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Service desk specialist salary
Average service desk specialist salary
$48,332
Understanding Service Desk Specialist Salaries
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.
Average Salary by State
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.
Opportunities for Advancement
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 with Competitive Salaries
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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Where can a Service Desk Specialist earn more?
Average service desk specialist salary by state
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.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for service desk specialists
| 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 |
Highest paying cities for service desk specialists
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 |
Service desk specialist salary details
A service desk specialist's salary ranges from $35,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $65,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a service desk specialist's salary?
| 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 |
Highest paying service desk specialist jobs
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:
Which companies pay service desk specialists the most?
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 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Service Desk Specialist salary by industry
The average service desk specialist salary varies across industries:
- The average service desk specialist salary in the health care industry is $48,515, the highest of any industry.
- The average service desk specialist salary in the finance industry is $47,346.
- Service desk specialists in the retail industry earn an average salary of $36,887, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for service desk specialists
| 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 |
High paying service desk specialist jobs
Service desk specialist salary trends
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.
Average service desk specialist salary over time
Compare service desk specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Service desk specialist salary by year
| 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% |
Recently added service desk specialist salaries
| 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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