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The differences between help desk specialists and technology services 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 technology services specialist. Additionally, a technology services specialist has an average salary of $60,796, 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 technology services specialist are customer service, technical support, and technical service.
| Help Desk Specialist | Technology Services Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $51,065 | $60,796 |
| Hourly rate | $24.55 | $29.23 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 75,004 | 171,044 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| 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.
Technology Services Specialists are information technology (IT) personnel in a company. They assist internal employees and external clients on everything related to technology. They may specialize in a specific item, such as software, hardware, or network infrastructure. Technology services specialists advise users on the usage of different tools. They should be able to troubleshoot concerns and conduct repair and maintenance activities. They should also know how to address the needs of their clients. Technology Services Specialists may sometimes man helpdesk tickets and respond to these tickets accordingly.
Help desk specialists and technology services specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Help Desk Specialist | Technology Services Specialist | |
| Average salary | $51,065 | $60,796 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $73,000 | Between $33,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Schulte Roth & Zabel | Ropes & Gray |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a help desk specialist and a technology services specialist in terms of educational background:
| Help Desk Specialist | Technology Services Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between help desk specialists' and technology services specialists' demographics:
| Help Desk Specialist | Technology Services Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.4% Female, 20.6% | Male, 72.9% Female, 27.1% |
| 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, 10.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 11.9% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |