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The differences between operations support representatives and help desk representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an operations support representative and a help desk representative. Additionally, an operations support representative has an average salary of $39,977, which is higher than the $37,449 average annual salary of a help desk representative.
The top three skills for an operations support representative include operations support, data entry and customer service. The most important skills for a help desk representative are customer service, troubleshoot, and technical support.
| Operations Support Representative | Help Desk Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $39,977 | $37,449 |
| Hourly rate | $19.22 | $18.00 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 132,697 | 51,501 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An operations support specialist is an administrative support role within operations and may cover roles like customer representatives or operations research analysts. You will be responsible for ensuring effective and efficient operations by reviewing and tracking processes and identifying problems. Within the larger operations team, operations support specialist assist in finding ways to improve processes. Operations support specialists work to optimize operations to better meet the needs of customers by assisting in information gathering and analysis.
A help desk representative mainly provides client support services through face-to-face interactions, aiming to resolve issues and concerns to ensure client satisfaction. Their responsibilities include answering inquiries, assisting clients in filling up forms, identifying their needs, providing detailed solutions, and referring them to other services as needed. Aside from face-to-face interactions, there are also instances where a help desk representative may provide services through calls and correspondence, troubleshoot problems, and provide step-by-step instructions according to the clients' needs.
Operations support representatives and help desk representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Operations Support Representative | Help Desk Representative | |
| Average salary | $39,977 | $37,449 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $69,000 | Between $29,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Stow, OH |
| Highest paying state | - | New York |
| Best paying company | - | City of Jacksonville |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between an operations support representative and a help desk representative in terms of educational background:
| Operations Support Representative | Help Desk Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between operations support representatives' and help desk representatives' demographics:
| Operations Support Representative | Help Desk Representative | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.2% Female, 62.8% | Male, 52.0% Female, 48.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 10.6% White, 57.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |