% |
| 2018 | 80.04% | 19.96% |
| 2019 | 78.91% | 21.09% |
| 2020 | 79.35% | 20.65% |
| 2021 | 79.39% | 20.61% |
Help desk specialist related jobs gender ratio
We compared help desk specialists 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 Specialist | 79% | 21% |
| 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 specialist demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among help desk specialists is White, which makes up 55.0% of all help desk specialists. Comparatively, 15.3% of help desk specialists are Hispanic or Latino and 12.3% of help desk specialists are Black or African American.
- White, 55.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 15.3%
- Black or African American, 12.3%
- Asian, 11.6%
- Unknown, 5.3%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
Help desk specialist race
| Help desk specialist race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 55.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 15.3% |
| Black or African American | 12.3% |
| Asian | 11.6% |
| Unknown | 5.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.5% |
Help desk specialist race and ethnicity over time
See how help desk specialist racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Help desk specialist race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 63.63% | 12.73% | 8.22% | 12.36% |
| 2011 | 64.33% | 12.82% | 8.37% | 11.86% |
| 2012 | 63.06% | 13.06% | 8.62% | 12.50% |
| 2013 | 62.00% | 12.30% | 9.42% | 12.88% |
| 2014 | 61.71% | 12.51% | 9.07% | 13.59% |
| 2015 | 61.61% | 11.98% | 10.25% | 13.48% |
| 2016 | 61.40% | 11.94% | 10.23% | 13.37% |
| 2017 | 60.62% | 11.61% | 10.68% | 13.77% |
| 2018 | 60.74% | 11.56% | 10.77% | 13.51% |
| 2019 | 58.92% | 11.48% | 11.47% | 14.63% |
| 2020 | 56.88% | 12.06% | 11.25% | 14.80% |
| 2021 | 55.03% | 12.29% | 11.62% | 15.33% |
Help desk specialist wage gap by race
According to our data, asian help desk specialists have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american help desk specialists have the lowest average salary at $50,444.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $51,309 |
| White | $52,354 |
| Black or African American | $50,444 |
| Asian | $59,263 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $51,507 |
Average help desk specialist age
See how the average age of help desk specialists varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Help desk specialist 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 specialist age breakdown
The average age of help desk specialists is 40+ years years old, representing 56% of the help desk specialist population.
Help desk specialist age breakdown
| Help Desk Specialist Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 56% |
| 30-40 years | 30% |
| 20-30 years | 15% |
Help desk specialist educational attainment
The most common degree for help desk specialists is bachelor's degree, with 48% of help desk specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 35% and associate degree degree at 5%.
- Bachelor's, 48%
- Associate, 35%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Master's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 7%
Help desk specialists by degree level
| Help desk specialist degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 48% |
| Associate | 35% |
| High School Diploma | 5% |
| Master's | 5% |
| Other Degrees | 7% |
Help desk specialist jobs you might like
Help desk specialist wage gap by degree level
According to the data, help desk specialists with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $63,108 annually. With a Doctorate degree, help desk specialists earn a median annual income of $59,826 compared to $53,716 for help desk specialists with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $63,108 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $47,318 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $53,716 |
| Doctorate Degree | $59,826 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $48,510 |
Help desk specialist employment statistics
Most help desk specialists work for a public in the technology industry.
Company size where help desk specialists work
Below, you can see the size of companies where help desk specialists work.
Help desk specialist jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 2% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 8% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 13% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 8% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 29% |
| > 10,000 employees | 40% |
Help desk specialist jobs by company type
Employees with the help desk specialist job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most help desk specialists prefer to work at public companies over private companies.
Help desk specialist jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 10% |
| Public | 43% |
| Private | 43% |
| Government | 4% |
Help desk specialist jobs by industry
The most common industries for help desk specialists are technology, finance and professional.
Help desk specialist industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Fortune 500 | 19% |
| Technology | 16% |
| Finance | 12% |
| Professional | 11% |
| Education | 8% |
| Health Care | 6% |
| Telecommunication | 5% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Media | 3% |
| Government | 3% |
| Retail | 3% |
| Insurance | 3% |
| Transportation | 2% |
| Energy | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
Help desk specialist turnover and employment statistics
Help desk specialist unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for help desk specialists between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Help desk specialist unemployment rate by year
| Year | Help desk specialist 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 specialist tenure
The average help desk specialist stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 13,632 help desk specialists resumes in Zippia's database.
Help desk specialist tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 28% |
| 1-2 years | 35% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 12% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 7% |
Help desk specialist LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of help desk specialists 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Consultant | 7.31% | 13,627 |
| Health Informatics Specialist | 8.42% | 52,174 |
| SQL Server Developer | 8.46% | 135,285 |
| Information Technology Security Manager | 8.59% | 120,463 |
| Core Network Engineer | 9.03% | 34,068 |
| Engineer Lead Quality Assurance Lead | 10.54% | 278,178 |
| Help Desk Specialist | 10.88% | - |
Similar help desk specialist jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Consultant | 7.31% | 13,627 |
| Health Informatics Specialist | 8.42% | 52,174 |
| SQL Server Developer | 8.46% | 135,285 |
| Information Technology Security Manager | 8.59% | 120,463 |
| Core Network Engineer | 9.03% | 34,068 |
| Engineer Lead Quality Assurance Lead | 10.54% | 278,178 |
Foreign languages spoken by help desk specialists
The most common foreign language among help desk specialists is Spanish at 55.8%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 8.6% and Arabic is the third-most popular at 4.7%.
- Spanish, 55.8%
- French, 8.6%
- Arabic, 4.7%
- Russian, 3.7%
- Portuguese, 3.3%
- Other, 23.9%
Help desk specialist languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 55.8% |
| French | 8.6% |
| Arabic | 4.7% |
| Russian | 3.7% |
| Portuguese | 3.3% |
| Other | 23.9% |
