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The differences between user support analysts and help desk 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 user support analyst and a help desk analyst. Additionally, a user support analyst has an average salary of $79,842, which is higher than the $37,318 average annual salary of a help desk analyst.
The top three skills for a user support analyst include user experience, end user support and technical support. The most important skills for a help desk analyst are customer service, troubleshoot, and technical support.
| User Support Analyst | Help Desk Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $79,842 | $37,318 |
| Hourly rate | $38.39 | $17.94 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 116,372 | 87,591 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
User support analysts are computer professionals who provide support to users by investigating and resolving their computer software and hardware problems. By answering telephone calls and applying their knowledge of computer software and hardware, these analysts are required to talk and answer questions from users to learn the source of error. They must discuss with programmers about software errors as well as call the software and hardware vendors to request service regarding defective products. User support analysts must also revise training manuals and should develop training materials such as exercises and visual displays.
Help Desk Analysts generally provide technical support by assisting customers with their system issues. These analysts are expected to be highly knowledgeable about application processes and basic troubleshooting. Help Desk Analysts usually communicate with end-users through phone calls or e-mail and are required to attend on customers technical issues promptly. Depending on the expertise, the Help Desk Analysts are often categorized to support levels wherein the most complex issues are often handle by the highest tier. The Help Desk Analysts must have critical-thinking skills on solving network problems and document specific concerns and progress.
User support analysts and help desk analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| User Support Analyst | Help Desk Analyst | |
| Average salary | $79,842 | $37,318 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $125,000 | Between $26,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Pacific Investment Management Company LLC | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Government |
There are a few differences between a user support analyst and a help desk analyst in terms of educational background:
| User Support Analyst | Help Desk Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Information Systems |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between user support analysts' and help desk analysts' demographics:
| User Support Analyst | Help Desk Analyst | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.1% Female, 30.9% | Male, 71.8% Female, 28.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 13.9% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 11.1% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |