How much does a support associate make?

A support associate makes $55,746 a year, on average. That is $26.80 an hour. There is significant variation in support associate salaries. On average, entry-level support associates earn $33,000 a year, while top earners can make upwards of $90,000. The difference in support associate salaries is usually dependent on location, industry, and education.

How To Become A Support Associate: What It Is and Career Path

What is a support associate and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A support associate assists customers of a company or organization. They answer questions, resolve issues or complaints, and ensure customer satisfaction. Support associates may work in a variety of industries, including retail, technology, healthcare, and finance. They typically communicate with customers via phone, email, or chat and must have strong communication skills. Support associates also need to be knowledgeable about their company's products or services and be able to troubleshoot technical issues.

ScoreSupport AssociateUS Average

Salary

3.7

Avg. Salary $47,039

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.7

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.41%

Asian 10.57%

Black or African American 11.75%

Hispanic or Latino 15.73%

Unknown 5.34%

White 56.19%

Gender

female 63.26%

male 36.74%

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

What are the pros and cons of being a support associate?

Pros

Chance to learn new skills
Can be a stepping stone to higher positions within a company
Provides job security
Offers opportunities for collaboration and teamwork
Often comes with benefits such as healthcare and retirement plans

Cons

May involve dealing with difficult or angry customers
Can be mentally draining
May require working in a fast-paced and high-pressure environment
May require dealing with repetitive customer complaints or issues
May involve working in a noisy or crowded environment

Key steps to become a support associate

Explore support associate education requirements

Most common support associate degrees

Bachelor's

48.1 %

Associate

20.3 %

High School Diploma

17.5 %

Start to develop specific support associate skills

Skills	Percentages
Sales Floor	17.53%
Computer System	13.04%
POS	9.75%
Cleanliness	8.07%
Stockroom Organization	4.71%

Complete relevant support associate training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New support associates 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 support associate based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real support associate resumes.

Gain additional support associate certifications

Support associate certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific support associate certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for support associates include Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) and Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).

More About Certifications

Research support associate duties and responsibilities

Work involve managing departmental computer support for approximately 400 PC/MAC workstations and 8 servers, and to 80 faculty/staff.
Manage department flow by facilitating transportation of all patients to ancillary departments for testing.
Answer eligibility and coverage questions from insurance agents pertaining to Medicare advantage plans and prescription drug plans.
Provide personal care, treatment, and rehabilitation to individuals diagnose with mental retardation and/or developmental disabilities.

Prepare your support associate resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your support associate 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 support associate resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable support associate resume templates

Build a professional support associate 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 support associate resume.

Apply for support associate jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a support associate 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 do support associates rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Support associate reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020

Pros

Helping special needs adults read , write and do math.

Cons

Lifting wheelchair bound individuals to change pull ups and pampers, cleaning bowel movements. No support from leadership when problems arrive. Over crowding classrooms which causes stress to staff and individuals.

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019