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The differences between professional 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 professional technician and a desk support technician. Additionally, a professional technician has an average salary of $81,726, which is higher than the $40,715 average annual salary of a desk support technician.
The top three skills for a professional technician include customer service, cloud and project management. The most important skills for a desk support technician are customer service, technical support, and troubleshoot.
| Professional Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $81,726 | $40,715 |
| Hourly rate | $39.29 | $19.57 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 123,659 | 130,485 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A professional technician is responsible for handling the complexities of technical and mechanical systems, repair defective components, and recommend technical solutions to enhance the company's productivity and efficiency in delivering high-quality deliverables. Professional technicians must be highly skilled in analyzing schematics and blueprints to assemble components and perform troubleshooting. They also manage the adequacy of inventories, create purchase requests, and identify costs and expenses for repairs and installations. A professional technician must be highly communicative and organization, especially in handling tasks with utmost adherence to safety protocols and regulations.
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.
Professional technicians and desk support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Professional Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $81,726 | $40,715 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $104,000 | Between $26,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | BNY Mellon |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a professional technician and a desk support technician in terms of educational background:
| Professional Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between professional technicians' and desk support technicians' demographics:
| Professional Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.1% Female, 27.9% | Male, 82.6% Female, 17.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 12.8% White, 54.2% 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% |