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What is a lead support technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Kate Marek Ph.D.
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The lead support technician is responsible for handling technological issues that require a higher level of knowledge and expertise. On top of this main duty, they are in charge of ensuring that quality standards are met, which they accomplish by monitoring and supporting various technical tasks.

Examples of specific duties of a lead support technician include deploying phone systems across multiple locations, maintaining video conferencing infrastructure, installing network equipment, and training subordinate technicians. Some lead support technicians need to have a special intelligence security clearance to work in their chosen companies, primarily government agencies.

Most lead support technicians have at least a bachelor's degree in business, computer science, or information technology. Since this is a semi-leadership role, they also have a few years of experience in tech support and present suitability for leadership. Other skills that this job requires include problem-solving, time management, customer service, and adaptability.

A lead support technician can earn an average of $84,000 per year. After a few years in this role, a lead support technician usually climbs on a higher career rung, which is typically a supervisor or manager position.

What general advice would you give to a lead support technician?

Kate Marek Ph.D.Kate Marek Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Director and Professor, Dominican University

Choose an organization in tune with one's values. Look for a job in growth areas, such as data asset management, data analysis, etc.
ScoreLead Support TechnicianUS Average
Salary
7.5

Avg. Salary $95,420

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.7

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.3
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.41%

Asian 11.95%

Black or African American 10.73%

Hispanic or Latino 16.44%

Unknown 5.39%

White 55.08%

Gender

female 18.90%

male 81.10%

Age - 41
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41
Stress level
6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.5

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
7.4

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Lead support technician career paths

Key steps to become a lead support technician

  1. Explore lead support technician education requirements

    Most common lead support technician degrees

    Bachelor's

    54.1 %

    Associate

    26.1 %

    Master's

    6.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific lead support technician skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Database7.80%
    Customer Service6.42%
    Customer Satisfaction5.31%
    Java3.87%
    Customer Support3.72%
  3. Complete relevant lead support technician training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New lead 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 lead support technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real lead support technician resumes.
  4. Research lead support technician duties and responsibilities

    • Manage communications capabilities, including FTP, TCP/IP, direct connect, and modem.
    • Manage user problems with Citrix XenApp by clearing problematic connections to allow users to reconnect and use their applications.
    • Work with multiple virtualization software programs (Citrix XenCenter, ESXI vSphere); utilize Salesforce to manage support tickets.
    • Install network LAN equipment by running Cat5e cabling and setting up network switches and routers.
  5. Get lead support technician experience

    Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become a lead support technician. The most common roles before becoming a lead support technician include technical support specialist, technical support technician team lead and customer service representative.
  6. Prepare your lead support technician resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your lead 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 lead 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 lead support technician resume templates

    Build a professional lead 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 lead support technician resume.
    Lead Support Technician Resume
    Lead Support Technician Resume
    Lead Support Technician Resume
    Lead Support Technician Resume
    Lead Support Technician Resume
    Lead Support Technician Resume
    Lead Support Technician Resume
    Lead Support Technician Resume
    Lead Support Technician Resume
  7. Apply for lead support technician jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a lead support technician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first lead support technician job

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Average lead support technician salary

The average lead support technician salary in the United States is $95,420 per year or $46 per hour. Lead support technician salaries range between $64,000 and $140,000 per year.

Average lead support technician salary
$95,420 Yearly
$45.88 hourly

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How do lead support technicians rate their job?

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Lead support technician reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2023
Pros

You get to help a lot of people in many different ways as well as learning new things about technology

Cons

I have aids now due to the painfulness of sitting down all day


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2022
Cons

There was nothing to like. Everyone was polite an hard workers

Pros

Working with The people


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020
Pros

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.

Cons

I don't like sitting around being inactive. So I'll keep my self always busy


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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