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The differences between lead 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 a lead support technician and a desk support technician. Additionally, a lead support technician has an average salary of $95,420, which is higher than the $40,715 average annual salary of a desk support technician.
The top three skills for a lead support technician include database, customer service and customer satisfaction. The most important skills for a desk support technician are customer service, technical support, and troubleshoot.
| Lead Support Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $95,420 | $40,715 |
| Hourly rate | $45.88 | $19.57 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 115,952 | 130,485 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Lead support technicians test and troubleshoot onboard systems by using various interface tools and proprietary software. Besides following instructions, lead support technicians also work hand-in-hand with managers to ensure all quality standards are implemented. Lead support technicians also oversee and support different technical tasks, including brackets, building weldments, fabricating, and modifying support structures. Moreover, lead support technicians troubleshoot and resolve hardware and software problems.
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.
Lead support technicians and desk support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Support Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $95,420 | $40,715 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $140,000 | Between $26,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | BNY Mellon | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a lead support technician and a desk support technician in terms of educational background:
| Lead Support Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between lead support technicians' and desk support technicians' demographics:
| Lead Support Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.1% Female, 18.9% | Male, 82.6% Female, 17.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 12.0% White, 55.1% 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% |