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The differences between senior support specialists and desktop support specialists 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 specialist and a desktop support specialist. Additionally, a senior support specialist has an average salary of $106,515, which is higher than the $44,962 average annual salary of a desktop support specialist.
The top three skills for a senior support specialist include customer service, technical support and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a desktop support specialist are customer service, desktop support, and troubleshoot.
| Senior Support Specialist | Desktop Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $106,515 | $44,962 |
| Hourly rate | $51.21 | $21.62 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 103,203 | 102,191 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A senior support specialist is in charge of providing technical support to clients, ensuring efficiency and client satisfaction. They typically communicate with clients through calls or correspondence where they address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently. They may also assist clients in troubleshooting, provide step by step instructions, or recommend solutions. Furthermore, as a senior support specialist, it is essential to lead and serve as a role model for other support specialists while enforcing the company's policies and regulations.
A Desktop Support Specialist is focused on troubleshooting different software packages, hardware devices, and other peripherals. They monitor the performance of the company's desktop infrastructure.
Senior support specialists and desktop support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Support Specialist | Desktop Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $106,515 | $44,962 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $159,000 | Between $33,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Piscataway, NJ | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Eclaro | Cornerstone Research |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between a senior support specialist and a desktop support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Senior Support Specialist | Desktop Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between senior support specialists' and desktop support specialists' demographics:
| Senior Support Specialist | Desktop Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.2% Female, 38.8% | Male, 87.6% Female, 12.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 10.8% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 12.3% White, 54.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |