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The differences between production support analysts and desktop support analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a production support analyst and a desktop support analyst. Additionally, a production support analyst has an average salary of $74,571, which is higher than the $48,674 average annual salary of a desktop support analyst.
The top three skills for a production support analyst include application support, management system and java. The most important skills for a desktop support analyst are desktop support, customer service, and computer system.
| Production Support Analyst | Desktop Support Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $74,571 | $48,674 |
| Hourly rate | $35.85 | $23.40 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 178,536 | 99,621 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A production support analyst is responsible for supporting the information technology team on improving network infrastructures, performing systems configurations, and resolving technical issues. Production support analysts inspect inconsistencies on network systems, strategizing techniques to stabilize and maintain the efficiency of various software applications and hardware tools. They analyze the current technology trends and look for opportunities to design new technology solutions that would maximize the company's productivity and improve business operations. A production support analyst also creates reports on system findings for reference, including recommendations to prevent the reoccurrence of glitches and defects.
A desktop support analyst's role is to develop strategies and systems to improve and coordinate desktop support efforts. Their responsibilities revolve around testing and modifying existing networks and systems, providing corrective measures on issues and concerns, performing regular inspections, troubleshooting, and maintaining inventories on software, hardware, and other applications. Furthermore, as a desktop support analyst, it is essential to respond to calls and correspondence from clients, all while adhering to the policies and regulations of the company.
Production support analysts and desktop support analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Support Analyst | Desktop Support Analyst | |
| Average salary | $74,571 | $48,674 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $90,000 | Between $36,000 And $65,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redmond, WA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | New York |
| Best paying company | Meta | Cambridge Associates |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a production support analyst and a desktop support analyst in terms of educational background:
| Production Support Analyst | Desktop Support Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between production support analysts' and desktop support analysts' demographics:
| Production Support Analyst | Desktop Support Analyst | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.7% Female, 33.3% | Male, 87.9% Female, 12.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 15.0% White, 53.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 12.3% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |