What is a Technical Support Engineer?

If you're looking to work in a fast-paced industry, to make a difference, and thrive on new challenges while having the opportunity to grow, becoming a technical support engineer might be right up your alley. Starting a career as a technical support engineer is one of the most dynamic, fast-paced, and exciting roles. Technical support is a field that offers you valuable practical experience, expands your soft-skills, keeps you right on the cutting edge of technological advancement. You may frequently learn and engage with the latest technology solutions.

Working as a technical support engineer (or IT support engineer), you may provide first-hand technical assistance to clients experiencing technical faults. You might resolve issues within different computer systems such as software, hardware, and other network-related or IT-related problems. Typically, the technical support engineer is a mid-career position that provides high-level job satisfaction and diverse working environments. As an IT support engineer, you'll work in a wide range of industries, such as telecom, automobile, medical, healthcare services, information technology, aerospace, and many more. While providing technical support to the customers, you may work in shifts, on-call, or solve the issue in-person, via phone, or a computer. You might even work traditional nine-to-five weekday hours when providing services to the company employees.

To join the technical support field, most aspiring IT support engineers hold a bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, information technology, or a closely related discipline. However, you might be able to secure this role without a degree if you have a strong customer service background and proven experience as a technical support engineer or desktop support engineer. To excel in your role as a technical support engineer, you must have excellent problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and an ability to troubleshoot complex and diverse technical issues effectively. Working as an IT support engineer, you may earn an average annual wage of $70,000 along with compensation benefits. Besides offering higher wages, a position in technical support may offer more sophisticated opportunities to grow. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts the employment opportunities for technical support engineers expect to grow 11 percent between 2016 and 2026, which is much faster than the nationwide average for all occupations. It means that more exciting opportunities are foreseeable in the future to you as a technical support engineer.

What Does a Technical Support Engineer Do

There are certain skills that many technical support engineers 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.

Learn more about what a Technical Support Engineer does

How To Become a Technical Support Engineer

If you're interested in becoming a technical support engineer, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 62.6% of technical support engineers have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 9.0% of technical support engineers have master's degrees. Even though most technical support engineers have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Learn More About How To Become a Technical Support Engineer

Technical Support Engineer Job Description

Technical support engineers are primarily responsible for responding to calls or e-mails received by the company through hotlines, addressing any inquiries or concerns that the customer may have, and diagnosing any technical issues. They provide guidance to customers regarding technical problems so that these would be addressed as soon as possible.

Learn more about Technical Support Engineer Job Description
Top Technical Support Engineer Jobs Near You

Technical Support Engineer 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.

Technical Support Engineer

Average Salary for a Technical Support Engineer

Technical Support Engineers in America make an average salary of $85,716 per year or $41 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $119,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $61,000 per year.
Average Technical Support Engineer Salary
$85,716 Yearly
$41.21 hourly
See More Salary Information

What Am I Worth?

salary-calculator

Roles and Types of Technical Support Engineer

The role of a technical support engineer includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general technical support engineer responsibilities:

  • Develop and leverage your passion for mobile
  • Provide technical support for all extreme products ability to analyze, configure,
  • Create, plan, develop, design, test, and coordinate 3d applications for serious games

There are several types of technical support engineer, including:

Technical Support Technician

Role:

A Technical Support Technician is the heart and soul of an IT system. They are tech-savvy geniuses who set up, maintain, and repair computer systems for businesses and organizations.

They install and configure hardware and software, maintain the efficiency of the network, run diagnostic tests and electrical checks to identify any technical issue or fault in the system, and nip it in the bud. They test and review new technologies as well and suggest improvements if they see fit.

They are not just excellent technicians, however, but charming people's persons as well, who are able to effortlessly elicit crucial information from customers about their IT issues. They bear with them until they solve the problem with patience and tenacity, give timely feedback to customers following up on matters if necessary, and create documentation of their cases along with reports on the efficiency of the service they provide.

  • Average Salary: $40,210
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Desktop Support Technician

Role:

There are people with a natural gift for anything related to technology. These are the people who can easily understand tech-related stuff. Their learning agility when it comes to programs, systems, and networks is high. It's a bonus if you have a gift for technology and you can provide excellent customer service. If you fit this category, companies would surely want to hire you. One of the on-demand jobs for this type of person is the desktop support specialist. In this role, you will be on standby to help with ticket requests related to the users' computers. This may involve program, application, or network support needs. As such, if you wish to make a career in this role, you need to have patience. You should also know how to walk clients through solutions in case you won't be able to attend to their concerns physically.

Typically, information technology professionals are paid better than their peers in other fields. This role is no exception. So if you want a fulfilling role with lucrative pay, this would be the best for you!

  • Average Salary: $41,792
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Technical Support Agent

Role:

A technical support agent provides computer and system support through calls and correspondence to ensure customers are well satisfied. He/She assists customers in troubleshooting and examining systems to identify technical issues and guide them on resolving them. Apart from this, he/she executes a follow-up to ensure that the problem is eliminated. Technical support agents ensure the security and integrity of the company's databases and help in developing IT and infrastructure projects.

As a technical support agent, you need to have at least a high school diploma and some vocational training program as a computer/network administrator. However, some employers prefer candidates with an associate's degree in networking, telecommunications, or a related discipline. A previous work experience in technical support is beneficial. Candidates must also possess communication, customer service, and problem-solving skills. A technical support agent earns about $32,077 in a year. This varies from $32,000 to $48,000.

  • Average Salary: $30,389
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree
View More

States With The Most Technical Support Engineer Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active technical support engineer jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where technical support engineers earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Technical Support Engineer Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1California7,997$94,922
2Texas4,421$73,425
3Florida3,323$63,979
4New York2,950$80,128
5Illinois2,762$69,562
6Virginia2,393$82,436
7Michigan2,324$73,635
8Georgia2,203$73,426
9Pennsylvania2,195$79,704
10Ohio1,863$73,283
11Washington1,824$95,081
12Colorado1,780$60,112
13Massachusetts1,693$81,334
14Missouri1,607$64,874
15North Carolina1,529$72,939
16Minnesota1,529$70,157
17Maryland1,511$80,481
18New Jersey1,269$86,378
19Indiana1,230$67,585
20Arizona1,145$72,657
21Wisconsin1,062$65,293
22South Carolina1,038$62,401
23Alabama1,036$63,963
24Tennessee906$66,091
25Connecticut789$73,037
26Utah736$65,909
27Oregon734$82,875
28Louisiana733$75,295
29Arkansas730$61,598
30Nevada686$72,985
31Oklahoma686$64,309
32Kansas629$64,447
33New Mexico613$69,607
34Iowa606$66,180
35Kentucky599$68,058
36Nebraska505$63,028
37New Hampshire365$78,651
38Mississippi362$62,978
39Delaware314$85,490
40Idaho308$77,633
41Maine308$68,249
42South Dakota298$62,802
43North Dakota280$69,890
44West Virginia271$72,592
45Alaska243$73,097
46Rhode Island242$85,481
47Montana220$64,516
48Hawaii198$46,192
49Wyoming181$60,150
50Vermont175$68,850

Technical Support Engineer Education

Technical Support Engineer Majors

Electrical Engineering
19.1 %
Computer Science
17.3 %
Business
10.1 %

Technical Support Engineer Degrees

Bachelors

62.6 %

Associate

21.0 %

Masters

9.0 %

Top Colleges for Technical Support Engineers

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-State Tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-State Tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

Top Skills For a Technical Support Engineer

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, 15.0% of technical support engineers listed technical support on their resume, but soft skills such as customer-service skills and listening skills are important as well.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Technical Support Engineer Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Technical Support Engineer templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Technical Support Engineer resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

Technical Support Engineer Resume
Technical Support Engineer Resume
Technical Support Engineer Resume
Technical Support Engineer Resume
Technical Support Engineer Resume
Technical Support Engineer Resume
Technical Support Engineer Resume
Technical Support Engineer Resume
Technical Support Engineer Resume
Technical Support Engineer Resume
Technical Support Engineer Resume
Technical Support Engineer Resume
Technical Support Engineer Resume
Technical Support Engineer Resume
Technical Support Engineer Resume
Technical Support Engineer Resume

Technical Support Engineer diversity

Technical Support Engineer Gender Distribution

Male
Male
83%
Female
Female
17%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among technical support engineers, 16.7% of them are women, while 83.3% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among technical support engineers is White, which makes up 54.4% of all technical support engineers.

  • The most common foreign language among technical support engineers is Spanish at 35.6%.

Online Courses For Technical Support Engineer That You May Like

Advertising Disclosure  

1. Technical Support Case Studies and Capstone

coursera

This course allows you to show what you’ve learned in the previous IT Technical Support professional certification courses and apply that knowledge to realistic situations. The IT Technical Support Capstone leads you through a series of technical support case studies that require hands-on work to resolve. You will practice analyzing user help requests and troubleshooting various issues. You’ll demonstrate your knowledge of hardware, software, networking, security, and cloud computing. You’ll...

2. Introduction to Technical Support

coursera

Gain the daily work skills and knowledge you’ll need for IT Technical Support career success. This course, part of the IBM Technical Support Professional Certificate, is designed for beginners with no prior IT experience or formal degree. Get an insider’s view into IT Support work. Learn about IT Support roles and levels, the support escalation matrix, ticketing systems, common support tools, and remote support software. Then, hear about career opportunities and career pathways from...

3. IT Support Technical Skills Bootcamp

udemy
4.5
(459)

Hands-on Technical skills for IT Support Professionals...

Show More Online Courses For Technical Support Engineer
Job type you want
Full Time
Part Time
Internship
Temporary

Best States For a Technical Support Engineer

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a technical support engineer. The best states for people in this position are Washington, California, New Jersey, and Delaware. Technical support engineers make the most in Washington with an average salary of $95,081. Whereas in California and New Jersey, they would average $94,922 and $86,378, respectively. While technical support engineers would only make an average of $85,490 in Delaware, 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. Washington

Total Technical Support Engineer Jobs: 1,824
Highest 10% Earn:
$136,000
Location Quotient:
1.11

$95,081

Avg. Salary

View 1,824 Technical Support Engineer Jobs In WA

2. California

Total Technical Support Engineer Jobs: 7,997
Highest 10% Earn:
$140,000
Location Quotient:
1.22

$94,922

Avg. Salary

View 7,997 Technical Support Engineer Jobs In CA

3. Delaware

Total Technical Support Engineer Jobs: 314
Highest 10% Earn:
$117,000
Location Quotient:
1.12

$85,490

Avg. Salary

View 314 Technical Support Engineer Jobs In DE
Full List Of Best States For Technical Support Engineers

How Do Technical Support Engineers Rate Their Jobs?

Working as a Technical Support Engineer? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall Rating*
Career Growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

Top Technical Support Engineer Employers

We've made finding a great employer to work for easy by doing the hard work for you. We looked into employers that employ technical support engineers and discovered their number of technical support engineer opportunities and average salary. Through our research, we concluded that Juniper Networks was the best, especially with an average salary of $108,775. Ericsson follows up with an average salary of $87,863, and then comes NetApp with an average of $68,376. In addition, we know most people would rather work from home. So instead of having to change careers, we identified the best employers for remote work as a technical support engineer. The employers include Nokia, VMware, and Medidata

Most Common Employers For Technical Support Engineer

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1Juniper Networks$108,775$52.30493
2Microsoft$104,716$50.34246
3Informatica$93,717$45.06169
4ServiceNow$89,482$43.02123
5Ericsson$87,863$42.24339
6VMware$87,150$41.90309
7IBM$86,444$41.56142
8T-Mobile$86,285$41.48262
9Akamai Technologies$84,735$40.74161
10EMC$84,401$40.58213
Show More

Becoming a Technical Support Engineer FAQs

How Much Do Technical Support Engineers Make?

Technical support engineers generally make an average salary of $77,034 per year or $37,04 per hour. On the lower end of the salary range, the average salary can be about $58,000 a year. On the higher end, they can make about $100,000.

Is A Technical Support Engineer A Good Career?

Yes, being a technical support engineer is a good career. It has a high salary range, and it doesn't take too long to become one.

Technical support engineers generally make an average annual salary of $77,034. On the lower end of the salary range, the average salary can be about $58,000 a year. On the higher end, they can make about $100,000.

Is Technical Support A Good Career?

Yes, technical support is a good career option for many people. This job is an ideal position for entry-level people who want to get into big tech. While this position does not pay as well as other tech positions, it is an important stepping stone to promotion within the field.

What Are The Skills Required For A Technical Support Engineer?

The skills required for technical support engineers are usually technical support, customer service, and troubleshooting.

Because technical support engineers respond to customer issues and provide solutions, they should have good knowledge of software and hardware applications and have good analytical and problem-solving skills.

What Education Is Needed To Become A Technical Engineer?

The education needed to become a technical engineer is typically a postsecondary education, usually a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer science, or computer information systems.

Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.

Search For Technical Support Engineer Jobs

Technical Support Engineer Related Careers

Technical Support Engineer Related Jobs

Technical Support Engineer Jobs By Location

Technical Support Engineer Jobs By Company

Updated April 6, 2023