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The differences between information technology/support technicians and desk 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 an information technology/support technician and a desk support technician. Additionally, an information technology/support technician has an average salary of $45,591, which is higher than the $40,715 average annual salary of a desk support technician.
The top three skills for an information technology/support technician include customer service, troubleshoot and computer system. The most important skills for a desk support technician are customer service, technical support, and troubleshoot.
| Information Technology/Support Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $45,591 | $40,715 |
| Hourly rate | $21.92 | $19.57 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 161,748 | 130,485 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An information technology (IT) support technician is an individual who is responsible for providing support and troubleshoots software and hardware problems faced by customers. As for larger organizations that have their own IT department, technicians must work together internally with their IT staff members. IT support technicians are involved in inspecting and resolving minor local area network and wireless network issues, which include TCP/IP, DHCP, and VPN. They are also required to obtain an associate's degree in computer science or related field.
A desktop support technician is responsible for assisting end-users with their network issues, grant authorization requests, and create user accounts. Desktop support technicians maintain the safety and security of networks, preventing unauthorized access and illegal dissemination of database information. They also handle the software configurations and upgrading the network infrastructure to avoid system downtimes and operational delays. A desktop support technician must have excellent communication and technical skills to monitor systems performance and enhance network navigation.
Information technology/support technicians and desk support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Information Technology/Support Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $45,591 | $40,715 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $66,000 | Between $26,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | BNY Mellon |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an information technology/support technician and a desk support technician in terms of educational background:
| Information Technology/Support Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between information technology/support technicians' and desk support technicians' demographics:
| Information Technology/Support Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.4% Female, 14.6% | Male, 82.6% Female, 17.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 13.2% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 11.7% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |