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

What is a technical associate and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Alanah Mitchell Ph.D.

Technical associates work in the exciting world of IT. They are also called client technical support associates, and their job is to log critical issues reported by end-users for a future query. They may also troubleshoot problems and find solutions. Technical associates work remotely and communicate with clients via phone calls or emails.

The job requires 24/7 availability, so technical associates often have to work rotations. They may also be required to work long hours, depending on the business requirements. These professionals have technical proficiency in a variety of fields to do their job effectively. Some include WebSphere, Data Warehouse, SQL, and Oracle.

Even though there's usually on-the-job training, technical associates must have at least some basic understanding of all these platforms. More importantly, they need an open mind, willingness to learn, and strong communication skills. The educational requirement for this role is a high school diploma or its equivalent.

What general advice would you give to a technical associate?

Alanah Mitchell Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Drake University

I recommend students work on developing a portfolio of technology knowledge, skills, and tools. Early project and internship experiences can also be very helpful in finding the first career opportunity after graduation.

ScoreTechnical AssociateUS Average

Salary

6.8

Avg. Salary $86,489

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.7

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.41%

Asian 14.97%

Black or African American 10.47%

Hispanic or Latino 14.89%

Unknown 5.29%

White 53.97%

Gender

female 34.23%

male 65.77%

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

Key steps to become a technical associate

Explore technical associate education requirements

Most common technical associate degrees

Bachelor's

56.6 %

Associate

18.2 %

Master's

12.1 %

Start to develop specific technical associate skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	11.34%
Java	9.65%
Patients	7.88%
Data Analysis	6.88%
Data Entry	5.75%

Complete relevant technical associate training and internships

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

Gain additional technical associate certifications

Technical 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 technical associate certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for technical associates include Master Certified Electronics Technician (CETma) and Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).

More About Certifications

Research technical associate duties and responsibilities

Lead several international deals and statewide procurement for ERP systems.
Manage, design and develop the software throughout the SDLC life cycle.
Manage PowerPoint presentations using MediaShout.
Command over web designing/development using HTML, JavaScript, CSS and JQuery.

Prepare your technical associate resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your technical 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 technical 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 technical associate resume templates

Build a professional technical 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 technical associate resume.