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The differences between help desk supervisors and senior 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 supervisor and a senior support specialist. Additionally, a senior support specialist has an average salary of $106,515, which is higher than the $64,297 average annual salary of a help desk supervisor.
The top three skills for a help desk supervisor include customer service, technical support and operational procedures. The most important skills for a senior support specialist are customer service, technical support, and troubleshoot.
| Help Desk Supervisor | Senior Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $64,297 | $106,515 |
| Hourly rate | $30.91 | $51.21 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 72,240 | 103,203 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| 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 senior support specialist is in charge of providing technical support to clients, ensuring efficiency and client satisfaction. They typically communicate with clients through calls or correspondence where they address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently. They may also assist clients in troubleshooting, provide step by step instructions, or recommend solutions. Furthermore, as a senior support specialist, it is essential to lead and serve as a role model for other support specialists while enforcing the company's policies and regulations.
Help desk supervisors and senior support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Help Desk Supervisor | Senior Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $64,297 | $106,515 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $94,000 | Between $71,000 And $159,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Piscataway, NJ |
| Highest paying state | - | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | - | Eclaro |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a help desk supervisor and a senior support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Help Desk Supervisor | Senior Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between help desk supervisors' and senior support specialists' demographics:
| Help Desk Supervisor | Senior Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.4% Female, 33.6% | Male, 61.2% Female, 38.8% |
| 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, 11.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 10.8% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |