Computer User Support Specialists
Provide technical assistance to computer users. Answer questions or resolve computer problems for clients in person, via telephone, or electronically. May provide assistance concerning the use of computer hardware and software, including printing, installation, word processing, electronic mail, and operating systems.
What it pays
Computer User Support Specialists earn a median of $29.74/hr — about $62,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $19.70/hr; the top 10% earn $48.34/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Computer User Support Specialists earn a median of $29.74/hr — about $62,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $19.70/hr; the top 10% earn $48.34/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Oversee the daily performance of computer systems.
- Set up equipment for employee use, performing or ensuring proper installation of cables, operating systems, or appropriate software.
- Read technical manuals, confer with users, or conduct computer diagnostics to investigate and resolve problems or to provide technical assistance and support.
- Answer user inquiries regarding computer software or hardware operation to resolve problems.
- Install and perform minor repairs to hardware, software, or peripheral equipment, following design or installation specifications.
- Confer with staff, users, and management to establish requirements for new systems or modifications.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Some college. Overall preparation: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
The feel of the work
It rewards working independently. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 2% of computer user support specialists are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are organized and detail-focused, hands-on and analytical.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
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Quick questions
- How much does a computer user support specialist make?
- The median pay is $29.74 per hour — roughly $62,000 a year, with the real range running from about $19.70/hr (10th percentile) to $48.34/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a computer user support specialist?
- The typical entry-level education is: Some college. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
- What does a computer user support specialist actually do all day?
- Oversee the daily performance of computer systems. Set up equipment for employee use, performing or ensuring proper installation of cables, operating systems, or appropriate software. Read technical manuals, confer with users, or conduct computer diagnostics to investigate and resolve problems or to provide technical assistance and support.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.