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The differences between service desk analysts and desktop support technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a service desk analyst has an average salary of $45,397, which is higher than the $41,792 average annual salary of a desktop support technician.
The top three skills for a service desk analyst include service desk, customer service and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a desktop support technician are customer service, desktop support, and troubleshoot.
| Service Desk Analyst | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $45,397 | $41,792 |
| Hourly rate | $21.83 | $20.09 |
| Growth rate | - | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 55,828 | 108,944 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 1 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 37 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
Service Desk Analysts are information technology (IT) employees who usually oversee the helpdesk hotline of the IT department. They address the technical concerns of other employees or even clients of the company. They also help in installing, repairing, and maintaining the different IT systems in the company. Service Desk Analysts resolve issues related to software, hardware, and other related systems. They also manage information related to these concerns and analyze these concerns. They identify trends or patterns and anticipate concerns that might come in the future. Service Desk Analysts may recommend steps to ensure that these concerns will not come up again.
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.
Service desk analysts and desktop support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Service Desk Analyst | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $45,397 | $41,792 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $67,000 | Between $32,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Philadelphia, PA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Pennsylvania |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | NTT Data International L.L.C. |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a service desk analyst and a desktop support technician in terms of educational background:
| Service Desk Analyst | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Information Technology | Computer Information Systems |
| Most common college | - | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between service desk analysts' and desktop support technicians' demographics:
| Service Desk Analyst | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Average age | 37 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.4% Female, 25.6% | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 7.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 12.3% White, 50.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7% | 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 | 13% | 11% |