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Network communications technician vs desk support technician

The differences between network communications 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 network communications technician and a desk support technician. Additionally, a network communications technician has an average salary of $51,650, which is higher than the $40,715 average annual salary of a desk support technician.

The top three skills for a network communications technician include regular monitoring, routers and switches. The most important skills for a desk support technician are customer service, technical support, and troubleshoot.

Network communications technician vs desk support technician overview

Network Communications TechnicianDesk Support Technician
Yearly salary$51,650$40,715
Hourly rate$24.83$19.57
Growth rate5%10%
Number of jobs52,657130,485
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 45%Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age4342
Years of experience22

Network communications technician vs desk support technician salary

Network communications technicians and desk support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Network Communications TechnicianDesk Support Technician
Average salary$51,650$40,715
Salary rangeBetween $36,000 And $72,000Between $26,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City-South San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-BNY Mellon
Best paying industry-Technology

Differences between network communications technician and desk support technician education

There are a few differences between a network communications technician and a desk support technician in terms of educational background:

Network Communications TechnicianDesk Support Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 45%Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaStanford University

Network communications technician vs desk support technician demographics

Here are the differences between network communications technicians' and desk support technicians' demographics:

Network Communications TechnicianDesk Support Technician
Average age4342
Gender ratioMale, 78.2% Female, 21.8%Male, 82.6% Female, 17.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 8.7% White, 63.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%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 Percentage9%11%

Differences between network communications technician and desk support technician duties and responsibilities

Network communications technician example responsibilities.

  • Maintain and manage office-wide LAN.
  • Engineer and manage creation of co-registration Java modules for integration with Akamai streaming servers.
  • Help identify customer issues with their switches and routers and provide on solutions.
  • Perform trouble correlation for voice, voip, data and video network problems using ViryNet ticketing system.
  • Install, operate and maintain LAN terminals and cabling.
  • Verify network routers perform and meet engineering standards prior to field installation.
  • Show more

Desk support technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage backups, replications and disaster recovery plans of company mission critical servers and database files to ensure redundancy.
  • Use multiple monitor setup display and remote desktop applications via VPN to access associate computers.
  • Utilize desktop deployment tools in order to deploy and maintain inventory for PCs, monitors, and printers.
  • Assist with network connectivity with PCs, laptops, and mobile phones including TCP/IP settings and internet connections.
  • Provide administrative support and troubleshooting for VPN users.
  • Maintain company networks security systems and infrastructure hardware including firewalls and switches and install software security and firmware patches or upgrades.
  • Show more

Network communications technician vs desk support technician skills

Common network communications technician skills
  • Regular Monitoring, 8%
  • Routers, 8%
  • Switches, 8%
  • Windows, 7%
  • Network Equipment, 6%
  • Network Communications, 6%
Common desk support technician skills
  • Customer Service, 11%
  • Technical Support, 8%
  • Troubleshoot, 7%
  • Phone Calls, 5%
  • Desk Side Support, 5%
  • Remote Troubleshooting, 4%

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