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The differences between senior support technicians and desktop 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 support technician and a desktop support technician. Additionally, a senior support technician has an average salary of $74,459, which is higher than the $41,792 average annual salary of a desktop support technician.
The top three skills for a senior support technician include customer service, technical support and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a desktop support technician are customer service, desktop support, and troubleshoot.
| Senior Support Technician | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $74,459 | $41,792 |
| Hourly rate | $35.80 | $20.09 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 113,499 | 108,944 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 1 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A senior support technician is an individual specializing in diagnosing and resolving information technology (IT)-related problems in an organization, including virus issues, forgotten passwords, and software updates. The job requires knowledge about the installation, configuration, and testing of computer hardware and software. Possessing excellent customer service, listening, and problem-solving skills is also vital to qualify for the position. The job's education requirements include an associate or bachelor's degree in computer science, business, information technology, or a related field.
A desktop support technician is responsible for troubleshooting defective computer systems, affecting its performance and efficiency. Desktop support technicians must be highly familiar with the technology systems and programming codes to navigate system applications and locate the discrepancy of the system. They keep documentation of the ticket issue and the resolution for reference and quality improvement. A desktop support technician also configures and updates computer systems and networks for better optimization, as well as conducting regular inspections and monitoring the efficiency of installed programs and patches.
Senior support technicians and desktop support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Support Technician | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $74,459 | $41,792 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $114,000 | Between $32,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | Durham, NC | Philadelphia, PA |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania |
| Best paying company | Pacira BioSciences | NTT Data International L.L.C. |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a senior support technician and a desktop support technician in terms of educational background:
| Senior Support Technician | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Information Systems |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between senior support technicians' and desktop support technicians' demographics:
| Senior Support Technician | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.4% Female, 21.6% | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 11.1% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 11.7% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |