What is a technical support engineer and how to become one

Q: 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.

Q: 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.

Q: 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.

Q: 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.

Q: 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.

Updated January 8, 2025

6 min read

Quoted expert

Andrea Welker Ph.D.

A technical support engineer assists with technical issues for hardware, software, and other computer systems. They may work for a company, providing support to customers or within an organization, assisting employees with IT-related problems. Technical support engineers diagnose and troubleshoot issues, often remotely, and provide solutions or workarounds. They may also document issues and escalate complex problems to higher-level support teams. Excellent communication and problem-solving skills are necessary for success in this role.

What general advice would you give to a technical support engineer?

Andrea Welker Ph.D.

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Engineering Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Villanova University

Be open to new experiences. Find a good mentor. Become a valued employee. Always remember that you are designing something for someone.

ScoreTechnical Support EngineerUS Average

Salary

6.7

Avg. Salary $85,716

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 15.05%

Black or African American 9.78%

Hispanic or Latino 15.05%

Unknown 5.30%

White 54.41%

Gender

female 16.66%

male 83.34%

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

6.7

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 technical support engineer?

Pros

Opportunities to learn about new technologies and products
Collaborative work environment with other technical experts
Ability to work remotely or from home in some cases
Exposure to different industries and types of businesses
Potential for travel to different locations

Cons

Dealing with frustrated or angry customers can be emotionally draining
Long hours and on-call duties may be required, particularly in urgent situations
Continuous learning is required to keep up with new technologies and products
Working with complex technical systems can be mentally challenging and exhausting
High turnover rates in the industry can lead to uncertainty about job security.

Key steps to become a technical support engineer

Explore technical support engineer education requirements

Most common technical support engineer degrees

Bachelor's

62.6 %

Associate

21.0 %

Master's

9.0 %

Start to develop specific technical support engineer skills

Skills	Percentages
Technical Support	15.01%
Customer Service	8.43%
Troubleshoot	6.63%
Java	4.83%
Linux	4.10%

Complete relevant technical support engineer training and internships

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

Gain additional technical support engineer certifications

Technical support engineer 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 support engineer certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for technical support engineers include Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and Master Certified Electronics Technician (CETma).

More About Certifications

Research technical support engineer duties and responsibilities

Manage a large complex network of computers including provisioning, configuration, and performance tuning.
Achieve customer excellence by utilizing top tier VPN skills on ASA, IOS, and IOS XE platforms.
Lead the deployment of the formal customer complaint tracking system within the NA CSE organization for capturing customer complaints.
Achieve working knowledge of DMS 100 and Euro switches to post lines, links, and enable/disable calling features, i.e.

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