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The differences between program support technicians and desktop 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 program support technician and a desktop support technician. Additionally, a desktop support technician has an average salary of $41,792, which is higher than the $36,653 average annual salary of a program support technician.
The top three skills for a program support technician include program support, data entry and DMV. The most important skills for a desktop support technician are customer service, desktop support, and troubleshoot.
| Program Support Technician | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $36,653 | $41,792 |
| Hourly rate | $17.62 | $20.09 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 160,368 | 108,944 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 1 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Program support technicians require administrative experience and skills in communication, organization, and proficiency with office software to do their best. This career choice demands showcasing support for users by answering their questions, resolving technical issues, and maintaining the network, software, and computer equipment of the respective company.
A desktop support technician is responsible for troubleshooting defective computer systems, affecting its performance and efficiency. Desktop support technicians must be highly familiar with the technology systems and programming codes to navigate system applications and locate the discrepancy of the system. They keep documentation of the ticket issue and the resolution for reference and quality improvement. A desktop support technician also configures and updates computer systems and networks for better optimization, as well as conducting regular inspections and monitoring the efficiency of installed programs and patches.
Program support technicians and desktop support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Program Support Technician | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $36,653 | $41,792 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $52,000 | Between $32,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | Long Beach, CA | Philadelphia, PA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Pennsylvania |
| Best paying company | Mandiant | NTT Data International L.L.C. |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Finance |
There are a few differences between a program support technician and a desktop support technician in terms of educational background:
| Program Support Technician | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Information Systems |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between program support technicians' and desktop support technicians' demographics:
| Program Support Technician | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.2% Female, 67.8% | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 14.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 9.6% White, 57.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 11.7% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |