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Job outlook for application support specialists in the United States
Application support specialist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected application support specialist job growth rate is 10% from 2018-2028.
About 83,100 new jobs for application support specialists are projected over the next decade.
Application support specialist salaries have increased 9% for application support specialists in the last 5 years.
There are over 99,256 application support specialists currently employed in the United States.
There are 118,322 active application support specialist job openings in the US.
The average application support specialist salary is $81,820.
Are application support specialist jobs in demand?
Application support specialist job and salary trends over time
Application support specialist jobs over time
Application support specialist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 99,256 | 0.03% |
| 2020 | 109,946 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | 112,427 | 0.03% |
| 2018 | 64,136 | 0.02% |
| 2017 | 62,430 | 0.02% |
Average application support specialist salary over time
Application support specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $81,820 | $39.34 | +3.4% |
| 2025 | $79,124 | $38.04 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | $77,333 | $37.18 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | $76,165 | $36.62 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $74,921 | $36.02 | +1.6% |
Application support specialist jobs by state
Most common states for application support specialists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 445 | 64% |
| 2 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 235 | 27% |
| 3 | Vermont | 623,657 | 136 | 22% |
| 4 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,450 | 21% |
| 5 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 159 | 21% |
| 6 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 1,208 | 20% |
| 7 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 608 | 20% |
| 8 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 417 | 20% |
| 9 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 381 | 20% |
| 10 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,602 | 19% |
| 11 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 783 | 19% |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 199 | 19% |
| 13 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 196 | 19% |
| 14 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,084 | 18% |
| 15 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 533 | 18% |
| 16 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 1,716 | 17% |
| 17 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 966 | 17% |
| 18 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 228 | 17% |
| 19 | Delaware | 961,939 | 162 | 17% |
| 20 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 97 | 17% |
Most common cities for application support specialists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beverly Hills | 1 | 3% | $95,710 |
| 2 | Georgetown | 1 | 3% | $63,233 |
| 3 | Hartford | 2 | 2% | $86,179 |
| 4 | Bethesda | 1 | 2% | $76,392 |
| 5 | Ellicott City | 1 | 2% | $77,171 |
| 6 | Bellevue | 2 | 1% | $80,499 |
| 7 | Orlando | 2 | 1% | $80,387 |
| 8 | Springfield | 2 | 1% | $93,969 |
| 9 | Worcester | 2 | 1% | $93,658 |
| 10 | Chicago | 2 | 0% | $78,185 |
| 11 | Seattle | 2 | 0% | $80,608 |
| 12 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $75,218 |
| 13 | Baltimore | 1 | 0% | $77,499 |
| 14 | Birmingham | 1 | 0% | $64,771 |
| 15 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $93,341 |
| 16 | Irving | 1 | 0% | $81,460 |
Application Support Specialist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of application support specialist experts
Belmont University
Mount St Mary's University
New York Institute of Technology
What general advice would you give to an Application Support Specialist?
Dr. Tisha Brown-Gaines: Over the next five years, the expanding landscape of Big Data facilitated via Information Systems will continue to play a major role in the structure of how Smart Systems are created and maintained. As a result, having skills that will allow for effectively accessing, modifying, analyzing, storing and securing data is key. The integration of these skills are strengths that will support fields under the umbrella of computer science and data science that expand into machine learning, natural language processing and the Internet of Things (IoT) concepts.
What Application Support Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Tisha Brown-Gaines: Colleges and universities try very hard to prepare students for life after graduation. Most students have the required skill sets for their field of study. However, the journey after attaining a degree still can be tricky. Selecting the right field for you is paramount. Information Systems (IS) is a great major. The interdisciplinary aspect of Information Systems (IS) allows graduates to select from numerous opportunities in the field. However, this can be quite overwhelming when students have options to apply to countless jobs. My advice would be to reflect on several assignments, projects or internship experiences during your undergraduate career that captured your interest, made you smile while completing the assignment or even one which began as a random goal and became personal. Start by identifying tasks that made you inquire more about a topic outside of the minimum requirements or a task that was challenging but helped to improve a skill set. Reflecting on these experiences will allow you to effectively navigate what areas to consider and what jobs to apply to in a sea of endless opportunities. Additionally, having the ability to reflect on past accomplishments can motivate and challenge graduates to achieve additional goals as they continue building their careers.
What general advice would you give to an Application Support Specialist?
Sagar Raina D.Sc.: The transition from the academic world to the industry is a significant milestone and may be overwhelming for the beginners. The first and foremost advice I would give is to be “patient”, be “positive” and be “open to learning”. The field of Information Systems consists of the three important components – people, processes, and technology. The graduates beginning their careers should be able to understand and learn about the “people” working in the organization, the “processes” of the organization and the “technology” used by the organization. To accomplish this, work hard, be open to ask questions to the senior colleagues and keep yourself informed about the new trends in Information Systems sector.
What will help Application Support Specialists increase their earning potential?
Jason Nichols PhD: Build your experience base through internships and industry projects, and brag about these experiences when you interview. Collect professional certificates to compliment your degree. Security and cloud computing are excellent areas to pursue these in right now. AI and machine learning as well, of course. Build a structured skillset in problem solving and critical thinking, and demonstrate this skillset in your discussions with future employers. Map all of these efforts into a coherent story about yourself in your applications, and how they have shaped you to be a tech-savvy business problem solver, with a strong understanding of both the business and the technology. This foundation prepares you for so very many roles in our field, and businesses recognize and actively seek out this profile in their job candidates. Use the resources available to you. If you need additional time for more formal training, join a masters program. Join us for a masters program, actually. Our AI in Business masters program is launching this Fall, and is open for enrollment currently. Visit us here to learn more: https://wpcarey.asu.edu/masters-programs/ai-business
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Application Support Specialists in the next 3-5 years?
Babak Beheshti Ph.D.: -The enormous growth of IoT and wearables. The number of connected devices is expected to be more than 26 billion in 2020. That includes things like household appliances, controllable lighting, and much more. This trend is likely to continue as it is expected to see the industry grow to 661 billion dollars by 2021.
-We will be witnessing a more widespread commercial deployment of 5G in 2020. With the implementation of the Standalone 5G devices based on the 3gpp release 16, we should be seeing the more robust mobile broadband deployment of 5G, wider availability of 5G smartphones, and a push towards an all 5G Network in select urban areas around the world.
-Significant growth in AI-based technologies, from face recognition and voice recognition to business intelligence and market predictions. As machines and deep learning algorithms get integrated into many applications, many industries will undergo substantial changes. AI systems will continue to interact with our phones; cars will interpret and analyze their surroundings and intelligently drive themselves. Online vendors will monitor our browsing habits, and Google decides what kind of search results to give us, based on who it thinks we are.