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The differences between help desk supervisors and computer 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 supervisor and a computer support technician. Additionally, a help desk supervisor has an average salary of $64,297, which is higher than the $41,852 average annual salary of a computer support technician.
The top three skills for a help desk supervisor include customer service, technical support and operational procedures. The most important skills for a computer support technician are customer service, technical support, and computer support.
| Help Desk Supervisor | Computer Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $64,297 | $41,852 |
| Hourly rate | $30.91 | $20.12 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 72,240 | 121,180 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A Help Desk Supervisor oversees and evaluates the daily operations of help desk teams to ensure that customers receive optimal services. They have the authority to set short and long-term goals, establish guidelines and employee schedules, liaise with external business partners, delegate tasks among staff, and monitor operations' progress, resolving complicated issues and concerns. They also review documents and reports that employees regularly submit to ensure that all operations run smoothly and efficiently. Moreover, a Help Desk Supervisor leads and encourages teams to reach goals while implementing its policies and regulations.
A computer support technician is responsible for diagnosing and resolving computer and network issues, identifying the source of malfunctions, and improving infrastructure to avoid downtimes and operational delays. Computer support technicians manage the efficiency of all equipment and peripherals for the computers, assist in installing components, and keeping adequate resources or alternatives for defective items. They also recommend minimal costs technology materials and create troubleshooting manuals for reference, ensuring that the network processes adhere to internal guidelines and regulations.
Help desk supervisors and computer support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Help Desk Supervisor | Computer Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $64,297 | $41,852 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $94,000 | Between $34,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Lompoc, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a help desk supervisor and a computer support technician in terms of educational background:
| Help Desk Supervisor | Computer Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between help desk supervisors' and computer support technicians' demographics:
| Help Desk Supervisor | Computer Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.4% Female, 33.6% | Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 11.7% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |