Help Desk Support Salary: What You’ll Make and Why
Help desk supports make around $41,074 to $60,026 on average in the US, depending on experience, location, skills, and other factors.
According to various salary aggregate websites, a help desk support’s average salary in the US ranges between $41,074 and $60,026. As of March 2022, the average base salaries for help desk supports are as follows:
| Payscale | ZipRecruiter | Indeed | Salary.com | Glassdoor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $42,461 | $41,074 | $46,800 | $54,781 | $60,026 |
Keep in mind: Salary aggregate websites typically rely on data submitted anonymously by individuals using their site. Some websites may have received larger amounts of data of either higher or lower than average salaries, which may affect the site’s calculated average.
Read more: What Is a Help Desk Support? How to Become One
What influences a salary?
The salary for a Help Desk Support professional can be impacted by a variety of factors, including the company you work for, your level of experience, and your location. Let’s take a look at how these factors can affect your salary.
Years of experience
Salary increases are generally tied to your experience level. In general, the more years you spend working as a help desk support, the more you can expect to earn. Here’s how experience can impact your help desk support salary, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Compensation Survey.
| Level of experience | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry-level (less than 1 year) | $30,360 |
| Early career (1 to 4 years) | $36,404 |
| Mid career (5 to 9 years) | $45,796 |
| Experienced (10 to 19 years) | $56,482 |
| Late career (20+ years) | $73,336 |
Location
Where you live can also impact how much you can make as a help desk support. Typically, working in a large metropolitan area correlates to a higher salary, as well as a higher cost of living.
Here is a list of some major cities with their corresponding average help desk support salary according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| City | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $64,868 |
| Boston, MA | $56,977 |
| Washington DC, DC | $54,932 |
| New York City, NY | $53,745 |
| Seattle, WA | $52,962 |
| Cincinnati, OH | $42,432 |
| New Orleans, LA | $41,855 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $41,731 |
| Nashville, TN | $41,311 |
| Detroit, MI | $39,068 |
How does this compare to similar jobs?
Here’s how a help desk support’s salary stacks up against similar jobs.
| Related Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Technician | $35,082 |
| Desktop Support Technician | $46,753 |
| Technical Support Specialist | $44,685 |
| Systems Administrator | $73,263 |
| Network Administrator | $69,182 |
| Information Technology Specialist | $54,495 |
| Computer Support Specialist | $44,918 |
| Systems Engineer | $92,508 |
| Network Engineer | $90,926 |
How to increase your help desk support salary
Now that you have a better idea of what you could expect to earn as a help desk support, let’s look at ways to boost your salary.
1. Strengthen your skills
Pursuing and improving in-demand skills could make you more competitive for promotions and higher-paying positions. These skills include:
- Troubleshooting: Diagnose and resolve technical issues
- Customer Service: Serve as the first point of contact for customers and provide support throughout the resolution process
- Technical Writing: Communicate technical information clearly and concisely to a non-technical audience
- ITIL: Understand and follow the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) framework
- Project Management: Manage small-scale IT projects from start to finish
2. Talk to Recruiters
If you’re looking for a raise, it can’t hurt to chat with some recruiters. They may have insights into what similar positions are paying, and can give you a sense of your market value. Even if you’re not looking to leave your current job, it’s always good to know what your options are.
3. Maintain a consistent performance
One way to increase your salary as a help desk support worker is to maintain a consistent level of performance. Help desk support is often a thankless job, but if you can show that you’re always going above and beyond, your boss is more likely to take notice – and give you a raise.
Article Sources
1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “National Compensation Survey, https://www.bls.gov/ncs/.” Accessed March 23, 2022.
2. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Employment and Wages, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes151232.htm.” Accessed March 23, 2022.
3. Payscale. “Help Desk Technician Hourly Pay, https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Help_Desk_Technician/Hourly_Rate.” Accessed March 23, 2022.
4. Ziprecruiter. “HELP DESK Support Annual Salary, https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/HELP-DESK-Support-Salary.” Accessed March 23, 2022.
5. Indeed. “Indeed Salary Finder, https://www.indeed.com/career/salaries.” Accessed March 23, 2022.
6. Salary.com. “Help Desk Support Salary, https://www.salary.com/research/salary/benchmark/help-desk-support-salary.” Accessed March 23, 2022.
7. Glassdoor. “Help Desk Support Salaries, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/help-desk-support-salary-SRCH_KO0,17.htm.” Accessed March 23, 2022.