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User support analyst vs service desk analyst

The differences between user support analysts and service desk analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a user support analyst has an average salary of $79,842, which is higher than the $45,397 average annual salary of a service 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 service desk analyst are service desk, customer service, and troubleshoot.

User support analyst vs service desk analyst overview

User Support AnalystService Desk Analyst
Yearly salary$79,842$45,397
Hourly rate$38.39$21.83
Growth rate10%-
Number of jobs116,37255,828
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 63%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age4237
Years of experience2-

What does a user support analyst do?

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.

What does a service desk analyst do?

Service Desk Analysts are information technology (IT) employees who usually oversee the helpdesk hotline of the IT department. They address the technical concerns of other employees or even clients of the company. They also help in installing, repairing, and maintaining the different IT systems in the company. Service Desk Analysts resolve issues related to software, hardware, and other related systems. They also manage information related to these concerns and analyze these concerns. They identify trends or patterns and anticipate concerns that might come in the future. Service Desk Analysts may recommend steps to ensure that these concerns will not come up again.

User support analyst vs service desk analyst salary

User support analysts and service desk analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.

User Support AnalystService Desk Analyst
Average salary$79,842$45,397
Salary rangeBetween $50,000 And $125,000Between $30,000 And $67,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CANew York, NY
Highest paying stateCaliforniaNew York
Best paying companyGoogleThe Citadel
Best paying industryTechnologyTechnology

Differences between user support analyst and service desk analyst education

There are a few differences between a user support analyst and a service desk analyst in terms of educational background:

User Support AnalystService Desk Analyst
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 63%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common majorBusinessInformation Technology
Most common collegeStanford University-

User support analyst vs service desk analyst demographics

Here are the differences between user support analysts' and service desk analysts' demographics:

User Support AnalystService Desk Analyst
Average age4237
Gender ratioMale, 69.1% Female, 30.9%Male, 74.4% Female, 25.6%
Race ratioBlack 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, 10.5% Unknown, 7.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 12.3% White, 50.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7%
LGBT Percentage11%13%

Differences between user support analyst and service desk analyst duties and responsibilities

User support analyst example responsibilities.

  • Manage DHCP entries, assign and reserve IP addresses for different sites and locations.
  • Utilize programs such as ARP, plum, nmstools, rat, and Linux.
  • Install, configure and maintain PCs, printers and peripherals.
  • Monitor deployment of new computers and/or OS for tracking and organization.
  • Upgrade and replace operating systems due to OS errors and Y2K upgrades.
  • Provide remote support to CDC field staff experiencing problems connecting to Citrix and web mail.
  • Show more

Service desk analyst example responsibilities.

  • Used SharePoint to manage and enter in help desk ticket information for health information exchange and electronic health record vendor issues.
  • Design and manage company wide imaging infrastructure.
  • Best-Inform administrator managing application from UNIX server.
  • Manage OS re-imaging and data recovery for rent equipment.
  • Manage security, reliability, and configurations for data backup and recovery for client workstations.
  • Diagnose, investigate and report operational systems errors using Citrix and ITSM.
  • Show more

User support analyst vs service desk analyst skills

Common user support analyst skills
  • User Experience, 9%
  • End User Support, 7%
  • Technical Support, 7%
  • Troubleshoot, 6%
  • Prototyping, 4%
  • UI, 4%
Common service desk analyst skills
  • Service Desk, 15%
  • Customer Service, 15%
  • Troubleshoot, 6%
  • Technical Support, 6%
  • Phone Calls, 3%
  • ITIL, 3%

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