What is a technical support technician and how to become one

Q: How long does it take to become a Technical Support Technician?

It takes 4 years of professional experience to become a technical support technician. That is the time it takes to learn specific technical support technician skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 7 to 9 years years to become a technical support technician.

Q: How long does IT take to become a technical support specialist?

It takes about two years to become an IT technical support specialist. At a minimum, an associate degree or certification coupled with on-the-job training and certification can be sufficient to get hired.

Q: How much do support technicians make?

Support technicians make $43,000 a year. The average salary for a technical support technician is $43,000 a year, with jobs ranging greatly in price between $36,000 and $49,000. With the rapid growth of technology and industry, technical support technicians are always in high demand. The IT support field offers many opportunities for advancement. Pay can fluctuate based on experience, time in the field, and the size and demand of the company.

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 does a technical support technician do?

Technical support technicians are responsible for keeping computer systems afloat. The role of a technical support technician is to handle any problems that may arise for clientele. Large companies will employ technical support technicians in-house to handle issues as they arise and minimize system downtime.

Q: What does it take to be tech support?

It takes good communication skills to be tech support. Since tech support is a job inherently based around solving problems for others, having good communication and customer service abilities is mandatory.

Q: What is a technical technician?

A technical technician is an expert in the technical field. A technical technician understands how technology operates and is usually responsible for fixing problems as they arise. A technical technician is the first point of contact for companies or clients experiencing technical issues that they need fixing. Technical technicians can work in-house as a division of a large company or can also be a third-party, which a company may outsource.

Q: What qualifications do I need to work in technical support?

The qualifications you need to work technical support are at least an associate's degree in computer science and some work experience. Typically companies prefer to hire people with a bachelor's degree and deep knowledge of various computer programs.

Q: What should I study to become a technical support technician?

You should study computer science to become a technical support technician. To become a technical support technician, most companies require you to have a bachelor's degree in computer science or some sort of related field.

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted expert

Babak Beheshti Ph.D.

A technical support technician provides assistance and advice to customers who encounter technical issues with products or services. They work in information technology, telecommunications, and electronics. Technical support technicians troubleshoot, diagnose, and resolve technical problems. They may also provide installation, maintenance, and upgrades for software and hardware. Technical support technicians use communication skills and the ability to explain complex technical information. They also possess strong problem-solving abilities and work well under pressure.

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

Babak Beheshti Ph.D.

Dean, Professor, New York Institute of Technology

As most economies in the world have moved towards a "gig economy" paradigm, it is essential for graduates beginning their careers to adopt an entrepreneurial and self-guided career mindset. Young professionals would need to take charge of their professional development. This means that they must continually remind themselves that the knowledge learned shelf life is reducing more and more every year. New skills and technologies come into the picture. They must know these new skills on their own to maintain their competitive edge in the job market. Moreover, young professionals must view every position they hold to be an added chapter in their portfolio - every position held should be considered an experiential skill added to the resume.

ScoreTechnical Support TechnicianUS Average

Salary

3.1

Avg. Salary $40,210

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 10.56%

Black or African American 10.64%

Hispanic or Latino 16.85%

Unknown 5.42%

White 56.12%

Gender

female 33.25%

male 66.75%

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

6.6

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 technician?

Pros

Potential for career advancement
Good salary and benefits packages
Flexible work schedules in some companies
Often a high demand for technical support technicians
Can lead to job security and stability

Cons

High stress levels during peak times or when dealing with difficult issues
Repetitive nature of some tasks can be boring or tedious
Limited opportunities for creativity or autonomy in decision making
Constant need to stay updated on new technologies and systems
Difficult to disconnect from work due to being on call or having work-related responsibilities outside of regular hours.

Key steps to become a technical support technician

Explore technical support technician education requirements

Most common technical support technician degrees

Bachelor's

40.2 %

Associate

28.3 %

High School Diploma

17.3 %

Start to develop specific technical support technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	18.91%
Technical Support	15.51%
Patients	7.94%
Customer Support	2.49%
Mac	2.36%

Complete relevant technical support technician training and internships

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

Gain additional technical support technician certifications

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

The most common certifications for technical support technicians include Network 5 Certification and Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP).

More About Certifications

Research technical support technician duties and responsibilities

Manage paperwork associate with HVAC procedures.
Manage backups, replications and disaster recovery plans of company mission critical servers and database files to ensure redundancy.
Configure firewalls, setup ant-ivirus and other software to ensure proper network connectivity for windows xp, vista and mac os.
Assist in database software applications and implementing SQL server solutions.

Prepare your technical support technician resume

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

Build a professional technical support technician 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 support technician resume.

Apply for technical support technician jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a technical support technician 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

Average technical support technician salary

The average technical support technician salary in the United States is $40,210 per year or $19 per hour. Technical support technician salaries range between $24,000 and $64,000 per year.

Average technical support technician salary

$40,210 Yearly

$19.33 hourly

How do technical support technicians rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Technical support technician reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2023

Pros

You get to help a lot of people in many different ways as well as learning new things about technology

Cons

I have aids now due to the painfulness of sitting down all day

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020

Pros

I decided to go to technical support because I've been fascinated by technology all my life and I love working with the people as well. I want to use my technical know-how to solve directly the problems that customers have. I want to be the person who makes life easier and more enjoyable for people who have had a problem. This is what I like most as a technical Support.

Cons

I don't like sitting around being inactive. So I'll keep my self always busy

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2020

Pros

I enjoy the challenges and learning new things . Technology is always evolving.

Cons

Customer is unwilling to provide you with necessary information in order to assist them.

What is a technical support technician and how to become one

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

What are the pros and cons of being a technical support technician?

Technical support technician career paths

Key steps to become a technical support technician

Explore technical support technician education requirements

Most common technical support technician degrees

Start to develop specific technical support technician skills

Complete relevant technical support technician training and internships

Gain additional technical support technician certifications

Research technical support technician duties and responsibilities

Prepare your technical support technician resume

Choose from 10+ customizable technical support technician resume templates

Apply for technical support technician jobs

How did you land your first technical support technician job

Average technical support technician salary

How do technical support technicians rate their job?

Technical support technician reviews

Technical support technician FAQs

How long does it take to become a Technical Support Technician?

How long does IT take to become a technical support specialist?

How much do support technicians make?

Is technical support a good career?

What does a technical support technician do?

What does it take to be tech support?

What is a technical technician?

What qualifications do I need to work in technical support?

What should I study to become a technical support technician?

Search for technical support technician jobs

Technical support technician jobs by state