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As of October 2025, the average salary for a Help Desk Engineer is approximately $52,444 per year, translating to about $25 per hour. This salary can vary significantly based on several factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry in which one is employed. Entry-level positions typically start lower, while seasoned professionals can see substantial increases.
Geographic location greatly impacts salary potential. States such as California, New York, and Washington often offer higher wages due to their robust tech industries and cost of living adjustments. For instance, Help Desk Engineers in California may earn upwards of $60,000 annually.
Industries like finance, healthcare, and technology are known for providing higher salaries for Help Desk Engineers. Positions in large corporations or specialized tech firms tend to command higher salaries. To maximize your earning potential, consider furthering your education or obtaining certifications relevant to your field.
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The highest-paying states for help desk engineers are New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. The lowest average help desk engineer salary states are Idaho, Alabama, and Utah.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $64,242 | $30.89 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $64,404 | $30.96 |
| 3 | Delaware | $60,956 | $29.31 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $62,297 | $29.95 |
| 5 | Maryland | $60,093 | $28.89 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $70,311 | $33.80 |
| 7 | Vermont | $56,798 | $27.31 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $67,522 | $32.46 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $56,570 | $27.20 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $65,027 | $31.26 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $60,783 | $29.22 |
| 12 | New York | $60,618 | $29.14 |
| 13 | Virginia | $53,037 | $25.50 |
| 14 | Indiana | $54,550 | $26.23 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $50,334 | $24.20 |
| 16 | California | $54,989 | $26.44 |
| 17 | Nevada | $51,492 | $24.76 |
| 18 | Maine | $53,942 | $25.93 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $49,761 | $23.92 |
| 20 | Michigan | $49,233 | $23.67 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $50,033 | $24.05 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $50,370 | $24.22 |
| 23 | Ohio | $49,446 | $23.77 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $49,155 | $23.63 |
| 25 | Alaska | $47,654 | $22.91 |
| 26 | Montana | $45,860 | $22.05 |
| 27 | Kansas | $47,498 | $22.84 |
| 28 | Illinois | $48,876 | $23.50 |
| 29 | Texas | $46,755 | $22.48 |
| 30 | Georgia | $47,053 | $22.62 |
| 31 | Washington | $47,178 | $22.68 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $48,028 | $23.09 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $47,815 | $22.99 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $46,473 | $22.34 |
| 35 | Arizona | $44,422 | $21.36 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $47,213 | $22.70 |
| 37 | Oregon | $44,881 | $21.58 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $45,998 | $22.11 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $41,778 | $20.09 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $44,989 | $21.63 |
| 41 | Colorado | $41,170 | $19.79 |
| 42 | Missouri | $46,055 | $22.14 |
| 43 | Florida | $42,425 | $20.40 |
| 44 | Utah | $40,541 | $19.49 |
| 45 | Alabama | $40,773 | $19.60 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $42,899 | $20.62 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $39,630 | $19.05 |
| 48 | Iowa | $42,183 | $20.28 |
| 49 | Idaho | $40,948 | $19.69 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $39,125 | $18.81 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $38,896 | $18.70 |
The highest-paying cities for help desk engineers are Radnor, PA, Quincy, MA, and Hempstead, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Radnor, PA | $65,269 | $31.38 |
| 2 | Quincy, MA | $64,419 | $30.97 |
| 3 | Hempstead, NY | $60,875 | $29.27 |
| 4 | Baltimore, MD | $60,220 | $28.95 |
| 5 | San Francisco, CA | $59,203 | $28.46 |
| 6 | Arlington, VA | $54,074 | $26.00 |
| 7 | Cleveland, OH | $50,541 | $24.30 |
| 8 | Evanston, IL | $49,631 | $23.86 |
| 9 | Seattle, WA | $47,508 | $22.84 |
| 10 | San Antonio, TX | $47,324 | $22.75 |
| 11 | Alpharetta, GA | $47,309 | $22.74 |
| 12 | Saint Louis, MO | $46,958 | $22.58 |
| 13 | Phoenix, AZ | $44,496 | $21.39 |
A help desk engineer's salary ranges from $36,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $74,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $74,000 | $6,167 | $36 |
| 75th Percentile | $63,000 | $5,250 | $30 |
| Average | $52,444 | $4,370 | $25 |
| 25th Percentile | $43,000 | $3,583 | $21 |
| 10th Percentile | $36,000 | $3,000 | $17 |
The highest paying types of help desk engineers are senior infrastructure engineer, information engineer, and desktop engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desk Support Technician | $40,715 | $3,393 | $19.57 | 130,485 |
| Information Engineer | $105,003 | $8,750 | $50.48 | 151,357 |
| Customer Support Engineer | $82,674 | $6,889 | $39.75 | 138,641 |
| Network Support Engineer | $86,406 | $7,200 | $41.54 | 113,476 |
| Systems Support Engineer | $82,561 | $6,880 | $39.69 | 182,434 |
| Technical Support Engineer | $85,716 | $7,143 | $41.21 | 184,542 |
Top companies hiring help desk engineers now:
Help desk engineer salaries at Bain & Company and Booz Allen Hamilton are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average help desk engineer salary at companies like Cognizant and TTX are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bain & Company | $86,011 | $41.35 |
| 2 | Booz Allen Hamilton | $83,961 | $40.37 |
| 3 | Cognizant | $72,586 | $34.90 |
| 4 | TTX | $69,029 | $33.19 |
| 5 | Lockheed Martin | $66,710 | $32.07 |
| 6 | Acadia Realty Trust | $65,077 | $31.29 |
| 7 | GPAC | $62,245 | $29.93 |
| 8 | Net at Work | $62,168 | $29.89 |
| 9 | Metro Systems | $60,705 | $29.19 |
| 10 | Leidos | $60,463 | $29.07 |
| 11 | SAIC | $59,513 | $28.61 |
| 12 | TEKsystems | $58,327 | $28.04 |
| 13 | SSE plc | $57,484 | $27.64 |
| 14 | Infinity Consulting Solutions | $56,096 | $26.97 |
| 15 | Infinity Network Solutions | $53,869 | $25.90 |
| 16 | VitalSource | $53,677 | $25.81 |
| 17 | Stratosphere Networks | $52,825 | $25.40 |
| 18 | Endsight | $52,543 | $25.26 |
| 19 | Hr Solutions | $52,426 | $25.20 |
| 20 | DRW | $52,130 | $25.06 |
The average help desk engineer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $67,498 | $32.45 |
| 2 | Pharmaceutical | $59,500 | $28.61 |
| 3 | Technology | $58,007 | $27.89 |
| 4 | Government | $56,907 | $27.36 |
| 5 | Health Care | $53,652 | $25.79 |
| 6 | Professional | $52,467 | $25.22 |
| 7 | Automotive | $47,334 | $22.76 |
| 8 | Manufacturing | $45,090 | $21.68 |
The average help desk engineer salary has risen by $8,014 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average help desk engineer earned $44,430 annually, but today, they earn $52,444 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for help desk engineers over the last decade.
Compare help desk engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare help desk engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $52,400 | $25.21 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $50,700 | $24.38 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $49,600 | $23.83 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | $48,800 | $23.47 | +1.6% |
| 2021 | $48,000 | $23.09 | +1.6% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allsafe It | Talent Pool for Help Desk Engineers | Pasadena, TX | 05/28/2025 | $48,001 |
| Staffmark Group | Help Desk Engineer | Ruston, LA | 05/22/2025 | $60,000 |
| Porch Group | Help Desk Engineer I | Seattle, WA | 05/04/2025 | $52,676 |
| Wolverine Trading | Help Desk Engineer | Chicago, IL | 04/28/2025 | $40,000 |
| Wolverine Asset Management, LLC | Help Desk Engineer | Chicago, IL | 04/09/2025 | $40,000 |
| Allsafe It | Help Desk Engineer-Tier IV | Pasadena, TX | 03/28/2025 | $89,637 |
| Equinox | Help Desk Engineer (Contract) | New York, NY | 03/27/2025 | $62,610 |
| Job Listingsby Light Hq | Help Desk Engineer | Maryland | 03/27/2025 | $109,000 |
| Raydon Corporation | Help Desk Engineer | Severn, MD | 03/26/2025 | $109,000 |
| By Light HQ | Help Desk Engineer | Severn, MD | 03/25/2025 | $109,000 |
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