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The differences between student technicians and desk support technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a student technician and a desk support technician. Additionally, a desk support technician has an average salary of $40,715, which is higher than the $28,926 average annual salary of a student technician.
The top three skills for a student technician include java, javascript and SQL. The most important skills for a desk support technician are customer service, technical support, and troubleshoot.
| Student Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $28,926 | $40,715 |
| Hourly rate | $13.91 | $19.57 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 82,671 | 130,485 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A student technician is responsible for assisting the school personnel and faculty on utilizing class technologies and other learning equipment. Student technicians accept school requests for setting-up audio-visual equipment during school events, class presentations, and related technical support services. They run multiple diagnostic tests on the systems before actual usage to prevent any defects and inconsistencies during operations. A student technician must have excellent knowledge of the technology and mechanical processes to identify preventive maintenance efficiently.
A desktop support technician is responsible for assisting end-users with their network issues, grant authorization requests, and create user accounts. Desktop support technicians maintain the safety and security of networks, preventing unauthorized access and illegal dissemination of database information. They also handle the software configurations and upgrading the network infrastructure to avoid system downtimes and operational delays. A desktop support technician must have excellent communication and technical skills to monitor systems performance and enhance network navigation.
Student technicians and desk support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Student Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $28,926 | $40,715 |
| Salary range | Between $16,000 And $50,000 | Between $26,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | Lakewood, NJ | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Vermont | California |
| Best paying company | Siemens | BNY Mellon |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a student technician and a desk support technician in terms of educational background:
| Student Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Duke University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between student technicians' and desk support technicians' demographics:
| Student Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.7% Female, 39.3% | Male, 82.6% Female, 17.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 14.4% White, 53.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 11.7% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |