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The differences between service desk specialists and information technology 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 an information technology specialist. Additionally, an information technology specialist has an average salary of $81,241, 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 an information technology specialist are customer service, troubleshoot, and computer system.
| Service Desk Specialist | Information Technology Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $48,332 | $81,241 |
| Hourly rate | $23.24 | $39.06 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 100,806 | 122,519 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| 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.
An Information Technology Specialist, also known as a Computer Professional or IT Specialist, is responsible for the computer support of an establishment or individual. Most of the duties require extensive and proactive knowledge of Information Technology, such as in the aspects of network and systems administration, security and information, hardware and software management, troubleshooting, and more. The tasks of an IT Specialist are diverse. It is not limited to installation or activation, as it also involves monitoring, management, and analyzation.
Service desk specialists and information technology specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Service Desk Specialist | Information Technology Specialist | |
| Average salary | $48,332 | $81,241 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $65,000 | Between $58,000 And $113,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | California |
| Best paying company | Capgemini | |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between a service desk specialist and an information technology specialist in terms of educational background:
| Service Desk Specialist | Information Technology Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between service desk specialists' and information technology specialists' demographics:
| Service Desk Specialist | Information Technology Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.4% Female, 37.6% | Male, 77.8% Female, 22.2% |
| 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, 12.2% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 11.9% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |