Service desk supervisor vs unit supervisor

The differences between service desk supervisors and unit supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a service desk supervisor and a unit supervisor. Additionally, a service desk supervisor has an average salary of $60,516, which is higher than the $48,749 average annual salary of a unit supervisor.

The top three skills for a service desk supervisor include ITIL, operational procedures and technical support. The most important skills for a unit supervisor are patients, corrective action, and social work.

Service desk supervisor vs unit supervisor overview

	Service Desk Supervisor	Unit Supervisor
Yearly salary	$60,516	$48,749
Hourly rate	$29.09	$23.44
Growth rate	16%	6%
Number of jobs	45,802	37,120
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a service desk supervisor do?

A service desk supervisor oversees the operations of a help desk. They research issues, monitor staff, and ensure the office runs efficiently. They deliver customer service such as resolving calls, reporting support metrics, and connecting customers with higher management. They are also responsible for managing incoming work requests.

What does a unit supervisor do?

A unit supervisor oversees and supervises employees, ensuring that work operations adhere to standards, guidelines, timelines, and budget. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their industry or company of employment, they are typically in charge of conducting regular inspections and assessments, setting objectives and guidelines, delegating responsibilities among staff, and producing progress reports, submitting them to higher-ranking managers. Moreover, aside from leading teams to reach goals, a unit supervisor also trains new members of the workforce, provides technical support to staff, and resolves issues and concerns to maintain smooth operations.

Service desk supervisor vs unit supervisor salary

Service desk supervisors and unit supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Service Desk Supervisor	Unit Supervisor
Average salary	$60,516	$48,749
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $96,000	Between $30,000 And $78,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Olympia, WA
Highest paying state	Washington	Washington
Best paying company	Nintendo	Berkshire Hathaway
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Hospitality

Differences between service desk supervisor and unit supervisor education

There are a few differences between a service desk supervisor and a unit supervisor in terms of educational background:

	Service Desk Supervisor	Unit Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	California State University - Bakersfield

Service desk supervisor vs unit supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between service desk supervisors' and unit supervisors' demographics:

	Service Desk Supervisor	Unit Supervisor
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 36.8% Female, 63.2%	Male, 51.6% Female, 48.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 6.0% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 5.7% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between service desk supervisor and unit supervisor duties and responsibilities

Service desk supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage the support and integration of SharePoint site with other technologies.
Manage services and supports for intellectually and developmentally disable individuals, within compliance with all Medicaid and I/DD waiver regulations.
Used SCCM to push updates and software as needed.
Provide routine and daily updates and maintenance to the DCFS website and SharePoint.
Maintain GPO and SCCM to ensure software and computers remain within company policy.
Conduct training on basic PC hardware/software usage, VPN connectivity and security guidelines.

Unit supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage direct support professionals serving adult populations for persons with mental health, developmental disabilities and children with autism.
Document patient information and recording information correctly, as well as ensuring other workers are following OSHA and HIPAA requirements.
Attend weekly QA collaboration meetings and actively participate in discussions.
Utilize Kaizen activities to drive continuous process and quality improvements.
Submit MDS assessments to CMS timely and organize documentation for timely filing.
Evaluate admissions for Medicare/ Medicaid eligibility; prepare MDS and PPS documentation.

Service desk supervisor vs unit supervisor skills

Common service desk supervisor skills

ITIL, 9%
Operational Procedures, 6%
Technical Support, 6%
Level Agreements, 5%
Front End, 5%
SLA, 5%

Common unit supervisor skills

Patients, 11%
Corrective Action, 10%
Social Work, 8%
Oversight, 7%
Conflict Resolution, 6%
Direct Supervision, 6%

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Service Desk Supervisor vs Unit Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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