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The differences between support agents 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 support agent and a desk support technician. Additionally, a desk support technician has an average salary of $40,715, which is higher than the $36,045 average annual salary of a support agent.
The top three skills for a support agent include reservations, customer service and data entry. The most important skills for a desk support technician are customer service, technical support, and troubleshoot.
| Support Agent | Desk Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $36,045 | $40,715 |
| Hourly rate | $17.33 | $19.57 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 106,016 | 130,485 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
As the name entails, the job of a customer support agent is to provide excellent support and assistance to both new and existing customers. You will provide customers with information on products or services, oversee and resolve customer complaints, cancellations, errors, and other issues, assist in maintaining customer satisfaction and retention. Additionally, a customer support agent is responsible for encouraging customers to purchase a product or service and educating them about the product. You are also expected to accurately process emails and fax communications with customers.
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.
Support agents and desk support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Support Agent | Desk Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $36,045 | $40,715 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $59,000 | Between $26,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | Hamilton, NJ | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Salesforce | BNY Mellon |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a support agent and a desk support technician in terms of educational background:
| Support Agent | Desk Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between support agents' and desk support technicians' demographics:
| Support Agent | Desk Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.2% Female, 52.8% | Male, 82.6% Female, 17.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.2% 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% |