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The differences between technician system specialists and desktop 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 system specialist and a desktop support technician. Additionally, a technician system specialist has an average salary of $80,694, which is higher than the $41,792 average annual salary of a desktop support technician.
The top three skills for a technician system specialist include database, technical support and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a desktop support technician are customer service, desktop support, and troubleshoot.
| Technician System Specialist | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $80,694 | $41,792 |
| Hourly rate | $38.80 | $20.09 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 87,806 | 108,944 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 1 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
In the information technology industry, a technical system specialist is in charge of developing and maintaining computer systems. Their responsibilities typically include providing technical support to clients and employees, identifying the needs of projects and programs, drafting designs and schematics, and producing regular progress reports. They may also address issues and concerns, troubleshoot, perform routine maintenance checks, and conduct repairs. Furthermore, a technical system specialist may supervise and train new staff members, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
A desktop support technician is responsible for troubleshooting defective computer systems, affecting its performance and efficiency. Desktop support technicians must be highly familiar with the technology systems and programming codes to navigate system applications and locate the discrepancy of the system. They keep documentation of the ticket issue and the resolution for reference and quality improvement. A desktop support technician also configures and updates computer systems and networks for better optimization, as well as conducting regular inspections and monitoring the efficiency of installed programs and patches.
Technician system specialists and desktop support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technician System Specialist | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $80,694 | $41,792 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $122,000 | Between $32,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | Philadelphia, PA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Pennsylvania |
| Best paying company | Emergent BioSolutions | NTT Data International L.L.C. |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a technician system specialist and a desktop support technician in terms of educational background:
| Technician System Specialist | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Information Systems |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between technician system specialists' and desktop support technicians' demographics:
| Technician System Specialist | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.8% Female, 18.2% | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 11.5% White, 54.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 11.7% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |