Computer Support Specialist Salary: 2024 Guide

A computer support specialist provides technical help for computer users and maintains computer networks for companies and organizations.

Computer support specialists can work for companies like computer systems design businesses, financial organizations, software publishers, and more. As a computer support specialist, you’ll be responsible for helping users troubleshoot issues, performing regular maintenance, and evaluating existing systems.

In this article, you will learn how much money computer support specialists typically make, as well as several factors that can impact how much they earn.

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How much does a computer support specialist make?

The exact amount will depend on your role. Computer network support specialists make an average annual salary of $78,105, according to data from Lightcast™ [1]. Computer user support specialists earn an average of $63,322 per year [1]. 

Additionally, various job listing sites show the average annual pay for computer support specialists ranges from $44,000 to $91,000 as of August 2023. Here are the salary ranges given by five different organizations that track computer support specialist salaries using the most recently available data:

Job outlook

The BLS expects computer support specialists positions to increase by 5 percent from 2022 to 2032, a figure on par with the national average of 5 percent for all occupations. Additionally, BLS anticipates a total of 66,500 positions will open in the field during that time frame [3].

Factors that affect a computer support specialist salary

Several factors affect your salary as a computer support specialist, such as education or experience. Your location also impacts your paycheck due to the cost of living and the demand for computer support specialists. Particular industries or sectors for computer support specialists can also be better than others regarding earnings.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the factors that could potentially impact your salary as a computer support specialist.

Education

Education requirements can vary depending on the type of position you may have as a computer support specialist, and you may not need a bachelor’s degree to qualify for a job. Large software companies, however, may prefer hiring someone with a bachelor’s degree in areas such as computer science or a similar field.

As of June 2023, here are the average computer support specialist salaries based on education level, according to Zippia [8]:

• High school diploma or less: $59,307

• Some college or an associate degree: $60,776

• Bachelor’s degree: $67,190

• Master’s degree: $78,737

• Doctorate degree: $74,705

Do you need a degree?

According to Zippia, 51 percent of computer support specialists have a bachelor’s degree, 33 percent have an associate’s degree, 5 percent have a master’s degree, and 5 percent have a high school diploma [8].

Experience

The amount of experience you have as a computer support specialist can impact your salary. As of August 2023, here are the estimated average base salaries you can expect based on your previous experience, according to Glassdoor [5]:

• One year or less: $48,841

• One to three years: $50,430

• Four to six years: $52,701

• Seven to nine years: $53,989

• 10 to 14 years: $56,830

• 15+ years: $62,186

Location

Where you live affects how much you can make as a computer support specialist, especially when you factor in cost of living or job demand in your area.

Here are the five top-paying states for computer support specialists, based on information collected by Zippia [4]:

• Washington: $77,483

• California: $74,268

• Hawaii: $72,285

• New Mexico: $71,376

• Pennsylvania: $68,047

Here are the five top-paying cities for computer support specialists [4]:

• San Francisco, CA: $80,316

• Seattle, WA: $78,452

• Philadelphia, PA: $68,288

• Stamford, CT: $67,885

• Wilmington, DE: $67,572

Industry

The industry you work in as a computer support specialist can also affect how much you make depending on your particular area of work. According to the BLS, you can earn a median salary of $78,930 as a computer network support specialist in telecommunications. [9].

In addition, Glassdoor lists the median total pay, which includes bonuses and other forms of compensation, for the following five highest-paying industries for computer support specialists [5]:

• Aerospace and defense: $56,999

• Legal: $55,970

• Transportation and logistics: 59,700

• Information technology: $58,961

Related jobs

Computer programmers write and test code and scripts for use with computer software programs. You'll update current software, develop new software, and create products for individuals or companies. As a computer programmer, you can expect median wages of $97,800 per year, according to the BLS [10].

Computer network architects create plans for computer networks and build them, upgrade software and hardware, or build plans for new technology for your company. A computer network architect can make a median annual wage of $126,900, according to the BLS [11].

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