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The differences between 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 technician and a desk support technician. Additionally, a desk support technician has an average salary of $40,715, which is higher than the $38,045 average annual salary of a technician.
The top three skills for a technician include patients, customer service and patient care. The most important skills for a desk support technician are customer service, technical support, and troubleshoot.
| Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $38,045 | $40,715 |
| Hourly rate | $18.29 | $19.57 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 596,842 | 130,485 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with. They are usually working with electricity or with technological advancements. Technicians may be assigned to do the construction of equipment or materials related to their field of study. They may also be assigned to conduct diagnostics and other maintenance activities to ensure that the equipment works properly. Technicians may also be required to conduct basic repairs in case of problems. It is important that technicians have good analytical skills and decision-making skills.
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.
Technicians and desk support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $38,045 | $40,715 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $58,000 | Between $26,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | BNY Mellon |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Technology |
There are a few differences between a technician and a desk support technician in terms of educational background:
| Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between technicians' and desk support technicians' demographics:
| Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.2% Female, 24.8% | Male, 82.6% Female, 17.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | 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 | 2% | 11% |