AI will transform the role of the help desk support specialist

To better understand the impact of generative AI (GenAI), AI agents, and related technologies on job roles such as help desk support specialists and various industries over the next five years, ServiceNow paired up with research partner Pearson for the third year in a row to produce the 2025 Workforce Skills Forecast.

[NOTE: Experienced human writers and editors used AI to help research and draft this article.]

ServiceNow and Pearson used machine learning to mine labor market data in 10 countries (Australia, Canada, Germany, India, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the UAE, the UK, and the U.S.). The resulting analysis maps the changing relationship between people and AI in the workplace and predicts that AI will change the mix of skills required for people and organizations to thrive.

Long-term impacts of AI on help desk support specialists:

1. Evolution in role: As AI handles routine diagnostics and standard technical issues, help desk specialists will transform from problem-solvers to experience orchestrators across digital ecosystems, fundamentally shifting their focus from addressing repetitive issues to supervising AI-powered frameworks, managing complex cases, and aligning technology with organizational objectives.

2. Widening skills and wage gaps: AI integration will likely create a two-tiered help desk workforce, which will have significant career implications. Entry-level positions focused on basic troubleshooting will diminish as these tasks become automated, while specialists with advanced skills in AI management and complex problem-solving will see increased market value. This polarization could contribute to income inequality within technical support roles, requiring organizations to invest in upskilling pathways to prevent structural unemployment.

By 2030, the impact of AI-powered automation and augmentation on the help desk support specialist role will be high.

Despite changes to the role, an additional 22,000 help desk support specialists of all levels are projected to be needed in the U.S. to satisfy increasing demand over the next five years, according to our research.

A help desk support specialist provides technical assistance to users experiencing product, computer, or software issues. They troubleshoot problems, answer questions, and guide users through solutions via phone, email, or chat. They document incidents, escalate complex issues to specialized teams, and often manage user accounts, password resets, and basic system maintenance while maintaining clear communication throughout the support process.

According to ServiceNow University, the average U.S. salary for a help desk support specialist focusing on or utilizing the ServiceNow AI Platform is $46,500. Salaries are higher for general help desk support specialists. The average U.S. salary for such a job is $52,600, according to ZipRecruiter. The average in San Jose, California, an expensive location, is roughly $62,000.

The skills/mindsets required for a help desk support specialist include:

• Technical problem-solving: Help desk support specialists must be able to diagnose and resolve a wide range of product, hardware, software, and network issues efficiently while following established protocols and procedures.
• Communication skills: It’s essential that help desk support specialists can explain technical concepts in simple terms (both verbally and in writing) to users with varying levels of technical understanding.
• Patience and empathy: This is especially crucial when dealing with frustrated customers/users and maintaining composure during stressful situations while providing reassurance throughout the troubleshooting process.
• Time management: These professionals must efficiently handle multiple support tickets simultaneously, prioritizing urgent issues while maintaining service-level agreements.
• Analytical thinking: Help desk support specialists are adept at identifying patterns in recurring issues and contributing insights that lead to permanent solutions rather than temporary fixes.

AI has already started transforming the help desk support specialist role, fundamentally shifting the required skills, credentials, and performance standards in the profession. While AI will boost their efficiency by handling routine operations, it will simultaneously redefine the core competencies workers need to thrive in this evolving landscape.

According to our research with Pearson, a quarter of the U.S.-based help desk support specialists’ job will be transformed by AI over the next five years. Nearly four-fifths of that change will come from agentic AI, while the remainder will be due to non-agentic forms such as GenAI and machine learning.

The impact of this transformation will be the equivalent of 10.5 hours saved per week per person by 2030—7.9 hours saved due to agentic AI and 2.5 saved by other forms of AI. Time savings from AI will allow help desk support specialists to spend roughly half the time they once did resolving user problems related to computer hardware or maintaining records and completing data entry tasks.

As agentic AI continues to transform the workforce, help desk support specialists can take the following steps to thrive and stay relevant:

• Develop AI oversight capabilities: Specialists should gain skills in managing and supervising AI tools, including prompt engineering and understanding model limitations. This involves learning to craft effective AI instructions, recognizing when automation is appropriate, and identifying when human intervention is necessary.
• Cultivate emotional intelligence: Focus on developing skills regarding empathy, active listening, and relationship-building that AI struggles to can’t replicate. While AI can analyze sentiments, it cannot empathize with a frustrated user or navigate workplace politics. Support specialists who excel at de-escalating tense situations and building rapport create value that automated systems cannot match.
• Pursue specialized technical knowledge: Acquire expertise in complex enterprise systems or cybersecurity protocols that require nuanced human judgment. Developing deep knowledge in areas such as network security architecture, compliance frameworks, and specialized industry applications creates a moat around your role.
• Become a cross-functional collaborator: Develop skills that bridge IT support with other business functions, such as customer experience design and process improvement. By understanding the broader business context and speaking both technical and business languages fluently, help desk support specialists can facilitate better communication between departments. This connector role is difficult to automate and allows specialists to contribute to strategic initiatives beyond ticket resolution.
• Embrace continuous learning: Establish a personal development program that includes formal education, mentorship, and hands-on experimentation with emerging technologies. Set aside dedicated time each week to explore new tools and methodologies before they become mainstream requirements. Creating learning communities with peers can accelerate skill acquisition and provide emotional support during periods of rapid technological change.
• Leverage data analytics skills: Learn to analyze support ticket trends and user behavior patterns to identify systemic issues and improvement opportunities. Becoming more comfortable with business intelligence tools and basic statistical analyses enables specialists to move from reactive problem-solving to proactive system improvement. By presenting data-driven insights to management, specialists can influence organizational priorities and demonstrate value beyond day-to-day support activities.

Honing these skills and adopting a mindset of continuous learning, help desk support specialists (and, more broadly, all tech workers) can maintain relevance and thrive alongside agentic AI. Remember, agentic AI is a tool, not a replacement for human ingenuity. By focusing on adaptability and leveraging uniquely human traits, specialists can position themselves as indispensable collaborators in an AI-driven future.

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