What does a technical support engineer do?
A technical support engineer is responsible for responding to customer issues, providing immediate resolutions to their system issues through remote assistance. Technical support engineers must have strong knowledge of software and hardware applications to diagnose system defects and process troubleshooting. They also assist customers with the installation of programs and updates to improve system performance, escalating high-level concerns to appropriate internal technology teams. A technical support engineer must have strong command with technical systems, as well as excellent communication and time-management skills to understand clients' issues while documenting procedures.
Technical support engineer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real technical support engineer resumes:
- 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.
- Create service requests in CRM application to reflect report issues and manage customer expectations throughout escalation and/or resolution.
- Lead technical operations for an innovative workforce virtualization movement, including initial design and improvement of technical systems and processes.
- Utilize Unix, SQL and Java to diagnose, troubleshoot and identify solutions to resolve client issues.
- Create a report tool in Java to help customers get data out of the SQL database.
- Support of multiple small businesses maintaining, updating, upgrading, moving pc, laptop, mac, and phone systems.
- Provide assistance to troubleshoot and resolve any technical issues and respond to customer relate inquires.
- Log trouble tickets for users using remedy.
- Spearhead meetings with UK project members to facilitate merger.
- Link these to service requests for future searches within SalesForce.
- Report bug for recurring issues using Jira similar to bugzilla.
- Handle issues relate to Ektron server controls and API's.
Technical support engineer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 15% of Technical Support Engineers are proficient in Technical Support, Customer Service, and Troubleshoot. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Listening skills, and Speaking skills.
We break down the percentage of Technical Support Engineers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Technical Support, 15%
Provided Mathematical/Statistical Support for Technical Support Hematology.
- Customer Service, 8%
Provide technical hands-on capabilities with installation and configuration, remote monitoring, help-desk customer service tech support, maintenance and troubleshooting.
- Troubleshoot, 7%
Introduced flowcharts for troubleshooting Storage and Clustering documentation to assist technical support engineers in understanding how to troubleshoot issues.
- Java, 5%
Introduced JSP (Java Server Pages) into an existing legacy project, providing training sessions and mentoring to other clients.
- Linux, 4%
Provided systems administration support for Linux and windows systems including server and workstation upgrades, backup and disaster recovery.
- Customer Issues, 4%
Utilized laboratory configurations to test customer issues and duplicate bugs as well as assist customers in designing/modifying their networks to optimization.
Most technical support engineers use their skills in "technical support," "customer service," and "troubleshoot" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential technical support engineer responsibilities here:
Customer-service skills. The most essential soft skill for a technical support engineer to carry out their responsibilities is customer-service skills. This skill is important for the role because "computer support specialists must be patient and sympathetic." Additionally, a technical support engineer resume shows how their duties depend on customer-service skills: "provided technical resolutions for customer support representatives, district technical sales consultants, system engineers, and field service representatives. "
Listening skills. Many technical support engineer duties rely on listening skills. "support workers must be able to understand the problems that their customers are describing and know when to ask questions to clarify the situation.," so a technical support engineer will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways technical support engineer responsibilities rely on listening skills: "communicated directly with executive management and development teams when necessary to quickly resolve complex customer issues. "
Speaking skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of technical support engineers is speaking skills. This skill is critical to many everyday technical support engineer duties, as "support workers must describe the solutions to computer problems in a way that a nontechnical person can understand." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "represented customer support department liaison on logistical support board. "
Writing skills. technical support engineer responsibilities often require "writing skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "strong writing skills are useful for preparing instructions and email responses for employees and customers, as well as for real-time web chat interactions." This resume example shows what technical support engineers do with writing skills on a typical day: "provided extensive customer support, support renewal, administrative, technical writing and quality assurance functions. "
Problem-solving skills. Another common skill required for technical support engineer responsibilities is "problem-solving skills." This skill comes up in the duties of technical support engineers all the time, as "support workers must identify both simple and complex computer problems, analyze them, and solve them." An excerpt from a real technical support engineer resume shows how this skill is central to what a technical support engineer does: "provided quick and accurate solutions for customer support to post-sales customers"
The three companies that hire the most technical support engineers are:
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Compare different technical support engineers
Technical support engineer vs. Systems support
A systems support agent is responsible for resolving system applications and network issues, performing technical configuration, and upgrading systems infrastructure. A systems support representative conducts regular maintenance and diagnostic tests on the computer applications to ensure its optimal performance and efficiency to support business operations and avoid delays in deliverables. They also assist the technology team in designing backup systems and improve existing networks according to business requirements and specifications. They write resolution reports for reference to prevent the reoccurrence of system malfunction and inconsistencies.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, technical support engineer responsibilities require skills like "customer issues," "database," "crm," and "post sales." Meanwhile a typical systems support has skills in areas such as "end user support," "system support," "computer equipment," and "lifecycle management." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Systems supports really shine in the professional industry with an average salary of $72,760. Comparatively, technical support engineers tend to make the most money in the technology industry with an average salary of $82,316.systems supports tend to reach similar levels of education than technical support engineers. In fact, systems supports are 1.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Technical support engineer vs. Software support technician
A software support technician is responsible for resolving software application issues, diagnosing related system failures, and writing resolution reports for reference. Software support technicians must be highly-familiarized with the system's infrastructure and interface to immediately diagnose malfunctions and identify maintenance techniques to prevent the reoccurrence of downtimes and delays. They also assist the system engineers in the configuration and optimization of networks, including the installment of upgrades and patch updates. A software support technician must have excellent organizational and communication skills, especially in navigating computer tools and applications to create support tickets and fix the customers' issues efficiently.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real technical support engineer resumes. While technical support engineer responsibilities can utilize skills like "technical support," "tcp ip," "customer satisfaction," and "crm," software support technicians use skills like "phone calls," "desk support," "sccm," and "software installation."
On average, software support technicians earn a lower salary than technical support engineers. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, software support technicians earn the most pay in the finance industry with an average salary of $86,283. Whereas technical support engineers have higher pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $82,316.software support technicians earn similar levels of education than technical support engineers in general. They're 0.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for technical support engineers in the next 3-5 years?
Babak Beheshti Ph.D.
Dean, Professor, New York Institute of Technology
-We will be witnessing a more widespread commercial deployment of 5G in 2020. With the implementation of the Standalone 5G devices based on the 3gpp release 16, we should be seeing the more robust mobile broadband deployment of 5G, wider availability of 5G smartphones, and a push towards an all 5G Network in select urban areas around the world.
-Significant growth in AI-based technologies, from face recognition and voice recognition to business intelligence and market predictions. As machines and deep learning algorithms get integrated into many applications, many industries will undergo substantial changes. AI systems will continue to interact with our phones; cars will interpret and analyze their surroundings and intelligently drive themselves. Online vendors will monitor our browsing habits, and Google decides what kind of search results to give us, based on who it thinks we are.
Technical support engineer vs. Customer support technician
A customer support technician is responsible for resolving customer complaints with their network issues through remote communication, providing the customers with a step-by-step procedure to fix their systems. Customer support technicians assist the customers in setting up their programs and applications, guiding them with the instructional manuals, and responding to the inquiries and concerns they have. They also escalate high-level complaints to the immediate supervisor as needed while monitoring system solutions and creating technical tickets.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from technical support engineer resumes include skills like "troubleshoot," "database," "tcp ip," and "provides technical support," whereas a customer support technician is more likely to list skills in "sql," "customer inquiries," "phone calls," and "desktop. "
Customer support technicians earn the highest salary when working in the technology industry, where they receive an average salary of $50,042. Comparatively, technical support engineers have the highest earning potential in the technology industry, with an average salary of $82,316.customer support technicians typically earn similar educational levels compared to technical support engineers. Specifically, they're 4.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Technical support engineer vs. Computer support technician
A computer support technician is responsible for diagnosing and resolving computer and network issues, identifying the source of malfunctions, and improving infrastructure to avoid downtimes and operational delays. Computer support technicians manage the efficiency of all equipment and peripherals for the computers, assist in installing components, and keeping adequate resources or alternatives for defective items. They also recommend minimal costs technology materials and create troubleshooting manuals for reference, ensuring that the network processes adhere to internal guidelines and regulations.
Types of technical support engineer
Updated January 8, 2025
