A computer specialist is a professional that deals with the installation and repair of various computer components, both software, and hardware. Usually, they are also referred to as computer technicians or computer repair specialists.
The duties of a computer specialist typically include installing computer upgrades, troubleshooting equipment, and educating clients about the extent and cost of repairs. A computer specialist is also responsible for performing computer diagnostics, creating detailed documentation on computer maintenance, and recommending upgrades to clients.
The job of a computer specialist often requires a college degree in computer science, computer information systems, information technology, or other computer-related programs. Furthermore, an aspiring computer specialist must have broad technical knowledge about computer components, both for hardware and software, as well as adequate skills in customer service.
In terms of pay, the average salary of a computer specialist is around $35 an hour or roughly $71,000 per year. The highest-paying jobs are usually in the technology, education, healthcare, and retail companies.
What is a Computer Specialist?
What Does a Computer Specialist Do
There are certain skills that many computer specialists have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed customer-service skills, listening skills and speaking skills.
How To Become a Computer Specialist
If you're interested in becoming a computer specialist, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 56.9% of computer specialists have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 6.6% of computer specialists have master's degrees. Even though most computer specialists have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Computer Specialist Career Paths
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of systems administrator you might progress to a role such as information technology manager eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title information technology director.
Average Salary for a Computer Specialist
What Am I Worth?
Roles and Types of Computer Specialist
The role of a computer specialist includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general computer specialist responsibilities:
- Provide sharepoint software development support for our us navy customer. Function/duties: full administration duties to include site collection administration & sub-site administration manage permissions
- Process, review, and work with adjusters, underwriters
- Creates databases, installs and administers oracle database engine
There are several types of computer specialist, including:
Computer Technician
Role:
They are responsible for an adequate and functional IT infrastructure at a company or institution. They troubleshoot any issue occurring with hardware, components, peripheral devices, software, and networks. They perform diagnostic tests, resolve errors, and maintain internet connectivity, making sure the system runs correctly.
They are diligent workers with acute problem-solving skills. They are service-oriented, patient, and have excellent communications skills to be able to deal with a continuous flow of co-workers seeking IT support on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
- Average Salary: $39,767
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Computer Repair Technician
Role:
Computer repair technicians can do everything from removing spyware programs to diagnosing problems with a computer's hardware. They can work with hardware, software, and everything in between. Often, this knowledge comes from years of practical experience gained on the job. Only about 30% of computer repair technicians bother getting bachelor's degrees.
A person who is handy with tools and knows how computers work might want to look into this field when considering a career. As more and more people start using computers for work and personal use, they will also need help fixing the inevitable problems. In fact, the demand for computer repair technicians is expected to grow by 10% by 2028.
- Average Salary: $32,627
- Degree: Associate Degree
Computer Support Technician
Role:
The minimum educational requirement for this position is a high school diploma. Oftentimes, a college degree is required. Applicants must possess problem-solving, analytical, computer, customer service, organization, and troubleshooting skills. You must be familiar with basic hardware and software functions and networking. Some employers may provide on-the-job training. Your annual salary is between $31,000 and $61,000, with an average salary of $43,522.
- Average Salary: $41,852
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
States With The Most Computer Specialist Jobs
Mouse over a state to see the number of active computer specialist jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where computer specialists earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Number Of Computer Specialist Jobs By State
| Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 3,860 | $82,266 |
| 2 | Texas | 2,469 | $77,539 |
| 3 | Florida | 2,258 | $71,180 |
| 4 | Virginia | 1,758 | $78,762 |
| 5 | New York | 1,561 | $75,205 |
| 6 | Illinois | 1,456 | $69,873 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 1,400 | $78,332 |
| 8 | Georgia | 1,298 | $73,854 |
| 9 | Maryland | 1,222 | $87,569 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | 1,177 | $81,333 |
| 11 | North Carolina | 1,112 | $71,959 |
| 12 | Ohio | 1,104 | $74,885 |
| 13 | Arizona | 989 | $73,805 |
| 14 | Michigan | 886 | $70,735 |
| 15 | New Jersey | 847 | $75,698 |
| 16 | Colorado | 835 | $75,888 |
| 17 | Washington | 830 | $88,754 |
| 18 | Minnesota | 760 | $74,194 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | 730 | $68,224 |
| 20 | Indiana | 719 | $70,183 |
| 21 | Tennessee | 640 | $70,293 |
| 22 | Missouri | 591 | $70,214 |
| 23 | Oregon | 556 | $86,451 |
| 24 | Utah | 545 | $74,897 |
| 25 | Alabama | 529 | $72,918 |
| 26 | Iowa | 525 | $67,054 |
| 27 | South Carolina | 470 | $71,954 |
| 28 | Connecticut | 395 | $81,359 |
| 29 | Kentucky | 373 | $72,193 |
| 30 | Kansas | 355 | $72,237 |
| 31 | Louisiana | 347 | $71,481 |
| 32 | Nebraska | 340 | $72,278 |
| 33 | Oklahoma | 336 | $74,767 |
| 34 | Arkansas | 288 | $67,093 |
| 35 | Nevada | 277 | $81,608 |
| 36 | Mississippi | 264 | $62,847 |
| 37 | New Mexico | 262 | $65,517 |
| 38 | New Hampshire | 257 | $73,081 |
| 39 | Hawaii | 228 | $65,037 |
| 40 | Idaho | 224 | $69,354 |
| 41 | Maine | 209 | $64,520 |
| 42 | Delaware | 197 | $75,539 |
| 43 | Alaska | 176 | $68,939 |
| 44 | West Virginia | 172 | $63,161 |
| 45 | Rhode Island | 165 | $74,022 |
| 46 | Montana | 164 | $73,147 |
| 47 | North Dakota | 154 | $80,464 |
| 48 | Vermont | 147 | $78,010 |
| 49 | South Dakota | 137 | $62,193 |
| 50 | Wyoming | 117 | $65,673 |
Top Colleges for Computer Specialists
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
6. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
7. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
10. Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, MA • Private
Top Skills For a Computer Specialist
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 7.9% of computer specialists listed data entry on their resume, but soft skills such as customer-service skills and listening skills are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Computer Specialist Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Computer Specialist templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Computer Specialist resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Computer Specialist Demographics
Computer Specialist Gender Distribution
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among computer specialists, 29.2% of them are women, while 70.8% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among computer specialists is White, which makes up 55.2% of all computer specialists.
- The most common foreign language among computer specialists is Spanish at 59.2%.
Online Courses For Computer Specialist That You May Like
This course provides foundational understanding of how computers process information through hardware and software. You will investigate the world of Information Technology (IT) and survey hardware components, mobile devices, operating systems, programs and apps, network fundamentals, the Internet, and touch on security and ethics...
This course is the first of a series that aims to prepare you for a role as an entry-level IT Support Specialist. In this course, you’ll be introduced to the world of Information Technology, or IT. You’ll learn about the different facets of Information Technology, like computer hardware, the Internet, computer software, troubleshooting, and customer service. This course covers a wide variety of topics in IT that are designed to give you an overview of what’s to come in this certificate program...
If you're ready to enter the world of Information Technology (IT), you need job-ready skills. This course enables you to develop the skills to work with computer hardware and operating systems, and is your first step to prepare for all types of tech related careers that require IT Fundamental skills. First, learn about the essential software brain of a computer—its operating system software when you explore Microsoft Windows. Next, discover internal key hardware computer components, including...
Best States For a Computer Specialist
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a computer specialist. The best states for people in this position are Washington, Maryland, Oregon, and California. Computer specialists make the most in Washington with an average salary of $88,754. Whereas in Maryland and Oregon, they would average $87,569 and $86,451, respectively. While computer specialists would only make an average of $82,266 in California, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. North Dakota
$80,464
Avg. Salary
2. Maryland
$87,569
Avg. Salary
3. Oregon
$86,451
Avg. Salary
How Do Computer Specialist Rate Their Jobs?
Top Computer Specialist Employers
Most Common Employers For Computer Specialist
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $119,811 | $57.60 | 18 |
| 2 | Microsoft | $98,368 | $47.29 | 78 |
| 3 | Best Buy | $90,738 | $43.62 | 540 |
| 4 | IBM | $79,880 | $38.40 | 21 |
| 5 | Lockheed Martin | $79,041 | $38.00 | 23 |
| 6 | Accenture | $78,147 | $37.57 | 9,517 |
| 7 | University of Illinois System | $77,468 | $37.24 | 25 |
| 8 | Tech Mahindra | $76,995 | $37.02 | 32 |
| 9 | Federal Aviation Administration | $75,878 | $36.48 | 31 |
| 10 | US Air Conditioning Distributors | $75,871 | $36.48 | 33 |
Computer Specialist Videos
