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The differences between help desk supervisors and technical support managers 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 technical support manager. Additionally, a technical support manager has an average salary of $106,760, 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 technical support manager are customer service, customer satisfaction, and project management.
| Help Desk Supervisor | Technical Support Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $64,297 | $106,760 |
| Hourly rate | $30.91 | $51.33 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 72,240 | 149,977 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| 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 Technical Support Manager is responsible for supervising the overall technical aspects of an organization to ensure efficient business solutions to support functions and operations. Technical support managers evaluate technical networks and systems, coordinating with the engineering team to identify techniques that would maximize the staff's productivity and enhance operational performance. They also review resolution reports and handle resource allocations to execute business plans according to company requirements and specifications. A Technical Support Manager must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially in identifying process gaps and upgrading system infrastructures.
Help desk supervisors and technical support managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Help Desk Supervisor | Technical Support Manager | |
| Average salary | $64,297 | $106,760 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $94,000 | Between $76,000 And $148,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Novato, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | BitGo |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a help desk supervisor and a technical support manager in terms of educational background:
| Help Desk Supervisor | Technical Support Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between help desk supervisors' and technical support managers' demographics:
| Help Desk Supervisor | Technical Support Manager | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.4% Female, 33.6% | Male, 81.4% Female, 18.6% |
| 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, 10.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 11.1% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |