How much does an IT Service Desk Lead make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for an IT Service Desk Lead in the United States is $78,032 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $38.
However, an IT Service Desk Lead's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $93,911
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $67,538 to $86,344
Key Factors That Influence IT Service Desk Lead Salaries
An IT Service 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
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects IT Service Desk Lead Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of an IT Service 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:
How Do IT Service 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 Service Desk Leads. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $86,397.
California: $86,070.
Massachusetts: $84,922.
District of Columbia$86,397
California$86,070
Massachusetts$84,922
Washington$84,610
New Jersey$84,579
Alaska$84,470
Connecticut$83,393
New York$82,956
Hawaii$81,559
Rhode Island$80,904
Maryland$80,459
Minnesota$79,850
Colorado$79,616
Illinois$79,538
Oregon$79,242
Delaware$79,023
New Hampshire$78,886
Virginia$78,578
Pennsylvania$77,681
Nevada$77,228
North Dakota$77,080
Michigan$76,846
Wisconsin$76,760
Vermont$76,589
Texas$76,113
Maine$76,081
Arizona$76,035
Ohio$75,980
Georgia$75,262
Indiana$74,903
Wyoming$74,833
Utah$74,724
Iowa$74,677
Kansas$74,302
Louisiana$74,193
North Carolina$74,154
Missouri$74,138
Florida$73,834
Montana$73,670
Nebraska$73,514
Kentucky$73,428
South Carolina$73,116
Tennessee$72,921
Idaho$72,843
New Mexico$72,273
Oklahoma$72,149
Alabama$71,688
South Dakota$70,916
Arkansas$70,494
West Virginia$70,268
Mississippi$69,589
Top Paying Cities for IT Service 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: $98,422
San Francisco: $97,344
Oakland: $95,293
San Jose, CA$98,422
San Francisco, CA$97,344
Oakland, CA$95,293
New York, NY$89,845
Paramus, NJ$88,753
Queens Village, NY$88,749
Passaic, NJ$88,675
Bergenfield, NJ$88,668
Stamford, CT$88,496
Huntington, NY$88,464
Newark, NJ$87,888
Bridgeport, CT$87,723
Vallejo, CA$87,568
New Brunswick, NJ$87,537
Petaluma, CA$87,490
Middlesex, NJ$87,341
Somerset, NJ$87,287
Santa Cruz, CA$87,185
Boston, MA$86,709
Monterey, CA$86,435
Seattle, WA$86,257
Santa Rosa, CA$86,241
Los Angeles, CA$86,218
Juneau, AK$86,015
Washington, DC$85,929
Orange, CA$85,651
Santa Ana, CA$85,445
Long Beach, CA$85,367
Anaheim, CA$85,352
Anchorage, AK$85,313
Santa Maria, CA$85,079
Everett, WA$85,063
Danbury, CT$84,788
Bremerton, WA$84,681
Tacoma, WA$84,400
New Suffolk, NY$84,398
Sacramento, CA$84,376
Santa Barbara, CA$84,290
Trenton, NJ$84,205
San Diego, CA$84,205
Brockton, MA$84,119
Fairbanks, AK$83,928
Lompoc, CA$83,729
Lowell, MA$83,665
Ventura, CA$83,651
Nashua, NH$83,635
Stockton, CA$83,627
Modesto, CA$83,057
Poughkeepsie, NY$82,886
Olympia, WA$82,738
Kennewick, WA$82,738
New Haven, CT$82,706
Lawrence, MA$82,425
Hartford, CT$82,347
Riverside, CA$82,332
New Bedford, MA$82,254
Richland, WA$82,254
Bakersfield, CA$82,144
San Bernardino, CA$82,113
New Britain, CT$82,105
Atlantic City, NJ$82,105
New London, CT$82,074
Norwich, CT$82,051
Portsmouth, NH$82,035
Boulder, CO$81,870
Portland, OR$81,762
Worcester, MA$81,754
Minneapolis, MN$81,512
Philadelphia, PA$81,403
Honolulu, HI$81,146
Saint Paul, MN$81,108
Vineland, NJ$81,091
Providence, RI$80,865
Chicago, IL$80,638
Bellingham, WA$80,545
Springfield, MA$80,482
Baltimore, MD$80,459
Chico, CA$80,264
Pittsfield, MA$80,053
Manchester, NH$79,905
Spokane, WA$79,562
Denver, CO$79,554
Albany, NY$79,187
Troy, NY$79,156
Nassau, NY$79,072
Schenectady, NY$78,992
Wilmington, DE$78,930
Burlington, VT$78,820
Salem, OR$78,789
Portland, ME$78,547
Yakima, WA$78,469
Rochester, MN$78,227
Reno, NV$78,188
Fresno, CA$78,188
Milwaukee, WI$78,118
Detroit, MI$78,040
Ann Arbor, MI$78,027
Allentown, PA$78,017
Colorado Springs, CO$77,884
Syracuse, NY$77,845
Carson City, NV$77,845
Houston, TX$77,736
Eugene, OR$77,697
Gary, IN$77,603
Springfield, OR$77,541
Bismarck, ND$77,525
Galveston, TX$77,470
Medford, OR$77,353
Fort Collins, CO$77,322
Concord, NH$77,283
Austin, TX$77,260
Mesa, AZ$77,096
Reading, PA$77,088
Phoenix, AZ$77,080
Dallas, TX$77,057
Saint Cloud, MN$76,982
Madison, WI$76,877
Utica, NY$76,667
Rochester, NY$76,542
Des Moines, IA$76,534
Raleigh, NC$76,526
Atlanta, GA$76,409
Battle Creek, MI$76,386
Salt Lake City, UT$76,362
Lancaster, PA$76,245
Harrisburg, PA$76,136
Kansas City, MO$76,058
Champaign, IL$76,042
Kansas City, KS$76,042
Fort Worth, TX$76,035
Columbus, OH$76,021
Boca Raton, FL$76,003
Pittsburgh, PA$75,972
Richmond, VA$75,941
Indianapolis, IN$75,925
Cleveland, OH$75,918
Las Vegas, NV$75,824
Cincinnati, OH$75,824
Petersburg, VA$75,707
Huntsville, AL$75,590
Lansing, MI$75,538
Lebanon, PA$75,527
Pueblo, CO$75,520
Appleton, WI$75,496
Buffalo, NY$75,465
Dayton, OH$75,442
Racine, WI$75,426
Charlotte, NC$75,418
Saint Louis, MO$75,395
York, PA$75,348
Elkhart, IN$75,348
Gastonia, NC$75,333
Billings, MT$75,314
Beaumont, TX$75,293
Lorain, OH$75,278
Benton Harbor, MI$75,262
Toledo, OH$75,246
Binghamton, NY$75,207
Rock Hill, SC$75,200
Rockford, IL$75,161
Springfield, IL$75,129
Elyria, OH$75,122
Fargo, ND$75,122
Flagstaff, AZ$75,067
Fort Lauderdale, FL$75,020
Duluth, MN$74,973
Miami, FL$74,973
Cheyenne, WY$74,919
Grand Forks, ND$74,919
Bangor, ME$74,747
Cedar Rapids, IA$74,661
Durham, NC$74,628
Louisville, KY$74,622
Grand Rapids, MI$74,607
Hialeah, FL$74,599
Casper, WY$74,490
Scranton, PA$74,396
New Orleans, LA$74,372
Virginia Beach, VA$74,365
Akron, OH$74,326
Peoria, IL$74,224
Sarasota, FL$74,209
Nashville, TN$74,154
Omaha, NE$74,154
Green Bay, WI$74,154
Baton Rouge, LA$74,115
Charleston, SC$74,099
Jamestown, NY$74,060
Davenport, IA$74,060
Tucson, AZ$74,021
Saint Petersburg, FL$73,975
Tampa, FL$73,959
Evansville, IN$73,912
Port Arthur, TX$73,912
Bradenton, FL$73,881
Santa Fe, NM$73,740
Orlando, FL$73,600
Clearwater, FL$73,577
Canton, OH$73,413
La Crosse, WI$73,413
Albuquerque, NM$73,366
Newport News, VA$73,358
High Point, NC$73,335
Ogden, UT$73,303
Corpus Christi, TX$73,241
Norfolk, VA$73,194
Laramie, WY$73,194
Rock Island, IL$73,147
Saginaw, MI$73,132
Jacksonville, FL$73,124
Salisbury, NC$73,108
Boise, ID$73,093
Moline, IL$73,054
Fort Myers, FL$73,030
Memphis, TN$73,015
Tulsa, OK$72,976
Waterloo, IA$72,929
Spartanburg, SC$72,851
Lincoln, NE$72,812
Fort Wayne, IN$72,796
Provo, UT$72,788
Cedar Falls, IA$72,695
San Antonio, TX$72,664
Greensboro, NC$72,632
South Bend, IN$72,625
Savannah, GA$72,539
Muskegon, MI$72,508
Birmingham, AL$72,500
Winston Salem, NC$72,461
Lake Charles, LA$72,273
Anderson, IN$72,258
Lexington, KY$72,234
Augusta, GA$72,211
Greenville, SC$72,211
Lima, OH$72,149
Wichita, KS$72,141
Tuscaloosa, AL$72,141
Columbia, SC$72,071
Springfield, OH$72,055
Asheville, NC$71,930
Bloomington, IN$71,875
Knoxville, TN$71,595
Shreveport, LA$71,587
Wilmington, NC$71,485
Roanoke, VA$71,485
Topeka, KS$71,345
Frankfort, KY$71,336
Oklahoma City, OK$71,282
Chillicothe, OH$71,251
Longview, TX$71,243
Melbourne, FL$71,236
Sioux Falls, SD$71,111
Mobile, AL$71,103
Terre Haute, IN$71,072
Altoona, PA$71,025
Amarillo, TX$70,970
Killeen, TX$70,947
Fayetteville, AR$70,884
Chattanooga, TN$70,861
Sioux City, IA$70,791
Idaho Falls, ID$70,775
Lynchburg, VA$70,713
Gainesville, FL$70,611
Portsmouth, OH$70,572
Little Rock, AR$70,557
Lafayette, LA$70,526
Youngstown, OH$70,526
Daytona Beach, FL$70,479
Clarksville, TN$70,471
Pensacola, FL$70,463
Temple, TX$70,458
Hopkinsville, KY$70,229
Erie, PA$70,213
Florence, SC$70,182
Charleston, WV$70,057
Great Falls, MT$70,018
Macon, GA$69,909
Tallahassee, FL$69,901
Fayetteville, NC$69,886
Waco, TX$69,870
Helena, MT$69,815
Pine Bluff, AR$69,786
Vincennes, IN$69,691
Lubbock, TX$69,659
Alamogordo, NM$69,613
Twin Falls, ID$69,542
Rapid City, SD$69,519
Jackson, MS$69,378
Huntington, WV$69,373
Greenville, MS$69,371
Parkersburg, WV$69,291
Montgomery, AL$69,277
Wichita Falls, TX$69,199
Springfield, MO$69,199
Biloxi, MS$69,160
Monroe, LA$69,082
Johnstown, PA$69,027
Sumter, SC$68,996
Columbus, GA$68,988
Pascagoula, MS$68,840
Abilene, TX$68,840
Kingsport, TN$68,637
Albany, GA$68,637
Gulfport, MS$68,614
Alexandria, LA$68,356
Fort Smith, AR$68,161
El Paso, TX$67,950
Las Cruces, NM$67,599
Harlingen, TX$67,401
Pocatello, ID$67,389
Florence, AL$67,287
Brownsville, TX$67,272
Mcallen, TX$67,108
Dothan, AL$66,998
Columbus, MS$66,535
Altus, OK$66,171
Lawton, OK$66,023
Pierre, SD$65,742
What Skills Can Increase an IT Service Desk Lead's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Leadership (Mentioned in 10.23% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
Facility Maintenance (Mentioned in 1.65% Job Postings): Facility maintenance encompasses all maintenance activities that are taken in and outside of commercial buildings to keep the area safe, presentable, and most importantly, functional.
Quality Assurance (Mentioned in 1.21% Job Postings): Verifying the adherence of product with required specifications and expectations to track and resolve deficiencies prior to product release.
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 Service Desk Lead's salary.
Facility Maintenance: Can increase your salary by up to 38%.
Effective Communication: Can increase your salary by up to 25%.
Accountability: Can increase your salary by up to 21%.
IT Service Desk Lead Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For IT Service Desk Lead roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 65% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 35% above the average.
In contrast, IT Service Desk Lead positions in Retail & Wholesale or Hospitality & Leisure typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view IT Service Desk Lead as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for an IT Service Desk Lead
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Pharmaceuticals
$105,343
$51.0
35%
Biotechnology
$101,442
$49.0
30%
Financial Services
$97,540
$47.0
25%
Aerospace & Defense
$93,639
$45.0
20%
Internet
$93,639
$45.0
20%
IT Service Desk Lead Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how an IT Service 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 September 01, 2026
$67,538
Average$78,032/year
$86,344
$5,628
Average$6,503/month
$7,195
$1,299
Average$1,501/week
$1,660
$32
Average$38/hour
$42
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$86,344
$7,195
$1,660
$42
Average
$78,032
$6,503
$1,501
$38
25th Percentile
$67,538
$5,628
$1,299
$32
Salaries of Jobs related to IT Service Desk Lead
IT Service Desk Director$174,600
IT Service Desk Manager$118,390
IT Service Desk Supervisor$82,630
IT Service Desk Team Lead$80,383
Service Desk Lead$68,911
IT Help Desk Lead$67,763
IT Service Desk Analyst$60,721
IT Service Desk Engineer$58,138
IT Service Desk Representative$58,116
IT Service Desk Technician$54,770
IT Service Desk Specialist$49,857
Salary Trends for IT Service Desk Lead
Salaries for an IT Service Desk Lead can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $69,512 in 2023
to around $68,447 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of IT Service Desk Lead salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of IT Service Desk Lead Over Time
$???
$69,512
$69,483
$68,447
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$69,512
2024
$69,483
2025
$68,447
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for IT Service Desk Lead
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for IT Service Desk Lead
Here are companies hiring for IT Service Desk Lead and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
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FAQ about IT Service Desk Lead
1. What industry pays the highest salary for IT Service Desk Lead?
The Pharmaceuticals industry offers the highest average compensation for IT Service Desk Lead roles,
with salaries approximately 35% above the market median.
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.
