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What is a senior desktop support technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Kate Marek Ph.D.

Senior desktop support technicians are responsible for maintaining the customer relationship and communication tied to project-related activities. They create a positive working atmosphere for employees and customer support to exceed in all areas of support, as well as work directly with the customer to fully understand expectations for projects, deliver results, and maintain a clear line of communication. Senior desktop support technicians earn an average salary of $63,000 annually or $30 per hour.

Senior desktop support technicians install, configure, and troubleshoot software and peripherals with end-users systems. They record, track, and document incident requests, including all successful and unsuccessful decisions made and actions taken through to final resolution. They also escalate and work within defined processes to provide timely customer support and escalate appropriately to departments.

Senior desktop support technicians typically hold a bachelor's or associate's degree in computer science, information technology, computer networking, or other related fields. They are expected to have experience working with enterprise-level customers and specific manufacturer certifications.

What general advice would you give to a senior desktop support technician?

Kate Marek Ph.D.Kate Marek Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Director and Professor, Dominican University

Choose an organization in tune with one's values. Look for a job in growth areas, such as data asset management, data analysis, etc.
ScoreSenior Desktop Support TechnicianUS Average
Salary
4.6

Avg. Salary $58,384

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.7

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.4
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.41%

Asian 11.37%

Black or African American 11.21%

Hispanic or Latino 16.61%

Unknown 5.40%

White 55.00%

Gender

female 7.50%

male 92.50%

Age - 41
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41
Stress level
6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.5

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
7.4

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Senior desktop support technician career paths

Key steps to become a senior desktop support technician

  1. Explore senior desktop support technician education requirements

    Most common senior desktop support technician degrees

    Bachelor's

    45.2 %

    Associate

    37.3 %

    Diploma

    5.5 %
  2. Start to develop specific senior desktop support technician skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Desktop Support9.35%
    Troubleshoot7.33%
    PC7.09%
    Technical Support6.42%
    Remote Desktop5.15%
  3. Complete relevant senior desktop support technician training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior desktop support technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a senior desktop support technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior desktop support technician resumes.
  4. Research senior desktop support technician duties and responsibilities

    • Use call tracking system to manage support tickets place in queue and meet require SLA's.
    • Manage incoming tasks and incidents in remedy and troubleshooting.
    • Manage and assume primary responsibility for distributing VPN user laptops.
    • Format and partition hard drive and install windows OS.
  5. Get senior desktop support technician experience

    Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become a senior desktop support technician. The most common roles before becoming a senior desktop support technician include desktop support technician, technical support specialist team lead and computer technician.
  6. Prepare your senior desktop support technician resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior desktop support technician resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a senior desktop support technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable senior desktop support technician resume templates

    Build a professional senior desktop support technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your senior desktop support technician resume.
    Senior Desktop Support Technician Resume
    Senior Desktop Support Technician Resume
    Senior Desktop Support Technician Resume
    Senior Desktop Support Technician Resume
    Senior Desktop Support Technician Resume
    Senior Desktop Support Technician Resume
    Senior Desktop Support Technician Resume
    Senior Desktop Support Technician Resume
    Senior Desktop Support Technician Resume
  7. Apply for senior desktop support technician jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a senior desktop support technician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first senior desktop support technician job

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Average senior desktop support technician salary

The average senior desktop support technician salary in the United States is $58,384 per year or $28 per hour. Senior desktop support technician salaries range between $39,000 and $85,000 per year.

Average senior desktop support technician salary
$58,384 Yearly
$28.07 hourly

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How do senior desktop support technicians rate their job?

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Senior desktop support technician reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2023
Pros

You get to help a lot of people in many different ways as well as learning new things about technology

Cons

I have aids now due to the painfulness of sitting down all day


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2022
Pros

Working with The people

Cons

There was nothing to like. Everyone was polite an hard workers


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020
Pros

I decided to go to technical support because I've been fascinated by technology all my life and I love working with the people as well. I want to use my technical know-how to solve directly the problems that customers have. I want to be the person who makes life easier and more enjoyable for people who have had a problem. This is what I like most as a technical Support.

Cons

I don't like sitting around being inactive. So I'll keep my self always busy


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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