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The differences between service desk specialists and client support specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a service desk specialist and a client support specialist. Additionally, a service desk specialist has an average salary of $48,332, which is higher than the $39,585 average annual salary of a client support specialist.
The top three skills for a service desk specialist include service desk, customer service and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a client support specialist are customer service, client support, and client service.
| Service Desk Specialist | Client Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $48,332 | $39,585 |
| Hourly rate | $23.24 | $19.03 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 100,806 | 136,163 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A service desk specialist is responsible for assisting the end-users' technical issues, resolving concerns usually through remote communication. Service desk specialists should have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, including system and server navigation, to identify the problem source and write resolutions for reference to avoid reoccurrence. They assist in developing strategic techniques to improve the system's performance by upgrading and updating its features. A service desk specialist records the observations of the database and develops other alternative resources to assess troubleshooting processes.
A client support specialist is responsible for assisting the clients' inquiries and concerns, resolving complaints, and processing requests regarding the goods and services offered by the company. Client support specialists manage the accuracy of client information on the database, maintaining client accounts, and ensuring the proper posting of payments. They also provide strategic techniques to sell products effectively by analyzing market trends and identify business opportunities that would generate more revenues and increase the company's profitability.
Service desk specialists and client support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Service Desk Specialist | Client Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $48,332 | $39,585 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $65,000 | Between $29,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | New York |
| Best paying company | Capgemini | NTT Data International L.L.C. |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a service desk specialist and a client support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Service Desk Specialist | Client Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between service desk specialists' and client support specialists' demographics:
| Service Desk Specialist | Client Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.4% Female, 37.6% | Male, 41.7% Female, 58.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 11.4% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |