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The differences between technical solutions specialists and help desk specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a technical solutions specialist and a help desk specialist. Additionally, a technical solutions specialist has an average salary of $111,470, which is higher than the $51,065 average annual salary of a help desk specialist.
The top three skills for a technical solutions specialist include cloud, technical solutions and technical support. The most important skills for a help desk specialist are customer service, troubleshoot, and technical support.
| Technical Solutions Specialist | Help Desk Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $111,470 | $51,065 |
| Hourly rate | $53.59 | $24.55 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 161,014 | 75,004 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Technical Solutions Specialists are responsible for providing technical support and advice to customers and internal teams of an organization. Their duties include assessing business objectives through stakeholders' interaction, conducting product demonstrations, providing technical advice, and suggesting improvements for product teams. They are responsib designing solutions to fit customers' needs, assist in internal team training, and facilitate new website launches. Technical Solutions Specialists also gather market intelligence, conduct technical compliance, and assist in the request for proposals (RFP).
The primary role of help desk specialists is to maintain relationships between the company and its customers. Their duties and responsibilities include responding to guests' queries, providing technical computer support, and maintaining computer systems' performance. Help desk specialists are also responsible for following up with customers to resolve issues and train computer users. There are several requirements to be qualified for this position, which include having relevant customer service experience, problem-solving and analytical skills, and the ability to prioritize vital tasks.
Technical solutions specialists and help desk specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Solutions Specialist | Help Desk Specialist | |
| Average salary | $111,470 | $51,065 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $157,000 | Between $35,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | PVH | Schulte Roth & Zabel |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Technology |
There are a few differences between a technical solutions specialist and a help desk specialist in terms of educational background:
| Technical Solutions Specialist | Help Desk Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between technical solutions specialists' and help desk specialists' demographics:
| Technical Solutions Specialist | Help Desk Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.5% Female, 19.5% | Male, 79.4% Female, 20.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 11.8% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 11.6% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |