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The differences between infrastructure systems engineers and desktop engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an infrastructure systems engineer and a desktop engineer. Additionally, an infrastructure systems engineer has an average salary of $110,556, which is higher than the $102,893 average annual salary of a desktop engineer.
The top three skills for an infrastructure systems engineer include cloud, linux and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a desktop engineer are customer service, SCCM, and troubleshoot.
| Infrastructure Systems Engineer | Desktop Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $110,556 | $102,893 |
| Hourly rate | $53.15 | $49.47 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 133,481 | 87,458 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Infrastructure systems engineers are information technology (IT) professionals who design, coordinate, and maintain the IT infrastructure using the latest technology to ensure all the IT systems of an organization are functioning efficiently. These engineers are required to improve collaboration and work sharing by implementing a cloud-backed file system. They must train and mentor other employees about the system functionality and perform troubleshoot when issues arise in the system. Infrastructure systems engineers must also eliminate interruptions for wireless users during upgrades by installing disaster recovery servers.
A desktop engineer is responsible for monitoring the efficiency and performance of computer systems across the organization to deliver high-performance on business operations and client specifications. Desktop engineers resolve computer desktop issues, including navigation and security complications that create delays in the operational process. They conduct regular maintenance with the computer systems, upgrade network infrastructure, and perform configuration to ensure smooth functionality and resolutions. A desktop engineer should have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, recommending system solutions to avoid the reoccurrence of network issues and glitches.
Infrastructure systems engineers and desktop engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Infrastructure Systems Engineer | Desktop Engineer | |
| Average salary | $110,556 | $102,893 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $147,000 | Between $77,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | The Walt Disney Company | Ropes & Gray |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Finance |
There are a few differences between an infrastructure systems engineer and a desktop engineer in terms of educational background:
| Infrastructure Systems Engineer | Desktop Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between infrastructure systems engineers' and desktop engineers' demographics:
| Infrastructure Systems Engineer | Desktop Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0% | Male, 88.7% Female, 11.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 13.9% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 13.6% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 11% |