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The differences between software administrators and help desk administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a software administrator and a help desk administrator. Additionally, a software administrator has an average salary of $94,570, which is higher than the $49,798 average annual salary of a help desk administrator.
The top three skills for a software administrator include SQL, troubleshoot and linux. The most important skills for a help desk administrator are customer service, desk support, and troubleshoot.
| Software Administrator | Help Desk Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $94,570 | $49,798 |
| Hourly rate | $45.47 | $23.94 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 91,307 | 130,180 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Software administrators and help desk administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Administrator | Help Desk Administrator | |
| Average salary | $94,570 | $49,798 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $122,000 | Between $34,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Clara, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | PayPal | Houlihan Lokey |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Finance |
There are a few differences between a software administrator and a help desk administrator in terms of educational background:
| Software Administrator | Help Desk Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between software administrators' and help desk administrators' demographics:
| Software Administrator | Help Desk Administrator | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.2% Female, 38.8% | Male, 74.3% Female, 25.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 9.7% White, 63.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 8.8% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |