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The differences between service desk specialists and installation 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 installation specialist. Additionally, an installation specialist has an average salary of $49,602, 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 installation specialist are customer service, ladders, and scaffolding.
| Service Desk Specialist | Installation Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $48,332 | $49,602 |
| Hourly rate | $23.24 | $23.85 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 100,806 | 103,003 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| 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.
Installation specialists are skilled employees who are responsible for installing various equipment, machinery, and computer systems for a company or clients. These specialists must work with HVAC contractors to install air-conditioning ductwork and materials in business establishments and homes. They should recommend corrective action when identifying electrical and environmental deficiencies to ensure optimized performance and reliability of equipment. Installation specialists must also test hardware and software to determine its efficiency and reliability as well as its compatibility with the existing system.
Service desk specialists and installation specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Service Desk Specialist | Installation Specialist | |
| Average salary | $48,332 | $49,602 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $65,000 | Between $33,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Capgemini | Technip USA Corporation |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between a service desk specialist and an installation specialist in terms of educational background:
| Service Desk Specialist | Installation Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between service desk specialists' and installation specialists' demographics:
| Service Desk Specialist | Installation Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.4% Female, 37.6% | Male, 83.8% Female, 16.2% |
| 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, 11.6% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 10.1% White, 56.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |