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The differences between installation specialists and desktop support specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an installation specialist and a desktop support specialist. Additionally, an installation specialist has an average salary of $49,602, which is higher than the $44,962 average annual salary of a desktop support specialist.
The top three skills for an installation specialist include customer service, ladders and scaffolding. The most important skills for a desktop support specialist are customer service, desktop support, and troubleshoot.
| Installation Specialist | Desktop Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $49,602 | $44,962 |
| Hourly rate | $23.85 | $21.62 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 103,003 | 102,191 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Installation specialists are skilled employees who are responsible for installing various equipment, machinery, and computer systems for a company or clients. These specialists must work with HVAC contractors to install air-conditioning ductwork and materials in business establishments and homes. They should recommend corrective action when identifying electrical and environmental deficiencies to ensure optimized performance and reliability of equipment. Installation specialists must also test hardware and software to determine its efficiency and reliability as well as its compatibility with the existing system.
A Desktop Support Specialist is focused on troubleshooting different software packages, hardware devices, and other peripherals. They monitor the performance of the company's desktop infrastructure.
Installation specialists and desktop support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Installation Specialist | Desktop Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $49,602 | $44,962 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $73,000 | Between $33,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Technip USA Corporation | Cornerstone Research |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between an installation specialist and a desktop support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Installation Specialist | Desktop Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between installation specialists' and desktop support specialists' demographics:
| Installation Specialist | Desktop Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.8% Female, 16.2% | Male, 87.6% Female, 12.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 10.1% White, 56.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 12.3% White, 54.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |