Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between remote 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 a remote support technician and a desk support technician. Additionally, a desk support technician has an average salary of $40,715, which is higher than the $38,016 average annual salary of a remote support technician.
The top three skills for a remote support technician include phone calls, remote technical support and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a desk support technician are customer service, technical support, and troubleshoot.
| Remote Support Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $38,016 | $40,715 |
| Hourly rate | $18.28 | $19.57 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 122,067 | 130,485 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A Remote Support Technician works on providing solutions to various issues and problems encountered by customers. The support technician helps people remotely through the phone or over the internet to solve a product or service problem. The Support Technician also provides on-site help whenever necessary. A remote support technician needs to have expertise in computer systems, hardware, and software. Also, the technician must have an affinity for troubleshooting and can deliver instructions clearly and effectively.
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.
Remote support technicians and desk support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Remote Support Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $38,016 | $40,715 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $49,000 | Between $26,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | BNY Mellon |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a remote support technician and a desk support technician in terms of educational background:
| Remote Support Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between remote support technicians' and desk support technicians' demographics:
| Remote Support Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5% | Male, 82.6% Female, 17.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.2% 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% |