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The differences between service desk specialists and desk support technicians 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 desk support technician. Additionally, a service desk specialist has an average salary of $48,332, which is higher than the $40,715 average annual salary of a desk support technician.
The top three skills for a service desk specialist include service desk, customer service and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a desk support technician are customer service, technical support, and troubleshoot.
| Service Desk Specialist | Desk Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $48,332 | $40,715 |
| Hourly rate | $23.24 | $19.57 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 100,806 | 130,485 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| 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 desktop support technician is responsible for assisting end-users with their network issues, grant authorization requests, and create user accounts. Desktop support technicians maintain the safety and security of networks, preventing unauthorized access and illegal dissemination of database information. They also handle the software configurations and upgrading the network infrastructure to avoid system downtimes and operational delays. A desktop support technician must have excellent communication and technical skills to monitor systems performance and enhance network navigation.
Service desk specialists and desk support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Service Desk Specialist | Desk Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $48,332 | $40,715 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $65,000 | Between $26,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | California |
| Best paying company | Capgemini | BNY Mellon |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between a service desk specialist and a desk support technician in terms of educational background:
| Service Desk Specialist | Desk Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between service desk specialists' and desk support technicians' demographics:
| Service Desk Specialist | Desk Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.4% Female, 37.6% | Male, 82.6% Female, 17.4% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 11.7% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |