IT Help Desk Lead Salary in the United States

How much does an IT Help Desk Lead make in the United States?

As of February 01, 2026, the average salary for an IT Help Desk Lead in the United States is $67,687 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $33.

However, an IT Help Desk Lead's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $90,327
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $61,646 to $79,538
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $56,146
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Paid Annually Paid Monthly Paid Semimonthly Paid Biweekly Paid Weekly Paid Hourly
View as table View as graph 25% $61,646 10% $56,146 90% $90,327 75% $79,538 $67,687 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

IT Help Desk Lead Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary		 Monthly
Pay		 Weekly
Pay		 Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $79,538 $6,628 $1,530 $38
Average $67,687 $5,641 $1,302 $33
25th Percentile $61,646 $5,137 $1,185 $30
Check out IT Help Desk Lead Job Openings in the United States
Help Desk Lead in IT Operations

SAIC - SAN DIEGO, CA

Help Desk Team Lead

Booz Allen Hamilton - ARLINGTON, VA

Help Desk Specialist Lead

Computer World Services Corp - WASHINGTON, DC

Help Desk Specialist II Lead

Computer World Services Corp - WASHINGTON, DC

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Key Factors That Influence IT Help Desk Lead Salaries

An IT Help Desk Lead's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects IT Help Desk Lead Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an IT Help Desk Lead's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $49,672
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $57,636
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $65,218
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $71,922
  • Expert (over 8 years): $80,822
Levels Salary
Help Desk... Level IT Help Desk Lead$49,672
Help Desk... Level IT Help Desk Lead$57,636
IT Help D... Level IT Help Desk Lead$65,218
Help Desk... Level IT Help Desk Lead$71,922
Help Desk... Level IT Help Desk Lead$80,822
$49,672 0 yr
$57,636 < 2 yrs
$65,218 2-4 yrs
$71,922 5-8 yrs
$80,822 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

How Do IT Help Desk Lead Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract IT Help Desk Leads. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $74,943.
  • California: $74,658.
  • Massachusetts: $73,663.

Top Paying Cities for IT Help Desk Leads

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $85,373
  • San Francisco: $84,534
  • Oakland: $82,659

What Skills Can Increase an IT Help Desk Lead's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Troubleshooting (Mentioned in 10.49% Job Postings): Troubleshooting is a form of problem solving, often applied to repair failed products or processes on a machine or a system. It is a logical, systematic search for the source of a problem in order to solve it, and make the product or process operational again. Troubleshooting is needed to identify the symptoms. Determining the most likely cause is a process of elimination—eliminating potential causes of a problem. Finally, troubleshooting requires confirmation that the solution restores the product or process to its working state. In general, troubleshooting is the identification or diagnosis of "trouble" in the management flow of a system caused by a failure of some kind. The problem is initially described as symptoms of malfunction, and troubleshooting is the process of determining and remedying the causes of these symptoms. A system can be described in terms of its expected, desired or intended behavior (usually, for artificial systems, its purpose). Events or inputs to the system are expected to generate specific results or outputs. (For example, selecting the "print" option from various computer applications is intended to result in a hardcopy emerging from some specific device). Any unexpected or undesirable behavior is a symptom. Troubleshooting is the process of isolating the specific cause or causes of the symptom. Frequently the symptom is a failure of the product or process to produce any results. (Nothing was printed, for example). Corrective action can then be taken to prevent further failures of a similar kind.
  • Microsoft Office (Mentioned in 2.79% Job Postings): Microsoft Office is a suite of desktop productivity applications that is designed by Microsoft for business use. You can create documents containing text and images, work with data in spreadsheets and databases, create presentations and posters.
  • Computer Hardware (Mentioned in 1.81% Job Postings): Maintaining, configuring, and setting up computer hardware to increase business efficiency and staff productivity.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Troubleshooting 10.49%
Microsoft Office 2.79%
Computer Hardware 1.81%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on an IT Help Desk Lead's salary.
  • Project Management: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
  • Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Analysis: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Project Management
 $74,455
10%
Leadership
 $72,425
7%
Analysis
 $72,425
7%
Collaboration
 $71,071
5%
Innovation
 $71,071
5%
Integrity
 $70,394
4%
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How Education impacts an IT Help Desk Lead's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many IT Help Desk Leads enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an IT Help Desk Lead with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $65,057 and $68,880).

IT Help Desk Lead Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for IT Help Desk Lead
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 1.1%
High School 29.1%
Associates 24.0%
Bachelors 40.5%
Masters 5.0%
Doctorate 0.2%
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IT Help Desk Lead Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an IT Help Desk Lead's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

  • Hourly
  • Monthly
  • Weekly
  • Yearly
  • Table View
Last Updated on February 01, 2026
$61,646
Average $67,687/year
$79,538
$5,137
Average $5,641/month
$6,628
$1,185
Average $1,302/week
$1,530
$30
Average $33/hour
$38
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $79,538 $6,628 $1,530 $38
Average $67,687 $5,641 $1,302 $33
25th Percentile $61,646 $5,137 $1,185 $30

Salaries of jobs related to IT Help Desk Lead

Salary Trends for IT Help Desk Lead

Salaries for an IT Help Desk Lead can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $61,115 in 2023 to around $61,051 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of IT Help Desk Lead salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of IT Help Desk Lead Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$61,115
2024
$61,289
2025
$61,051
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $61,115
2024 $61,289
2025 $61,051
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for IT Help Desk Lead

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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