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The differences between senior desktop support technicians and computer 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 senior desktop support technician and a computer support technician. Additionally, a senior desktop support technician has an average salary of $58,384, which is higher than the $41,852 average annual salary of a computer support technician.
The top three skills for a senior desktop support technician include desktop support, troubleshoot and PC. The most important skills for a computer support technician are customer service, technical support, and computer support.
| Senior Desktop Support Technician | Computer Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $58,384 | $41,852 |
| Hourly rate | $28.07 | $20.12 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 107,160 | 121,180 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A senior desktop support technician must look after customer projects and guide desktop technicians on their team. Customers often come to companies for troubleshooting issues with their computers. A senior desktop support technician maintains customer relationships, maintains hardware and software standards, and manages computer activities. This position requires a bachelor's degree.
A computer support technician is responsible for diagnosing and resolving computer and network issues, identifying the source of malfunctions, and improving infrastructure to avoid downtimes and operational delays. Computer support technicians manage the efficiency of all equipment and peripherals for the computers, assist in installing components, and keeping adequate resources or alternatives for defective items. They also recommend minimal costs technology materials and create troubleshooting manuals for reference, ensuring that the network processes adhere to internal guidelines and regulations.
Senior desktop support technicians and computer support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Desktop Support Technician | Computer Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $58,384 | $41,852 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $85,000 | Between $34,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Lompoc, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a senior desktop support technician and a computer support technician in terms of educational background:
| Senior Desktop Support Technician | Computer Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between senior desktop support technicians' and computer support technicians' demographics:
| Senior Desktop Support Technician | Computer Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.5% Female, 7.5% | Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 11.4% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 11.7% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |