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The differences between help desk specialists and desk support technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a help desk specialist and a desk support technician. Additionally, a help desk specialist has an average salary of $51,065, which is higher than the $40,715 average annual salary of a desk support technician.
The top three skills for a help desk specialist include customer service, troubleshoot and technical support. The most important skills for a desk support technician are customer service, technical support, and troubleshoot.
| Help Desk Specialist | Desk Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $51,065 | $40,715 |
| Hourly rate | $24.55 | $19.57 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 75,004 | 130,485 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
The primary role of help desk specialists is to maintain relationships between the company and its customers. Their duties and responsibilities include responding to guests' queries, providing technical computer support, and maintaining computer systems' performance. Help desk specialists are also responsible for following up with customers to resolve issues and train computer users. There are several requirements to be qualified for this position, which include having relevant customer service experience, problem-solving and analytical skills, and the ability to prioritize vital tasks.
A desktop support technician is responsible for assisting end-users with their network issues, grant authorization requests, and create user accounts. Desktop support technicians maintain the safety and security of networks, preventing unauthorized access and illegal dissemination of database information. They also handle the software configurations and upgrading the network infrastructure to avoid system downtimes and operational delays. A desktop support technician must have excellent communication and technical skills to monitor systems performance and enhance network navigation.
Help desk specialists and desk support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Help Desk Specialist | Desk Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $51,065 | $40,715 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $73,000 | Between $26,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Schulte Roth & Zabel | BNY Mellon |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a help desk specialist and a desk support technician in terms of educational background:
| Help Desk Specialist | Desk Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between help desk specialists' and desk support technicians' demographics:
| Help Desk Specialist | Desk Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.4% Female, 20.6% | Male, 82.6% Female, 17.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 11.6% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 11.7% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |