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The differences between junior technical specialists and help desk 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 technical specialist and a help desk specialist. Additionally, a junior technical specialist has an average salary of $52,938, which is higher than the $51,065 average annual salary of a help desk specialist.
The top three skills for a junior technical specialist include troubleshoot, technical support and PC. The most important skills for a help desk specialist are customer service, troubleshoot, and technical support.
A junior technical specialist is responsible for providing the highest customer service by assisting the end-users in resolving their computer issues and network failures timely and efficiently. Junior technical specialists handle the installments and upgrades of software applications and programs and run multiple diagnostic tests to ensure that the systems meet the quality standards and requirements. A junior technical specialist must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in navigating multiple computer tools to help customers with remote troubleshooting and escalations.
The primary role of help desk specialists is to maintain relationships between the company and its customers. Their duties and responsibilities include responding to guests' queries, providing technical computer support, and maintaining computer systems' performance. Help desk specialists are also responsible for following up with customers to resolve issues and train computer users. There are several requirements to be qualified for this position, which include having relevant customer service experience, problem-solving and analytical skills, and the ability to prioritize vital tasks.
Junior technical specialists and help desk specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Technical Specialist | Help Desk Specialist | |
| Average salary | $52,938 | $51,065 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $87,000 | Between $35,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Alaska |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | Schulte Roth & Zabel |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a junior technical specialist and a help desk specialist in terms of educational background:
| Junior Technical Specialist | Help Desk Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology | Computer Science |
| Most common college | - | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between junior technical specialists' and help desk specialists' demographics:
| Junior Technical Specialist | Help Desk Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.5% Female, 42.5% | Male, 79.4% Female, 20.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 15.2% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 11.6% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |