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The differences between help desk specialists and systems support specialists 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 systems support specialist. Additionally, a systems support specialist has an average salary of $61,744, which is higher than the $51,065 average annual salary of a help desk specialist.
The top three skills for a help desk specialist include customer service, troubleshoot and technical support. The most important skills for a systems support specialist are customer service, troubleshoot, and technical support.
| Help Desk Specialist | Systems Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $51,065 | $61,744 |
| Hourly rate | $24.55 | $29.68 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 75,004 | 159,364 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| 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 systems support specialist is responsible for assisting end-users on system issues, including network configuration and improving network infrastructure. System support specialists implement network strategies alongside the whole technology team to boost the system's efficiency and optimal performance. They create resolution reports for reference and write recommendations to prevent system defects and inconsistencies. A systems support specialist also handles network installations and upgrades, requiring them to have excellent technical skills and knowledge of programming languages.
Help desk specialists and systems support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Help Desk Specialist | Systems Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $51,065 | $61,744 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $73,000 | Between $41,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Centreville, VA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Virginia |
| Best paying company | Schulte Roth & Zabel | Koch Industries |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a help desk specialist and a systems support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Help Desk Specialist | Systems Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between help desk specialists' and systems support specialists' demographics:
| Help Desk Specialist | Systems Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.4% Female, 20.6% | Male, 73.4% Female, 26.6% |
| 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, 11.9% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |