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The differences between lead support technicians and desktop 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 desktop support technician. Additionally, a lead support technician has an average salary of $95,420, which is higher than the $41,792 average annual salary of a desktop support technician.
The top three skills for a lead support technician include database, customer service and customer satisfaction. The most important skills for a desktop support technician are customer service, desktop support, and troubleshoot.
| Lead Support Technician | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $95,420 | $41,792 |
| Hourly rate | $45.88 | $20.09 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 115,952 | 108,944 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 1 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| 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 troubleshooting defective computer systems, affecting its performance and efficiency. Desktop support technicians must be highly familiar with the technology systems and programming codes to navigate system applications and locate the discrepancy of the system. They keep documentation of the ticket issue and the resolution for reference and quality improvement. A desktop support technician also configures and updates computer systems and networks for better optimization, as well as conducting regular inspections and monitoring the efficiency of installed programs and patches.
Lead support technicians and desktop support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Support Technician | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $95,420 | $41,792 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $140,000 | Between $32,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Philadelphia, PA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Pennsylvania |
| Best paying company | NTT Data International L.L.C. | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a lead support technician and a desktop support technician in terms of educational background:
| Lead Support Technician | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Information Systems |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between lead support technicians' and desktop support technicians' demographics:
| Lead Support Technician | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.1% Female, 18.9% | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% |
| 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, 11.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 11.7% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |