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The differences between support analysts and desktop support analysts 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 analyst and a desktop support analyst. Additionally, a support analyst has an average salary of $75,989, which is higher than the $48,674 average annual salary of a desktop support analyst.
The top three skills for a support analyst include customer service, troubleshoot and technical support. The most important skills for a desktop support analyst are desktop support, customer service, and computer system.
| Support Analyst | Desktop Support Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $75,989 | $48,674 |
| Hourly rate | $36.53 | $23.40 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 107,039 | 99,621 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
The role of support analysts is to resolve problems with hardware, computer programs, and peripherals. They may focus on a particular aspect of the information technology (IT) department or give technical support to end-users. They mainly detect issues with IT equipment and software and devise solutions to resolve these issues. Also, they are responsible for answering queries from users, preparing service records, and handling escalations. Support analysts also support the company's IT operations and best practices by creating and distributing relevant IT documents.
A desktop support analyst's role is to develop strategies and systems to improve and coordinate desktop support efforts. Their responsibilities revolve around testing and modifying existing networks and systems, providing corrective measures on issues and concerns, performing regular inspections, troubleshooting, and maintaining inventories on software, hardware, and other applications. Furthermore, as a desktop support analyst, it is essential to respond to calls and correspondence from clients, all while adhering to the policies and regulations of the company.
Support analysts and desktop support analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Support Analyst | Desktop Support Analyst | |
| Average salary | $75,989 | $48,674 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $114,000 | Between $36,000 And $65,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Cambridge Associates |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a support analyst and a desktop support analyst in terms of educational background:
| Support Analyst | Desktop Support Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between support analysts' and desktop support analysts' demographics:
| Support Analyst | Desktop Support Analyst | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.1% Female, 36.9% | Male, 87.9% Female, 12.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 12.9% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 12.3% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |