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The differences between operations 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 an operations support technician and a desk support technician. Additionally, a desk support technician has an average salary of $40,715, which is higher than the $38,086 average annual salary of an operations support technician.
The top three skills for an operations support technician include operations support, technical support and data entry. The most important skills for a desk support technician are customer service, technical support, and troubleshoot.
| Operations Support Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $38,086 | $40,715 |
| Hourly rate | $18.31 | $19.57 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 157,716 | 130,485 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An operations support technician primarily performs support tasks to assist teams in various duties and maintain smooth workflow operations. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their industry or company of employment, it usually includes performing research and analysis, monitoring stock inventories, replenishing supplies, preparing and processing documentation, conducting installation and repairs, and liaising with internal and external parties. In some situations, an operations support technician may also handle and assist clients by answering inquiries and resolving issues.
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.
Operations support technicians and desk support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Operations Support Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $38,086 | $40,715 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $58,000 | Between $26,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | BNY Mellon |
| Best paying industry | Government | Technology |
There are a few differences between an operations support technician and a desk support technician in terms of educational background:
| Operations Support Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between operations support technicians' and desk support technicians' demographics:
| Operations Support Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.8% Female, 34.2% | Male, 82.6% Female, 17.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 11.5% White, 55.4% 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% |