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The differences between product 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 a product support representative and a help desk representative. Additionally, a help desk representative has an average salary of $37,449, which is higher than the $36,865 average annual salary of a product support representative.
The top three skills for a product support representative include customer service, technical support and product knowledge. The most important skills for a help desk representative are customer service, troubleshoot, and technical support.
| Product Support Representative | Help Desk Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $36,865 | $37,449 |
| Hourly rate | $17.72 | $18.00 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 125,112 | 51,501 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Product support representatives are skilled employees who are responsible for performing tasks related to product support services. These representatives must provide excellent customer service as well as technical and product support by responding to phone calls and emails of their customers. They must advise their customers on preventative maintenance and configurations that may negatively affect product performance. Product support representatives are also required to document all activities and communications about problems related to product support services and report them with the development team for solutions.
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.
Product support representatives and help desk representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Support Representative | Help Desk Representative | |
| Average salary | $36,865 | $37,449 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $56,000 | Between $29,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | Trenton, NJ | Stow, OH |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | New York |
| Best paying company | Kronos Incorporated | City of Jacksonville |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a product support representative and a help desk representative in terms of educational background:
| Product Support Representative | Help Desk Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between product support representatives' and help desk representatives' demographics:
| Product Support Representative | Help Desk Representative | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.0% Female, 35.0% | Male, 52.0% Female, 48.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.0% White, 56.5% 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% |