IT Career Guide

Service Desk Analyst

What a Service Desk Analyst does in the UK, typical salary, required skills, and how career changers realistically get into the role.

Service Desk Analysts manage the flow of IT tickets into an organisation, logging, prioritising, resolving or escalating issues. It is closely related to IT Support but often more process and ticketing-system focused, common in larger organisations including the NHS.

Typical UK salary
£23,000 to £29,000 to start, rising with experience and specialisation.

Who is it suitable for?

People who are organised, calm under pressure, and comfortable following a structured process consistently.

Can career changers enter?

Yes, a genuine entry-level role, similar accessibility to IT Support Technician roles.

Skills required

Ticketing systems (ServiceNow, Jira, Zendesk)
ITIL process basics
Windows and Microsoft 365 troubleshooting
Prioritisation and triage
Clear written communication

Recommended certifications

CompTIA A+ITIL Foundation

Career progression

Service Desk Analyst → IT Support Technician or 2nd Line Support → specialist administration roles.

Start training for this role

IT Career Programme

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