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The differences between service desk specialists and help desk 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 help desk specialist. Additionally, a help desk specialist has an average salary of $51,065, which is higher than the $48,332 average annual salary of a service desk specialist.
The top three skills for a service desk specialist include service desk, customer service and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a help desk specialist are customer service, troubleshoot, and technical support.
| Service Desk Specialist | Help Desk Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $48,332 | $51,065 |
| Hourly rate | $23.24 | $24.55 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 100,806 | 75,004 |
| 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.
The primary role of help desk specialists is to maintain relationships between the company and its customers. Their duties and responsibilities include responding to guests' queries, providing technical computer support, and maintaining computer systems' performance. Help desk specialists are also responsible for following up with customers to resolve issues and train computer users. There are several requirements to be qualified for this position, which include having relevant customer service experience, problem-solving and analytical skills, and the ability to prioritize vital tasks.
Service desk specialists and help desk specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Service Desk Specialist | Help Desk Specialist | |
| Average salary | $48,332 | $51,065 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $65,000 | Between $35,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Capgemini | Schulte Roth & Zabel |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between a service desk specialist and a help desk specialist in terms of educational background:
| Service Desk Specialist | Help Desk Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between service desk specialists' and help desk specialists' demographics:
| Service Desk Specialist | Help Desk Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.4% Female, 37.6% | Male, 79.4% Female, 20.6% |
| 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, 11.6% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |