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What is a hardware support technician and how to become one
Hardware support technicians help maintain and repair a company's hardware systems, such as desktops, motherboards, and more. They help install new computer systems for a company, troubleshoot any hardware issues, and monitor the system for any problems.
It goes without saying that hardware support technicians need to know a lot about installing and repairing all kinds of hardware components. They need to be familiar with many different operating systems, from Mac to Linux, as well. But hardware support technicians can't spend their days buried in their keyboards. They also need to provide excellent customer service to colleagues with computer issues.
Hardware support technicians are in high demand in retail, local government offices, and any other workplace where there are complicated computer systems to maintain. On average, they earn $39,352 a year. In order to get hired, most hardware support technicians need to have some practical experience providing IT support. Some even have bachelor's degrees in computer science or a related subject
What general advice would you give to a hardware support technician?
Ranganathan Chandrasekaran
Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, University of Illinois
Several businesses have been hit hard by the pandemic, and they have rolled back their offers made to students for internships and jobs. Businesses have also resorted to downsizing and layoffs, and we are likely to see that continue, at least in the near term. However, two sectors that are showing promises of a quick turnaround are technology and healthcare.
It might take many months for the economy to get back on track, but the demand for information systems graduates is likely to grow, as a large number of businesses have turned to increased use of technology in this pandemic period. As more companies go digital, we need more professionals to manage the remote-work, technological infrastructure and meet the other demands of the business. Students pursuing education in information systems, computer science, and healthcare are going to be in greater demand.
On the positive side, the uncertainties induced by the pandemic have also helped students to prepare themselves better for a tougher job market. I found many students rise up and use the lockdown period to have a serious introspection and invest their time and effort in upgrading their knowledge and skills. The internship drought and rescinding of job/internship offers brought their dreams crashing down, but I found several students to quickly get over their disappointments, and engage in improving their skillsets utilizing the pandemic lockdown as an opportunity. I am aware of many students, especially in the information systems disciple, who spent time doing online courses, completing certification programs, and take up DIY projects on data analysis, developing analytical and forecasting models, and visualization of various aspects of the pandemic. The pandemic has resulted in massive amounts of data, released by several organizations worldwide, that have provided a stimulant for students to indulge in DIY-projects. I had several students approach me over summer to do some projects, and we have done some interesting projects using public datasets related to COVID-19.
Avg. Salary $41,832
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 10%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.41%
Asian 12.07%
Black or African American 11.72%
Hispanic or Latino 16.17%
Unknown 5.37%
White 54.25%
Genderfemale 11.35%
male 88.65%
Age - 41American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 41Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work life balance is good
6.4 - fair
Hardware support technician career paths
Key steps to become a hardware support technician
Explore hardware support technician education requirements
Start to develop specific hardware support technician skills
Skills Percentages Hardware Support 20.29% Technical Support 8.55% Customer Service 6.24% Linux 5.11% Network Printers 4.79% Complete relevant hardware support technician training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New hardware support technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a hardware support technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real hardware support technician resumes.Research hardware support technician duties and responsibilities
- Manage backups, replications and disaster recovery plans of company mission critical servers and database files to ensure redundancy.
- Resolve LAN, wireless, and TCP/IP issues on Cisco devices.
- Configure user accounts and security through local group policy, installation and configuration of SQL for the POS environment.
- Install and configure new PCs and printers.
Get hardware support technician experience
Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become a hardware support technician. The most common roles before becoming a hardware support technician include technical support specialist, computer technician team lead and help desk analyst.Prepare your hardware support technician resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your hardware support technician resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a hardware support technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable hardware support technician resume templates
Build a professional hardware support technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your hardware support technician resume.
Apply for hardware support technician jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a hardware support technician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first hardware support technician job
Are you a hardware support technician?
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Average hardware support technician salary
The average hardware support technician salary in the United States is $41,832 per year or $20 per hour. Hardware support technician salaries range between $31,000 and $54,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do hardware support technicians rate their job?
Hardware support technician reviews
You get to help a lot of people in many different ways as well as learning new things about technology
I have aids now due to the painfulness of sitting down all day
Working with The people
There was nothing to like. Everyone was polite an hard workers
I decided to go to technical support because I've been fascinated by technology all my life and I love working with the people as well. I want to use my technical know-how to solve directly the problems that customers have. I want to be the person who makes life easier and more enjoyable for people who have had a problem. This is what I like most as a technical Support.
I don't like sitting around being inactive. So I'll keep my self always busy
Updated January 8, 2025
