25 Honest Desktop Support Engineer Salaries

Even seasoned IT teams hit problems they can’t solve alone. When the help desk can’t crack the case, desktop support engineers step in. And with greater responsibility and experience comes higher salaries.

Unfortunately, there’s no hard-and-fast definition for what a desktop support engineer does, or how they’re distinguished from desktop support technicians or technical support. That makes predicting what a competitive desktop support engineer salary should be tough. 

Nevertheless, we’re going to try. We’ve compiled tons of data about what salaries you can expect, and what training and certifications you should consider to increase your salary.

What is a Desktop Support Engineer?

At a glance, desktop support engineers are the pros who fix what tier-1 techs can’t. But they do more than that—they’re the bridge between the help desk and IT infrastructure, tackling system-wide issues that affect entire teams or locations.

A desktop support engineer isn’t usually the same thing as a desktop support technician. While a tech is an entry-level position, desktop support engineers have more experience and have specialized knowledge in certain aspects of delivering IT support. 

Unlike entry-level technicians, engineers bring deeper OS, networking, and scripting know-how, focusing on systemic issues affecting dozens (or thousands) of endpoints simultaneously. They often work remotely, supporting end-user devices and services for managed service providers (MSPs) or large internal fleets. In short, techs fix a single laptop; engineers keep the entire workstation ecosystem running and secure, and their pay reflects that broader scope.

Typical day-to-day tasks may include: 

• Diagnose and resolve OS, driver, and application failures that stump tier-1 support

• Script automated fixes and image deployments using PowerShell, Bash, or SCCM/Intune

• Patch and harden Windows, macOS, or Linux endpoints to meet security baselines

• Manage group policies, profile management, and user permissions in Active Directory or Azure AD

• Monitor endpoint-management dashboards (Intune, VMware Workspace ONE, Jamf) for compliance drift

• Coordinate with network and server teams to troubleshoot connectivity or authentication issues

• Document root causes, create knowledge-base articles, and mentor junior technicians

• Plan and execute hardware refreshes or large-scale OS migrations with minimal user downtime

Mastering those system-wide responsibilities, rather than one-off break/fix tickets, elevates desktop support engineers into higher salary bands.

Desktop Support Engineer Salaries in 25 U.S. Cities 

A desktop support engineer’s salary is usually higher than a technician’s, but lower than a systems administrator's. Most IT support professionals know that, but it can be tough to prove. That’s why we’ve done the research for you to come up with salaries for desktop support engineers in 25 different cities throughout the United States.

We took raw numbers from ZipRecruiter and split them into three categories: low-end, overall average, and high-end average.

• The national average salary for a Desktop Support Engineer is $56,000.

• The average high for a Desktop Support Engineer is $68,000.

• The average low for a Desktop Support Engineer is $43,000.

That’s nationwide, but salaries can change substantially from state to state and city to city. Take a look at this chart of 25 salaries for desktop support engineers from around the country:

The highest averages are in coastal and high-population cities. Seven of the ten highest average salaries come from cities on, or very near, the coasts: San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC, Alexandria, VA, Bridgeport, CT, Mobile, AL, and Dallas. Denver and Peoria round out the list thanks to strong local tech footprints. he bottom line: where demand for endpoint support is highest, pay follows.

Markets that pay high averages also pay higher across the board. In Washington, DC, the “high-end” average hits $78,000, while even the low-end sits at $49,000—a $29,000 spread. Compare that to Lakewood, OH, where highs top out at $57,000 and lows start around $39,000 (an $18,000 gap). Competitive, talent-hungry markets push the entire range upward, not just the top.

The wider the spread, the more your skills matter. Cities with the richest ceilings (San Francisco, Seattle, and DC) also show 20–30 percent gaps between low and high tiers. That means certifications, scripting chops, and project experience can increase your salary by tens of thousands of dollars, especially if you’re willing to compete in a hot market.

Relocation can be a fast raise. Moving from Jackson, MS ($48,000 average) to Denver ($58,000) or Seattle ($64,000) could net a 20-35 percent jump before any promotion, proving once again that geography remains a powerful salary lever for desktop-support engineers. But the cost of living could eat up that difference. 

4 Salary Considerations for Desktop Support Engineers

One of the biggest challenges a desktop support engineer faces when they’re trying to move themselves into a higher salary bracket is convincing their employer or prospective employer that they’re different from a standard IT technician. There’s nothing wrong with working as a desktop support technician, but it’s an entry-level position that usually deals with one desktop at a time. 

A desktop support engineer, on the other hand, tends to earn a higher salary because they have a broader base of knowledge and can resolve systemic problems.

In your struggle to justify promotions or raises to higher salaries, there are certain things you can do to help your case. The most obvious is certifications. Industry certifications do more than test your knowledge in a certain area; they’re how the industry agrees on what defines certain jobs. Getting the right training and acquiring certain skills are both crucial—these allow you to get more challenging jobs and earn the most prestigious certifications.

The industry you work in can also matter. Not every industry can pay its IT support teams high salaries, but a desktop support engineer who chooses their industry carefully can expect a profitable career.

Experience Requirements for Desktop Support Engineer

Desktop support engineer roles are typically not entry-level. Most professionals work their way up from positions like help desk or desktop support technician. Engineers with experience across a range of operating systems, network environments, and troubleshooting scenarios earn higher salaries.

Top earners can efficiently manage remote issues, assign tasks through management tools, and debug network hardware. Because desktop support engineers often work directly with clients, strong soft skills are just as important as technical expertise when it comes to earning top pay.

Overall, you will need two to four years of experience in a lower position before moving up to desktop support engineer. 

4 Tech Support Skills You’ve Got To Have

To earn the best salary as a desktop support engineer, you’ll need a mix of technical know-how and people skills. Here are four must-have abilities that set high earners apart.

1. Software, Hardware, and Peripherals Installation and Management

Installing and maintaining software, hardware, and peripherals is the bread and butter of desktop support. Since companies use different tools, mastering your company’s specific tech stack is essential.

Salary impact: Huge. The better you are at setup, troubleshooting, and system-wide maintenance, the faster you’ll rise above technician-level pay. A company will pay you the lower salary of a technician until you can prove you’re up to the challenge of handling their entire system.

2. Managing Network Operations and Devices

Desktop support engineers often handle problems at scale, not just one-off fixes. That means knowing how networks and their devices function, so you can solve issues across systems, not just desks.

Salary impact: Significant. You don’t need to be a network engineer, but you do need to speak the language of networking with confidence.

3. Client and Customer Management

A desktop support engineer needs to have soft skills in addition to their technical knowledge, and the ability to field questions, problems, and comments from clients and customers is one of the most important. Tech skills get your foot in the door, but soft skills get you promoted. Handling tough clients with calm, clear communication builds a strong professional reputation.

Career impact: Big. If people know you as the person who explains tech clearly and solves problems efficiently, that’s worth real money.

4. Problem Solving and Prioritization

One key difference between desktop support engineers and their junior counterparts at lower salaries is the breadth of their solutions. Junior techs fix one problem at a time, while engineers think strategically. They anticipate issues, prioritize effectively, and keep systems running smoothly.

Career impact: Considerable. This is how you prove leadership potential—and justify a salary bump.

3 Categories of Tech Support Tools You'll Need to Know

A desktop support engineer has to know the tools of their trade very well. Gathering data about whether devices are running, reporting problems and remoting in to fix them all depend on your comfort with the tools.

Diagnostics

Top-tier desktop support engineers don’t just fix known problems—they diagnose new ones. The ability to troubleshoot unfamiliar issues is a key reason engineers command higher salaries.

Key tools:

• Process Explorer / Task Manager: For monitoring system activity

• Event Viewer: For identifying system-level issues

• Wireshark: For analyzing network traffic

• VirtualBox / VMware Workstation: To virtualize systems for safe testing

Career impact: Huge. Being able to identify the root cause of complex issues sets you apart from entry-level technicians.

Incident Logging and Report Building

Different companies use different tools to generate incident reports and keep track of the progress being made. That makes it hard to say precisely which tools a desktop support engineer needs to know, because some are even proprietary to the company they work for. But what you can do to justify a promotion to a higher salary range is learn what the different options are, and how they differ from one another.

Key tools:

• osTicket / Zendesk: Ticketing systems for managing support requests

• Bugzilla / Jira: Bug tracking and issue management

• Freshservice / ServiceNow: Full-service ITSM platform

Career impact: Considerable. Knowing how to work with (and adapt to) various tools shows you're ready for high-level support roles.

Remote Connection Management

One thing that usually sets a desktop support engineer apart from technicians is how much of their work they do from a remote location. It’s not uncommon for desktop support engineers to support many users in different offices and buildings. 

A desktop support engineer who wants to earn the highest salary must know different tools for connecting to users throughout the network.

Key tools:

• Microsoft Remote Desktop (RDP) / RDCMan

• TeamViewer / AnyDesk / LogMeIn

• Apple Remote Desktop

• Chrome Remote Desktop

Career impact: Significant. Mastering remote access tools makes you more efficient, scalable, and valuable, especially in hybrid or global teams.

3 Best Certifications for Desktop Support Engineers

Certifications can help desktop support engineers validate their skills, stand out in the job market, and negotiate higher salaries. While the best certification depends on your workplace tech stack, these three are widely recognized:

CompTIA A+

CompTIA is one of the IT industry’s most trusted certification-issuing groups. Many certifications in the IT field are based on the piece of technology itself (for example, a Microsoft or Cisco cert). CompTIA’s certs focus on broad skills for a job. For desktop support engineers, most of what you’ll be tested on to earn the A+ is familiar. But from hardware to software support, including network and database management, for many companies, having the A+ justifies a promotion to a better salary.

Salary impact of A+: Significant. Depending on where in your career you are, the A+ could have either a huge impact on your salary prospects or only a mild one. But in almost all cases, a desktop support engineer with an A+ will be considered substantially more knowledgeable by their company.

HDI Desktop Support Manager (HDI-DSM)

HDI provides many certifications in desktop support and help desk services. Their HDI Desktop Support Manager certification is a broad, detailed certification about supporting all manner of devices and providing operational and tactical support to an organization’s IT team. A desktop support engineer could earn the HDI-DSM to justify a higher salary as they supervise a team providing IT support or provide truly excellent support.

Salary impact of HDI Desktop Support Manager: Modest. The HDI-DSM isn’t as foundational or broad as the CompTIA A+, and it applies more specifically to the management of a team of support technicians. A desktop support engineer investing in the HDI-DSM should make sure that their company needs it. Not every certification results in a guaranteed salary hike, but if your company needs desktop support management, you could fill the role with this cert.

AppleCare Mac Technician (ACMT)

Obviously, the AppleCare Mac Technician wouldn’t be valuable for a desktop support engineer whose company works only with Microsoft machines. But if your company relies heavily on Apple products, the ACMT is how you can prove your expertise in providing remote support to them.

Salary impact of ACMT: Modest. If your company is large enough to support many different OSs, earning the ACMT and specializing your skills can help lead to a higher salary. Just having the ACMT isn’t as valuable as a more foundational, broad certification though. That said, if your company does use Apple products, filling the need for a well-trained, specialized desktop support engineer can be rewarding.

What Types of Companies Need Desktop Support Engineers?

Nearly every industry needs IT support, but some value desktop support engineers more than others, especially when complex systems, high stakes, or customer-facing roles are involved. If you’re looking for better pay and long-term career growth, these industries stand out:

1. Telecommunications and MSPs

Telecom companies and managed service providers (MSPs) often support large, multi-client networks—making skilled support engineers essential. These roles often involve remote troubleshooting, client interaction, and quick problem-solving at scale.

Career impact: High. These companies tend to pay well for engineers who can handle diverse environments, work independently, and support business-critical systems.

2. Finance and Insurance Companies

Banks, investment firms, and insurers operate massive, secure networks with little tolerance for downtime. Desktop support engineers in these environments often assist with complex setups and hybrid systems that border on sysadmin work.

Career impact: Significant. Strong knowledge of security, compliance, and enterprise-grade tools can justify a bigger paycheck.

3. Healthcare and Social Care Companies

Larger healthcare systems need high availability, HIPAA-compliant infrastructure, and support for unique peripherals like medical imaging equipment. That’s where experienced desktop support engineers shine.

Career impact: Strong. While some hospitals outsource IT, those with internal teams pay well for engineers who keep systems secure and running 24/7.

4. Tech and SaaS Companies 

Modern tech companies—from e-commerce platforms to SaaS startups—often run on bleeding-edge tools and cloud-first infrastructure. Engineers who can support fast-paced teams and adapt to new systems are in high demand.

Career impact: Growing. These roles tend to offer flexibility, modern tooling, and exposure to other IT disciplines, making them great stepping stones.

How to Increase Your Salary as a Desktop Support Engineer

Even brand-new desktop support engineers tend to come from a background in desktop support and have spent several years already as desktop support technicians or help desk techs. That experience might have given you insight into what a competitive salary for a desktop support engineer looks like, but it might also have made you underestimate your value and the worth of your work.

Depending on where they work and how many certifications they have, a well-paid desktop support engineer can expect a salary of upward of $70,000 per year. If you’re not making that much, you might reconsider where you’re working, what industry you’re working in, and what certifications you’ve got to your name.

Looking to add certifications to increase your salary? Check out CBT Nuggets certification training.