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A Service Desk Specialist plays a vital role in IT support, ensuring that technical issues are resolved efficiently. As of October 2025, the average salary for this position is $48,332 annually. Factors influencing salary include geographic location, experience level, and the industry sector.
Salaries for Service Desk Specialists can differ significantly across states. For example, states like California and New York generally offer higher compensation due to higher living costs and demand for tech support.
With experience, Service Desk Specialists can transition into higher-paying roles such as IT Manager or Systems Analyst, further enhancing their earning potential. Understanding these dynamics can help job seekers make informed career choices.
Industries such as finance, healthcare, and technology tend to offer the highest salaries for Service Desk Specialists, reflecting the critical nature of IT support in these sectors.
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The average service desk specialist salary in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and California are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average service desk specialist salary states are New Mexico, Alaska, and West Virginia.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $58,512 | $28.13 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $60,006 | $28.85 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $54,212 | $26.06 |
| 4 | Maryland | $54,479 | $26.19 |
| 5 | Delaware | $53,486 | $25.71 |
| 6 | Arizona | $49,282 | $23.69 |
| 7 | Nebraska | $49,101 | $23.61 |
| 8 | California | $58,277 | $28.02 |
| 9 | Nevada | $49,106 | $23.61 |
| 10 | Louisiana | $52,709 | $25.34 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $57,837 | $27.81 |
| 12 | Ohio | $49,370 | $23.74 |
| 13 | Hawaii | $54,170 | $26.04 |
| 14 | New York | $53,543 | $25.74 |
| 15 | Kentucky | $48,309 | $23.23 |
| 16 | Washington | $54,612 | $26.26 |
| 17 | Vermont | $49,151 | $23.63 |
| 18 | Michigan | $50,118 | $24.10 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $52,712 | $25.34 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $54,567 | $26.23 |
| 21 | Utah | $45,913 | $22.07 |
| 22 | Maine | $45,564 | $21.91 |
| 23 | District of Columbia | $47,824 | $22.99 |
| 24 | Illinois | $49,325 | $23.71 |
| 25 | South Dakota | $47,380 | $22.78 |
| 26 | North Dakota | $44,246 | $21.27 |
| 27 | Virginia | $46,245 | $22.23 |
| 28 | Montana | $43,997 | $21.15 |
| 29 | Kansas | $46,193 | $22.21 |
| 30 | Alabama | $46,666 | $22.44 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $45,653 | $21.95 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $45,138 | $21.70 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $43,314 | $20.82 |
| 34 | Alaska | $41,576 | $19.99 |
| 35 | Texas | $43,552 | $20.94 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $43,254 | $20.80 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $44,649 | $21.47 |
| 38 | Oregon | $43,991 | $21.15 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $43,162 | $20.75 |
| 40 | Florida | $43,068 | $20.71 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $43,789 | $21.05 |
| 42 | Colorado | $43,335 | $20.83 |
| 43 | Missouri | $45,579 | $21.91 |
| 44 | Minnesota | $43,576 | $20.95 |
| 45 | Georgia | $44,053 | $21.18 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $41,658 | $20.03 |
| 47 | Iowa | $40,114 | $19.29 |
| 48 | Indiana | $41,936 | $20.16 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $41,383 | $19.90 |
| 50 | Idaho | $41,040 | $19.73 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $38,884 | $18.69 |
The highest-paying cities for service desk specialists are Sacramento, CA, Annapolis, MD, and Providence, RI.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento, CA | $58,644 | $28.19 |
| 2 | Annapolis, MD | $54,596 | $26.25 |
| 3 | Providence, RI | $54,255 | $26.08 |
| 4 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $54,226 | $26.07 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $53,753 | $25.84 |
| 6 | Amherst, MA | $52,789 | $25.38 |
| 7 | Cleveland, OH | $50,583 | $24.32 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $49,459 | $23.78 |
| 9 | Omaha, NE | $49,096 | $23.60 |
| 10 | Las Vegas, NV | $49,053 | $23.58 |
| 11 | Washington, DC | $47,865 | $23.01 |
| 12 | Arlington, VA | $47,521 | $22.85 |
| 13 | Raleigh, NC | $45,949 | $22.09 |
| 14 | Salt Lake City, UT | $45,901 | $22.07 |
| 15 | Kansas City, MO | $45,664 | $21.95 |
| 16 | Atlanta, GA | $44,144 | $21.22 |
| 17 | Salem, OR | $44,045 | $21.18 |
| 18 | Saint Paul, MN | $43,653 | $20.99 |
| 19 | Austin, TX | $43,610 | $20.97 |
| 20 | Oak Ridge, TN | $43,435 | $20.88 |
A service desk specialist's salary ranges from $35,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $65,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $65,000 | $5,417 | $31 |
| 75th Percentile | $56,000 | $4,667 | $27 |
| Average | $48,332 | $4,028 | $23 |
| 25th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
| 10th Percentile | $35,000 | $2,917 | $17 |
The highest paying types of service desk specialists are technical specialist, systems specialist, and information technology specialist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Information Technology/Support Technician | $45,591 | $3,799 | $21.92 | 161,748 |
| Desk Support Technician | $40,715 | $3,393 | $19.57 | 130,485 |
| Help Desk Analyst | $37,318 | $3,110 | $17.94 | 87,591 |
| Services Desk Technician | $42,123 | $3,510 | $20.25 | 145,853 |
| Service Desk Analyst | $45,397 | $3,783 | $21.83 | 55,828 |
Top companies hiring service desk specialists now:
Service desk specialist salaries at Capgemini and SAS Institute are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average service desk specialist salary at companies like Gap Inc. and Flynn Restaurant Group are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Capgemini | $70,342 | $33.82 |
| 2 | SAS Institute | $59,667 | $28.69 |
| 3 | Gap Inc. | $57,764 | $27.77 |
| 4 | Flynn Restaurant Group | $55,989 | $26.92 |
| 5 | Trident Technologies | $55,977 | $26.91 |
| 6 | Sutter Health | $55,730 | $26.79 |
| 7 | University of Massachusetts Boston | $55,407 | $26.64 |
| 8 | Steris | $55,337 | $26.60 |
| 9 | Qualtrics | $55,071 | $26.48 |
| 10 | CHG Healthcare | $54,995 | $26.44 |
| 11 | Selman & Company | $54,849 | $26.37 |
| 12 | Rocket Software | $54,625 | $26.26 |
| 13 | Desert Schools Federal Credit Union | $54,420 | $26.16 |
| 14 | General Dynamics | $54,207 | $26.06 |
| 15 | VIVA USA | $52,987 | $25.47 |
| 16 | Amyx | $52,946 | $25.45 |
| 17 | Proofpoint | $52,436 | $25.21 |
| 18 | Teladoc | $52,402 | $25.19 |
| 19 | International Fellowship of Christians and Jews | $51,905 | $24.95 |
| 20 | Leidos | $51,878 | $24.94 |
The average service desk specialist salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care | $48,515 | $23.32 |
| 2 | Professional | $47,346 | $22.76 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $44,402 | $21.35 |
| 4 | Hospitality | $44,214 | $21.26 |
| 5 | Transportation | $44,127 | $21.21 |
| 6 | Insurance | $41,950 | $20.17 |
| 7 | Technology | $40,455 | $19.45 |
| 8 | Retail | $36,887 | $17.73 |
The average service desk specialist salary has risen by $7,386 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average service desk specialist earned $40,946 annually, but today, they earn $48,332 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for service desk specialists over the last decade.
Compare service desk specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare service desk specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $48,300 | $23.24 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $46,700 | $22.47 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $45,700 | $21.96 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | $45,000 | $21.63 | +1.6% |
| 2021 | $44,300 | $21.28 | +1.6% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astreya | Service Desk Specialist LLL | Seattle, WA | 06/30/2025 | $62,640 |
| Astreya | Service Desk Specialist III | Houston, TX | 06/30/2025 | $48,868 |
| Linchpin Solutions Inc. | Enterprise Service Desk Specialist III | New Orleans, LA | 06/30/2025 | $35,000 |
| GTN Technical Staffing | Senior Service Desk Desktop Specialist | San Francisco, CA | 06/29/2025 | $86,297 |
| Global Channel Management, Inc. | Remote Service Desk Support Specialist | Atlanta, GA | 06/29/2025 | $60,523 |
| Godshall Recruiting | Mortgage Processing Service Desk Specialist | Greenville, SC | 06/26/2025 | $45,914 |
| Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. | IT Service Desk Support Specialist | Doral, FL | 06/24/2025 | $52,900 |
| URM Stores | Associate Service Desk Specialist | Spokane, WA | 06/19/2025 | $43,827 |
| Jobs for Humanity | IT Service Desk Specialist | Miami, FL | 06/18/2025 | $43,827 |
| Umpqua Bank | HL Secondary Lock Desk Specialist | Portland, OR | 06/17/2025 | $37,566 |
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