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The differences between help desk supervisors and help desk 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 supervisor and a help desk specialist. Additionally, a help desk supervisor has an average salary of $64,297, which is higher than the $51,065 average annual salary of a help desk specialist.
The top three skills for a help desk supervisor include customer service, technical support and operational procedures. The most important skills for a help desk specialist are customer service, troubleshoot, and technical support.
| Help Desk Supervisor | Help Desk Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $64,297 | $51,065 |
| Hourly rate | $30.91 | $24.55 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 72,240 | 75,004 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| 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.
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.
Help desk supervisors and help desk specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Help Desk Supervisor | Help Desk Specialist | |
| Average salary | $64,297 | $51,065 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $94,000 | Between $35,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | - | Alaska |
| Best paying company | - | Schulte Roth & Zabel |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a help desk supervisor and a help desk specialist in terms of educational background:
| Help Desk Supervisor | Help Desk Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between help desk supervisors' and help desk specialists' demographics:
| Help Desk Supervisor | Help Desk Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.4% Female, 33.6% | Male, 79.4% Female, 20.6% |
| 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, 12.3% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 11.6% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |