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The differences between junior information technology 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 a junior information technology specialist and a desktop support specialist. Additionally, a junior information technology specialist has an average salary of $46,556, which is higher than the $44,962 average annual salary of a desktop support specialist.
The top three skills for a junior information technology specialist include troubleshoot, switches and NAT. The most important skills for a desktop support specialist are customer service, desktop support, and troubleshoot.
| Junior Information Technology Specialist | Desktop Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $46,556 | $44,962 |
| Hourly rate | $22.38 | $21.62 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 143,114 | 102,191 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A junior information technology specialist installs and repairs computer hardware and software systems in a company, ensuring quality and efficiency. Their responsibilities include handling computer components, developing test structures, troubleshooting issues, eliminating bugs, and performing security and maintenance checks to ensure that all networks and data are safe and secured. There are also instances when they must produce progress reports and train new members of the workforce. Moreover, they must provide technical support to employees while implementing the company's information technology policies and regulations.
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.
Junior information technology specialists and desktop support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Information Technology Specialist | Desktop Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $46,556 | $44,962 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $57,000 | Between $33,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | - | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | - | Cornerstone Research |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between a junior information technology specialist and a desktop support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Junior Information Technology Specialist | Desktop Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between junior information technology specialists' and desktop support specialists' demographics:
| Junior Information Technology Specialist | Desktop Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.8% Female, 19.2% | Male, 87.6% Female, 12.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 13.2% White, 54.3% 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% |