Post Job

What is a senior help desk technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted Expert
Kate Marek Ph.D.

The help desk is a vital part of many university, business, or technological companies because that is where people go for technical support. Help desk workers may help frazzled colleagues from another department get rid of a bug on their computer or coach customers through the installation process over the phone. A senior help desk technician helps lead the whole help desk operation.

A senior help desk technician does many of the same duties that a regular help desk technician does, such as helping customers and keeping track of tickets. However, they have an additional leadership role. They supervise other technicians to make sure they are doing their job properly, help colleagues with a particularly difficult problem, and train new hires.

Senior help desk technicians need to know more than the average technician in order to deserve their senior position. That is why many have bachelor's degrees in Information Technology, although a degree isn't necessary to do this job. Senior help desk technicians also have years of experience working at the help desk. Their experience is rewarded with a salary that's on average about $56,215 a year.

What general advice would you give to a Senior Help Desk Technician?

Kate Marek Ph.D.Kate Marek Ph.D. LinkedIn Profile

Director and Professor, Dominican University

Choose an organization in tune with one's values. Look for a job in growth areas, such as data asset management, data analysis, etc.
ScoreSenior Help Desk TechnicianUS Average
Salary
4.6

Avg. Salary $58,982

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
6.7

Growth Rate 10%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.41%

Asian 10.56%

Black or African American 12.66%

Hispanic or Latino 15.02%

Unknown 5.30%

White 56.06%

Gender

female 19.73%

male 80.27%

Age - 41
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41
Stress Level
6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
6.6

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
7.4

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Senior Help Desk Technician career paths

Key steps to become a senior help desk technician

  1. Explore senior help desk technician education requirements

    Most common senior help desk technician degrees

    Bachelor's

    47.9 %

    Associate

    36.1 %

    High School Diploma

    5.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific senior help desk technician skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Troubleshoot8.71%
    Technical Support7.62%
    Desk Support6.16%
    Phone Calls5.36%
    Remote Desktop5.09%
  3. Complete relevant senior help desk technician training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior help desk technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a senior help desk technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior help desk technician resumes.
  4. Research senior help desk technician duties and responsibilities

    • Manage PC troubleshooting on all OS platforms.
    • Assist in managing SQL database ensuring network connectivity, integrity of data and schedule tasks are complete.
    • Voice coordinator for Cisco VOIP telephone system for entire plant.
    • Provide router configuration, DNS and mail server setup and troubleshooting.
  5. Get senior help desk technician experience

    Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become a senior help desk technician. The most common roles before becoming a senior help desk technician include technical support specialist, computer technician team lead and help desk analyst.
  6. Prepare your senior help desk technician resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior help desk technician resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a senior help desk technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Senior Help Desk Technician Resume templates

    Build a professional Senior Help Desk Technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Senior Help Desk Technician resume.
    Senior Help Desk Technician Resume
    Senior Help Desk Technician Resume
    Senior Help Desk Technician Resume
    Senior Help Desk Technician Resume
    Senior Help Desk Technician Resume
    Senior Help Desk Technician Resume
    Senior Help Desk Technician Resume
    Senior Help Desk Technician Resume
    Senior Help Desk Technician Resume
  7. Apply for senior help desk technician jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a senior help desk technician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Senior Help Desk Technician Job

Zippi

Are you a Senior Help Desk Technician?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average senior help desk technician salary

The average Senior Help Desk Technician salary in the United States is $58,982 per year or $28 per hour. Senior help desk technician salaries range between $44,000 and $77,000 per year.

Average Senior Help Desk Technician Salary
$58,982 Yearly
$28.36 hourly

What Am I Worth?

salary-calculator

How do senior help desk technicians rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Senior Help Desk Technician reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2023
Pros

You get to help a lot of people in many different ways as well as learning new things about technology

Cons

I have aids now due to the painfulness of sitting down all day


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2022
Pros

Working with The people

Cons

There was nothing to like. Everyone was polite an hard workers


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020
Pros

I decided to go to technical support because I've been fascinated by technology all my life and I love working with the people as well. I want to use my technical know-how to solve directly the problems that customers have. I want to be the person who makes life easier and more enjoyable for people who have had a problem. This is what I like most as a technical Support.

Cons

I don't like sitting around being inactive. So I'll keep my self always busy


Working as a Senior Help Desk Technician? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall Rating*
Career Growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse computer and mathematical jobs