What is a Technical Support Technician?

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.

What Does a Technical Support Technician Do

There are certain skills that many technical support technicians 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 problem-solving skills.

Learn more about what a Technical Support Technician does

How To Become a Technical Support Technician

If you're interested in becoming a technical support technician, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 40.2% of technical support technicians have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 4.0% of technical support technicians have master's degrees. Even though some technical support technicians 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 Technician

Technical Support Technician Job Description

A technical support technician provides assistance to other employees and clients with computer-related and other hardware and software issues. Their duties also include conducting repairs, maintaining the company's hardware and software belongings, and documenting processes.

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

Technical Support Technician Career Paths

As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, a technical support technician can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as technical support specialist, progress to a title such as systems administrator and then eventually end up with the title information technology manager.

Technical Support Technician

Average Salary for a Technical Support Technician

Technical Support Technicians in America make an average salary of $40,210 per year or $19 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $64,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $24,000 per year.
Average Technical Support Technician Salary
$40,210 Yearly
$19.33 hourly
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Roles and Types of Technical Support Technician

The role of a technical support technician 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 technician responsibilities:

  • Answers, evaluates, and prioritizes incoming telephone, voice mail, e-mail,
  • Technical administration support for all voice systems located throughout north america programming, configuration,
  • Works with customers to identify service-related needs

There are several types of technical support technician, including:

Computer Technician

Role:

A Computer Technician is responsible for repairing and maintaining computers and servers. They set up computer hardware and technological equipment. They install, configure, and update software and drivers, create, and support computer networks. They manage security options and ensure the privacy of networks and the information stored on the devices.

They are responsible for an adequate and functional IT infrastructure at a company or institution. They troubleshoot any issue occurring with hardware, components, peripheral devices, software, and networks. They perform diagnostic tests, resolve errors, and maintain internet connectivity, making sure the system runs correctly.

They are diligent workers with acute problem-solving skills. They are service-oriented, patient, and have excellent communications skills to be able to deal with a continuous flow of co-workers seeking IT support on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

  • Average Salary: $39,767
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Information Technology Technician

Role:

An information technology technician sounds a bit like a mouthful. But simply put, they are IT specialists that handle software and hardware repairs and installations. In fact, because so many things around us are digital, an IT specialist can never run out of business. Even most computer repair stores are run by them.

Daily, an information technology technician is involved in activities such as performing software and hardware installation, undertaking hardware repairs, conducting systems upgrades, and running diagnostic testing. Besides that, they also perform backup operations and produce error reports.

Employers require information technology technicians to have a minimum of a bachelor's degree that is STEM-related and have at least two years of relevant work experience. This role earns, on average, $28 per hour and suits individuals who are technically minded and enjoy problem solving.

  • Average Salary: $49,031
  • 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
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States With The Most Technical Support Technician Jobs

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

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Technical Support Technician Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1California6,872$51,719
2Texas5,301$41,320
3Florida4,093$39,616
4New York3,651$64,302
5Illinois3,206$42,118
6Pennsylvania2,896$64,389
7North Carolina2,708$44,805
8Georgia2,685$38,875
9Michigan2,565$48,869
10Ohio2,354$47,412
11Virginia2,049$55,783
12Missouri2,016$41,390
13Minnesota1,880$40,616
14Massachusetts1,712$51,362
15Colorado1,699$39,621
16Washington1,685$36,959
17Indiana1,664$46,762
18South Carolina1,504$41,911
19New Jersey1,446$58,290
20Maryland1,404$52,027
21Tennessee1,346$39,013
22Wisconsin1,310$45,219
23Arizona1,237$45,655
24Alabama1,155$38,347
25Oklahoma909$38,508
26Louisiana864$38,343
27Arkansas854$36,344
28Connecticut846$55,715
29Nevada770$38,575
30Kentucky769$40,426
31Utah755$35,221
32Iowa736$37,236
33Kansas725$42,791
34Oregon701$37,500
35Mississippi690$35,388
36New Mexico657$38,703
37Nebraska547$37,658
38Maine440$35,958
39West Virginia354$43,974
40Delaware344$55,681
41South Dakota338$32,738
42New Hampshire327$48,113
43Alaska309$33,010
44Idaho291$33,643
45North Dakota281$31,969
46Montana266$32,061
47Rhode Island242$45,055
48Hawaii193$39,024
49Vermont188$36,542
50Wyoming125$36,884

Technical Support Technician Education

Technical Support Technician Majors

Business
16.2 %
Computer Science
15.0 %
Computer Information Systems
9.5 %

Technical Support Technician Degrees

Bachelors

40.2 %

Associate

28.3 %

High School Diploma

17.3 %

Top Colleges for Technical Support Technicians

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. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

7. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$50,530

Enrollment

4,571

Top Skills For a Technical Support Technician

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, 18.9% of technical support technicians listed customer service on their resume, but soft skills such as customer-service skills and listening skills are important as well.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Technical Support Technician Resume templates

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

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Technical Support Technician diversity

Technical Support Technician Gender Distribution

Male
Male
67%
Female
Female
33%

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

  • Among technical support technicians, 33.3% of them are women, while 66.7% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among technical support technicians is White, which makes up 56.1% of all technical support technicians.

  • The most common foreign language among technical support technicians is Spanish at 61.4%.

Online Courses For Technical Support Technician That You May Like

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1. 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...

2. 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...

3. IT Support Technical Skills Bootcamp

udemy
4.5
(459)

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

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Best States For a Technical Support Technician

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a technical support technician. The best states for people in this position are Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Virginia. Technical support technicians make the most in Pennsylvania with an average salary of $64,389. Whereas in New York and New Jersey, they would average $64,302 and $58,290, respectively. While technical support technicians would only make an average of $55,783 in Virginia, 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. New York

Total Technical Support Technician Jobs: 3,651
Highest 10% Earn:
$106,000
Location Quotient:
1.12

$64,302

Avg. Salary

View 3,651 Technical Support Technician Jobs In NY

2. Pennsylvania

Total Technical Support Technician Jobs: 2,896
Highest 10% Earn:
$107,000
Location Quotient:
0.98

$64,389

Avg. Salary

View 2,896 Technical Support Technician Jobs In PA

3. Delaware

Total Technical Support Technician Jobs: 344
Highest 10% Earn:
$92,000
Location Quotient:
1.08

$55,681

Avg. Salary

View 344 Technical Support Technician Jobs In DE
Full List Of Best States For Technical Support Technicians

How Do Technical Support Technicians Rate Their Jobs?

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Top Technical Support Technician Employers

Most Common Employers For Technical Support Technician

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1IBM$84,306$40.53330
2Dell$78,359$37.67413
3Apple$75,173$36.14681
4Xerox$45,420$21.84807
5CSL Plasma$40,431$19.44741
6AT&T$39,975$19.22932
7Stream Companies$39,376$18.93413
8DISH Network$38,772$18.64247
9T-Mobile$37,465$18.01984
10CenturyLink$35,812$17.22205
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Technical Support Technician Videos

How to become a Desktop Support Technician? Careerbuilder Videos from funza Academy

Becoming a Technical Support Technician FAQs

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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Updated April 6, 2023