Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between service desk managers and technical managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a service desk manager, becoming a technical manager takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a technical manager has an average salary of $116,619, which is higher than the $101,229 average annual salary of a service desk manager.
The top three skills for a service desk manager include customer service, ITIL and ITSM. The most important skills for a technical manager are project management, infrastructure, and architecture.
| Service Desk Manager | Technical Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $101,229 | $116,619 |
| Hourly rate | $48.67 | $56.07 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 69,990 | 116,732 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 47 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 2 |
In the information technology industry, a service desk manager resolves technical issues and concerns, ensuring efficiency and client satisfaction. They typically focus on addressing systems and application errors, troubleshooting problems, providing step-by-step solutions, or referring clients to other services. They may also provide administrative support to offices by managing schedules, preparing and processing documents, and providing technical support. Moreover, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage teams to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
A technical manager is responsible for maintaining the company's information systems database and analyzing technology system matters to ensure its efficiency and accuracy in supporting business operations. Technical managers perform network checks regularly to assess any possible malfunctions that might compromise the company's cybersecurity. They carefully analyze business and clients' specifications on working with systems integration, responding to end-users' concerns and inquiries. A technical manager must have excellent knowledge of the information technology systems industry, as well as a strong command on network codes to conduct adjustments and manage network infrastructure.
Service desk managers and technical managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Service Desk Manager | Technical Manager | |
| Average salary | $101,229 | $116,619 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $141,000 | Between $84,000 And $161,000 |
| Highest paying City | Carson City, NV | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | CLEAResult | A.T. Kearney |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a service desk manager and a technical manager in terms of educational background:
| Service Desk Manager | Technical Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between service desk managers' and technical managers' demographics:
| Service Desk Manager | Technical Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 64.2% Female, 35.8% | Male, 83.7% Female, 16.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 12.6% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 14% |