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Desktop support specialist salary
Average desktop support specialist salary
$44,962
Average Desktop Support Specialist Salary
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Desktop Support Specialist stands at $44,962 per year, or approximately $22 per hour. This role often requires a mix of technical knowledge and customer service skills, making it essential for organizations that rely on technology. Salary levels can vary based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the industry in which one works.
Where Can Desktop Support Specialists Earn More?
States like California, New York, and Texas tend to offer higher salaries for desktop support specialists. For example, in California, the average salary can exceed $50,000 annually. Additionally, working in sectors like information technology or financial services can lead to better compensation compared to other industries.
Career Opportunities
For those seeking to advance their careers, opportunities for growth include roles such as IT Manager or Systems Administrator. Pursuing certifications in areas like networking or cybersecurity can also enhance job prospects and potential earnings.
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Where can a Desktop Support Specialist earn more?
Desktop support specialist salary estimates from across the web
Average desktop support specialist salary by state
The average desktop support specialist salary in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average desktop support specialist salary states are Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for desktop support specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $55,062 | $26.47 |
| 2 | Nevada | $48,765 | $23.44 |
| 3 | Vermont | $47,072 | $22.63 |
| 4 | Arizona | $48,672 | $23.40 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $56,842 | $27.33 |
| 6 | California | $51,036 | $24.54 |
| 7 | Washington | $49,592 | $23.84 |
| 8 | Kentucky | $47,201 | $22.69 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $48,907 | $23.51 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $56,240 | $27.04 |
| 11 | New York | $52,319 | $25.15 |
| 12 | Virginia | $46,070 | $22.15 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $46,907 | $22.55 |
| 14 | Oklahoma | $44,011 | $21.16 |
| 15 | Michigan | $47,241 | $22.71 |
| 16 | Utah | $42,239 | $20.31 |
| 17 | Colorado | $43,982 | $21.15 |
| 18 | Georgia | $45,120 | $21.69 |
| 19 | Indiana | $45,756 | $22.00 |
| 20 | Ohio | $44,981 | $21.63 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $40,854 | $19.64 |
| 22 | Texas | $43,288 | $20.81 |
| 23 | Delaware | $43,371 | $20.85 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $39,370 | $18.93 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $40,115 | $19.29 |
| 26 | Maryland | $43,222 | $20.78 |
| 27 | Florida | $40,935 | $19.68 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $40,602 | $19.52 |
| 29 | Alaska | $38,523 | $18.52 |
| 30 | Connecticut | $43,259 | $20.80 |
| 31 | Maine | $38,821 | $18.66 |
| 32 | Illinois | $41,638 | $20.02 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $37,135 | $17.85 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $37,415 | $17.99 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $40,369 | $19.41 |
| 36 | Oregon | $40,544 | $19.49 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $39,397 | $18.94 |
| 38 | Wyoming | $35,816 | $17.22 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $35,820 | $17.22 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $37,722 | $18.14 |
| 41 | Missouri | $37,606 | $18.08 |
| 42 | Minnesota | $39,294 | $18.89 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $37,214 | $17.89 |
| 44 | Alabama | $36,480 | $17.54 |
| 45 | Montana | $37,930 | $18.24 |
| 46 | Iowa | $36,775 | $17.68 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $34,766 | $16.71 |
| 48 | Wisconsin | $37,037 | $17.81 |
| 49 | Kansas | $37,482 | $18.02 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $36,740 | $17.66 |
| 51 | Idaho | $35,594 | $17.11 |
Highest paying cities for desktop support specialists
The highest-paying cities for desktop support specialists are Boston, MA, Washington, DC, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | $56,702 | $27.26 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $55,127 | $26.50 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $52,563 | $25.27 |
| 4 | San Mateo, CA | $52,229 | $25.11 |
| 5 | Seattle, WA | $49,920 | $24.00 |
| 6 | Phoenix, AZ | $48,660 | $23.39 |
| 7 | Southfield, MI | $47,555 | $22.86 |
| 8 | Philadelphia, PA | $47,421 | $22.80 |
| 9 | Arlington, VA | $47,305 | $22.74 |
| 10 | Atlanta, GA | $45,069 | $21.67 |
| 11 | Columbus, OH | $44,587 | $21.44 |
| 12 | San Antonio, TX | $43,994 | $21.15 |
| 13 | Littleton, CO | $43,961 | $21.14 |
| 14 | New Haven, CT | $43,398 | $20.86 |
| 15 | Columbia, MD | $43,193 | $20.77 |
| 16 | Chicago, IL | $41,806 | $20.10 |
| 17 | Greensboro, NC | $40,535 | $19.49 |
| 18 | Saint Paul, MN | $39,275 | $18.88 |
| 19 | Bozeman, MT | $37,808 | $18.18 |
| 20 | Lenexa, KS | $37,506 | $18.03 |
Desktop support specialist salary details
A desktop support specialist's salary ranges from $33,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $59,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a desktop support specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $59,000 | $4,917 | $28 |
| 75th Percentile | $52,000 | $4,333 | $25 |
| Average | $44,962 | $3,747 | $22 |
| 25th Percentile | $38,000 | $3,167 | $18 |
| 10th Percentile | $33,000 | $2,750 | $16 |
Highest paying desktop support specialist jobs
The highest paying types of desktop support specialists are technical specialist, support analyst, and computer specialist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Information Technology/Support Technician | $45,591 | $3,799 | $21.92 | 161,748 |
| Systems Support | $64,031 | $5,336 | $30.78 | 156,028 |
| Technical Support Agent | $30,389 | $2,532 | $14.61 | 177,918 |
| Network Support Technician | $48,622 | $4,052 | $23.38 | 120,245 |
| Support Analyst | $75,989 | $6,332 | $36.53 | 107,039 |
| Desktop/Network Support | $49,480 | $4,123 | $23.79 | 119,310 |
Top companies hiring desktop support specialists now:
Which companies pay desktop support specialists the most?
Desktop support specialist salaries at Cornerstone Research and Adobe are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average desktop support specialist salary at companies like Intelliswift and HCL Technologies are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cornerstone Research | $95,134 | $45.74 |
| 2 | Adobe | $75,942 | $36.51 |
| 3 | Intelliswift | $64,201 | $30.87 |
| 4 | HCL Technologies | $62,215 | $29.91 |
| 5 | Western Digital | $60,395 | $29.04 |
| 6 | Mount Sinai Health System | $58,619 | $28.18 |
| 7 | CAI | $58,548 | $28.15 |
| 8 | Allegro MicroSystems | $58,338 | $28.05 |
| 9 | King County | $58,301 | $28.03 |
| 10 | Princeton University | $58,034 | $27.90 |
| 11 | Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital | $56,927 | $27.37 |
| 12 | Take-Two Interactive Software | $55,887 | $26.87 |
| 13 | Electronic Arts | $55,226 | $26.55 |
| 14 | NETSCOUT | $55,183 | $26.53 |
| 15 | David Evans and Associates | $53,873 | $25.90 |
| 16 | Interactive Brokers | $53,223 | $25.59 |
| 17 | FormFactor | $53,136 | $25.55 |
| 18 | Minnesota State Fair | $52,457 | $25.22 |
| 19 | Bankers Healthcare Group | $52,375 | $25.18 |
| 20 | IDA | $52,338 | $25.16 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Desktop Support Specialist salary by industry
The average desktop support specialist salary varies across industries:
- The average desktop support specialist salary in the finance industry is $53,933, the highest of any industry.
- The average desktop support specialist salary in the finance industry is $53,432.
- Desktop support specialists in the manufacturing industry earn an average salary of $45,069, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for desktop support specialists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $53,933 | $25.93 |
| 2 | Technology | $53,432 | $25.69 |
| 3 | Professional | $52,045 | $25.02 |
| 4 | Media | $51,929 | $24.97 |
| 5 | Health Care | $49,341 | $23.72 |
| 6 | Manufacturing | $45,069 | $21.67 |
High paying desktop support specialist jobs
Desktop support specialist salary trends
The average desktop support specialist salary has risen by $6,871 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average desktop support specialist earned $38,091 annually, but today, they earn $44,962 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for desktop support specialists over the last decade.
Compare desktop support specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average desktop support specialist salary over time
Compare desktop support specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Desktop support specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $45,000 | $21.62 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $43,500 | $20.90 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $42,500 | $20.43 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | $41,900 | $20.12 | +1.6% |
| 2021 | $41,200 | $19.79 | +1.6% |
Recently added desktop support specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Chicago | Desktop Support Specialist | Chicago, IL | 06/30/2025 | $62,000 |
| Rivian | Desktop Support Specialist | Irvine, CA | 06/28/2025 | $69,518 |
| Virtual Service Operations?Source=Indeed_Feed | Desktop & Depot Support In Hartford, Farmington, or | Hartford, CT | 06/28/2025 | $35,479 |
| The Ash Group | Desktop Support Specialist | Englewood, CO | 06/28/2025 | $66,784 |
| Net2Source Inc. | Desktop Support Specialist | Bothell, WA | 06/27/2025 | $50,151 |
| Merge It | Desktop Support Specialist | Fort Madison, IA | 06/27/2025 | $52,175 |
| Merge It | Desktop Support Specialist | Hutchinson, KS | 06/27/2025 | $52,175 |
| Kelly Science, Engineering, Technology & Telecom | Desktop Support Specialist | Ankeny, IA | 06/27/2025 | $56,349 |
| Solugenix | Desktop Support Specialist I | Columbus, OH | 06/25/2025 | $43,827 |
| Solugenix | Desktop Support Specialist I | Dallas, TX | 06/25/2025 | $45,914 |
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