Information technology administrator vs help desk administrator

The differences between information technology administrators and help desk administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an information technology administrator and a help desk administrator. Additionally, an information technology administrator has an average salary of $73,195, which is higher than the $49,798 average annual salary of a help desk administrator.

The top three skills for an information technology administrator include customer service, troubleshoot and linux. The most important skills for a help desk administrator are customer service, desk support, and troubleshoot.

Information technology administrator vs help desk administrator overview

	Information Technology Administrator	Help Desk Administrator
Yearly salary	$73,195	$49,798
Hourly rate	$35.19	$23.94
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	159,499	130,180
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

What does an information technology administrator do?

An Information Technology (IT) administrator is an individual responsible for managing the day-to-day operation of an organization's IT systems and ensuring that the systems are running effectively. IT administrators must conduct consistent analyses of the computer system and install updates when needed. They are required to assess the organization's security programs and run the system for viruses and spyware. IT administrators also extend support to the organization's end-users and train them on desktop applications.

What does a help desk administrator do?

Help desk administrator is responsible for handling activities related to system support for their company or organization. They are in charge of providing superb client experiences and working in resolving support issues in a professional and timely manner. One of their primary tasks includes providing login resets and passwords for end-users. In addition, they will also perform innovative systems and network repairs, as well as assist computer information responses as required. Moreover, they support complete equipment set-up, renewal, or termination of a user account, handle server, and domain account changes.

Information technology administrator vs help desk administrator salary

Information technology administrators and help desk administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Information Technology Administrator	Help Desk Administrator
Average salary	$73,195	$49,798
Salary range	Between $50,000 And $105,000	Between $34,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	California	New Jersey
Best paying company	Databricks	Houlihan Lokey
Best paying industry	Finance	Finance

Differences between information technology administrator and help desk administrator education

There are a few differences between an information technology administrator and a help desk administrator in terms of educational background:

	Information Technology Administrator	Help Desk Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common major	Computer Science	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Information technology administrator vs help desk administrator demographics

Here are the differences between information technology administrators' and help desk administrators' demographics:

	Information Technology Administrator	Help Desk Administrator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4%	Male, 74.3% Female, 25.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 9.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 8.8% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between information technology administrator and help desk administrator duties and responsibilities

Information technology administrator example responsibilities.

Define, document and project manage the implementation and configuration changes to HRIS applications.
Manage the migration from ADP to Lawson software; adapt HRIS to fit organizational needs.
Manage PC trainers and develop high quality internal instructor-le courses.
Manage host peripheral hardware including disk files and space utilization.
Manage and maintain corporate telecommunications and LAN; recommend repairs as needed.
Manage administration for SharePoint websites including account creation or modifying existing user accounts and site settings.

Help desk administrator example responsibilities.

Create, deploy and manage VMWare virtual desktops as well as configured customize pools for specific operational needs.
Manage the PC refresh program transferring all user data remotely and installing require software applications.
Configure, establish and manage local area network (LAN) connectivity and remote access per customer configuration requirements.
Administer DNS / DHCP servers, work with network administer to make sure the tables are updating correctly.
Administer IP address allocation through DHCP management.
Assist in the deployment of new POS applications and hardware.

Information technology administrator vs help desk administrator skills

Common information technology administrator skills

Customer Service, 10%
Troubleshoot, 6%
Linux, 5%
Database, 4%
VMware, 4%
Windows Server, 4%

Common help desk administrator skills

Customer Service, 11%
Desk Support, 7%
Troubleshoot, 6%
Technical Support, 5%
Phone Calls, 4%
Remote Desktop, 4%

Information Technology Administrator vs. similar jobs

Information Technology Administrator related careers

Information Technology Administrator related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Computer and Mathematical Industry
Information Technology Administrator
Information Technology Administrator vs Help Desk Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse computer and mathematical jobs