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The differences between senior support engineers and desktop engineers 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 support engineer and a desktop engineer. Additionally, a senior support engineer has an average salary of $107,037, which is higher than the $102,893 average annual salary of a desktop engineer.
The top three skills for a senior support engineer include java, customer service and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a desktop engineer are customer service, SCCM, and troubleshoot.
| Senior Support Engineer | Desktop Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $107,037 | $102,893 |
| Hourly rate | $51.46 | $49.47 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 215,312 | 87,458 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A senior support engineer specializes in providing technical support to clients. They are typically in charge of working on complicated technical issues, resolving them promptly and efficiently. Their responsibilities include communicating with clients, addressing their needs, troubleshooting, and providing step by step solutions. They may also arrange repair appointments or refer clients to other services. Furthermore, as a senior support engineer, it is essential to lead and serve as a mentor to junior engineers, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
A desktop engineer is responsible for monitoring the efficiency and performance of computer systems across the organization to deliver high-performance on business operations and client specifications. Desktop engineers resolve computer desktop issues, including navigation and security complications that create delays in the operational process. They conduct regular maintenance with the computer systems, upgrade network infrastructure, and perform configuration to ensure smooth functionality and resolutions. A desktop engineer should have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, recommending system solutions to avoid the reoccurrence of network issues and glitches.
Senior support engineers and desktop engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Support Engineer | Desktop Engineer | |
| Average salary | $107,037 | $102,893 |
| Salary range | Between $83,000 And $137,000 | Between $77,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Ropes & Gray |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a senior support engineer and a desktop engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Support Engineer | Desktop Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior support engineers' and desktop engineers' demographics:
| Senior Support Engineer | Desktop Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.1% Female, 11.9% | Male, 88.7% Female, 11.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 15.2% White, 53.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 13.6% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |