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The differences between service desk specialists and technology services 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 technology services specialist. Additionally, a technology services specialist has an average salary of $60,796, 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 technology services specialist are customer service, technical support, and technical service.
| Service Desk Specialist | Technology Services Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $48,332 | $60,796 |
| Hourly rate | $23.24 | $29.23 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 100,806 | 171,044 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| 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.
Technology Services Specialists are information technology (IT) personnel in a company. They assist internal employees and external clients on everything related to technology. They may specialize in a specific item, such as software, hardware, or network infrastructure. Technology services specialists advise users on the usage of different tools. They should be able to troubleshoot concerns and conduct repair and maintenance activities. They should also know how to address the needs of their clients. Technology Services Specialists may sometimes man helpdesk tickets and respond to these tickets accordingly.
Service desk specialists and technology services specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Service Desk Specialist | Technology Services Specialist | |
| Average salary | $48,332 | $60,796 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $65,000 | Between $33,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Capgemini | Ropes & Gray |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a service desk specialist and a technology services specialist in terms of educational background:
| Service Desk Specialist | Technology Services Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between service desk specialists' and technology services specialists' demographics:
| Service Desk Specialist | Technology Services Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.4% Female, 37.6% | Male, 72.9% Female, 27.1% |
| 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, 10.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 11.9% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |