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The differences between help desk supervisors and senior 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 senior support technician. Additionally, a senior support technician has an average salary of $74,459, 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 technician are customer service, technical support, and troubleshoot.
| Help Desk Supervisor | Senior Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $64,297 | $74,459 |
| Hourly rate | $30.91 | $35.80 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 72,240 | 113,499 |
| 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.
A senior support technician is an individual specializing in diagnosing and resolving information technology (IT)-related problems in an organization, including virus issues, forgotten passwords, and software updates. The job requires knowledge about the installation, configuration, and testing of computer hardware and software. Possessing excellent customer service, listening, and problem-solving skills is also vital to qualify for the position. The job's education requirements include an associate or bachelor's degree in computer science, business, information technology, or a related field.
Help desk supervisors and senior support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Help Desk Supervisor | Senior Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $64,297 | $74,459 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $94,000 | Between $48,000 And $114,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Durham, NC |
| Highest paying state | - | Pennsylvania |
| Best paying company | - | Pacira BioSciences |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a help desk supervisor and a senior support technician in terms of educational background:
| Help Desk Supervisor | Senior Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between help desk supervisors' and senior support technicians' demographics:
| Help Desk Supervisor | Senior Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.4% Female, 33.6% | Male, 78.4% Female, 21.6% |
| 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, 10.7% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 11.1% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |