Technical and computer support engineers may increase earnings through certifications, experience, and more. Learn about how much you can earn in the field of tech support engineering and the average technical support engineer salary.
Technical support engineers provide information technology (IT) and computer support to employees within a company or its customers, depending on the company's size and the IT department's structure. The role ensures the smooth operation of a company’s network systems for all intended users. Tech support engineering requires proficient technical knowledge of computer network systems and the ability to problem-solve and communicate clearly and patiently.
Technical support engineers should enjoy a steady growth rate over the next decade. Examine the pay you can expect in this career and various factors that affect a technical support engineer's salary.
professional certificate
Get on the fast track to a career in IT. In this certificate program, you’ll learn in-demand skills, and get AI training from Google experts. Learn at your own pace, no degree or experience required.
4.8
(182,663 ratings)
1,742,417 already enrolled
Beginner level
Average time: 6 month(s)
Learn at your own pace
Skills you'll build:
Cybersecurity, Wireless Security, Cryptography, Network Security, Directory Service, Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), Backup, Domain Name System (DNS), Ipv4, Network Model, Troubleshooting, Binary Code, Customer Support, Linux, Powershell, Linux File Systems, Command-Line Interface
Tech support engineers assist an organization’s customers or employees with computer system issues. They may help resolve technical issues with software, hardware, and other network systems. A tech support engineer troubleshoots reported problems, identifies them, and then works to resolve them. The role also involves updating an organization’s computer software systems and applications and monitoring these systems. In some organizations, a technical support engineer may also help build computer systems based on the company's needs.
Often, it is a customer-facing position where the technical support engineer works one-on-one with an organization’s users and may communicate with customers via phone, email, or chatbot. However, if a technical support engineer works internally within an IT department, they may communicate solely with the organization’s employers rather than customers.
A technical support engineer makes a median annual salary of $71,530, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) [1]. BLS calculates this median annual wage for all computer network support specialists within the US, which includes the role of a technical support engineer. BLS reports the lowest 10 percent of all earners in this field earn less than $45,660 a year, while the highest 10 percent average over $121,920 a year [1]. It’s helpful to note that factors like location, education, experience, and industry may impact these averages.
According to various job listing sites, the average pay range for technical support engineers in the United States ranges from $71,530 to $85,716. The base salary ranges given by five different organizations for technical support engineers are as follows [1,2,3,4,5]:
US BLS | Glassdoor | Payscale | Indeed | Zippia |
---|---|---|---|---|
$71,530 | $81,580 | $73,496 | $80,015 | $85,716 |
Multiple factors impact your earnings as a technical support engineer. Learning how attributes such as location, level of education, experience, and industry affect your salary can help you better understand how much you might earn.
You’ll likely need a bachelor’s degree to become a technical support engineer. The most common majors for technical support engineers are computer science, electrical engineering, and fields closely related to these majors. Some tech support engineers hold degrees in business or computer information systems.
While a bachelor’s degree is seemingly the standard educational entry point for this profession, some tech support engineers enter the field with an associate degree. Advanced degrees are also possible for you to pursue, as earning advanced degrees like a master’s degree may lead to higher-paying positions.
Zippia lists the most commonly held educational credentials for technical support engineers as [6]:
Bachelor’s degree: 63 percent
Associate degree: 21 percent
Master's degree: 9 percent
High school diploma: 3 percent
Other degrees: 4 percent
When comparing the average annual income for technical support engineers by education level, Zippia’s data reflects a significant gap between tech support engineers with advanced degrees and those without. Its data shows the highest-paid technical support engineers as those with master’s degrees and the lowest paid as those with a high school diploma or less [7]:
Master’s degree: $103,860
Bachelor’s degree: $89,741
Associate degree: $81,817
High school diploma or less: $79,992
Earning certifications related to your role as a technical support engineer can often be a way to boost your earnings. Some popular certifications for those in IT support positions, along with their average salaries, include:
CompTIA A+: $74,000 [8]
CompTIA Network +: $78,000 [9]
Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL): $109,000 [10]
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA): $90,000 [11]
Technical support engineers typically handle issues based on different tiers. For example, Tier I issues might be passwords and other user problems. These are more basic issues that someone in a support or help desk role can resolve. While working at this IT support level for some time, you may want to earn certifications that allow you to work on Tier II or Tier III level issues. These individuals are more experienced and typically have higher-paying positions.
As you gain experience in this IT support role, you might consider specializing in areas that lead to better-paying positions. You’ll find many of opportunities for advancement and promotion in this field. For example, if you want to move into a certain area of IT, such as cybersecurity, earning certification helps you move from IT support to cybersecurity. CompTIA Security + is among the top certification programs for anyone who wants to move into a higher-paying field within the IT industry. The average annual salary for holders of this certification is $86,000, according to Payscale [12].
Read more: 6 Network Certifications for Your IT Career in 2025
As a technical support engineer with more professional experience, there are usually additional opportunities for higher-paying positions. Employers in this field tend to pay more for expertise and experience.
Payscale reports that the highest earners based on years of experience are those with 20 or more years in the field. Overall, the breakdown of average annual salaries by experience according to findings by Payscale are as follows [3]:
Less than one year of experience: $62,451
1–4 years of experience: $69,164
5–9 years of experience: $76,811
10–19 years of experience: $81,931
20+ years of experience: $86,605
The industry in which you work and your employer impact your average annual salary. Some industries pay more for technical support engineers to provide IT support. The company's size and your employer's pay structure affect your salary as well. It’s advantageous to note these variances when choosing an industry and company to work for.
Glassdoor reports the industries that pay above-average wages for technical support engineers as [2]:
Pharmaceutical and biotechnology: $103,373
Aerospace and defense: $103,105
Energy, mining, and utilities: $98,704
Manufacturing: $96,223
Insurance: $94,470
Some of the highest-paying companies for technical support engineers, according to median total pay, are [2]:
ServiceNow: $101,000
Microsoft: $145,000
Oracle: $114,000
Dell: $90,000
Where you live within the US can also likely affect your earnings as a technical support engineer. Variations in annual earnings by geographical location are partly due to factors like the cost of living and demand for technical support engineers.
Zippia reports the highest paying states for technical support engineers within the US as [5]:
Washington: $95,081
California: $94,922
New Jersey: $86,378
Delaware: $85,490
Rhode Island: $85,481
If you’re employed as a technical support engineer in one of these states, you are likely to earn more than other tech support engineers within the US. Zippia also identifies the top five highest-paying cities in the US as [5]:
San Francisco, California: $107,612
Seattle, Washington: $96,301
Mahwah, New Jersey: $86,400
Providence, Rhode Island: $85,495
Reston, Virginia: $83,899
The BLS reports a steady growth rate for computer network support specialists, which includes technical support engineers. According to the BLS, employment of computer support specialists is expected to grow by 7 percent between 2023 and 2033 [13]. A reason for the growth can be partially accredited to supply and demand. As companies rely more on software and hardware systems to conduct daily business, the need for IT support professionals grows. Companies need network systems to be safe and secure, operational and efficient. They also want to ensure a positive user experience. Computer support specialists meet these needs for companies, whether working on-site as part of an IT department or via a third-party provider.
Technical support engineer salaries vary according to factors such as location, industry and company, and education and experience. As you gain more experience, you can boost your earning potential by moving into higher-paying roles.
Learn more about technical support, build key skills you’ll need in this field, and advance your career into higher-paying positions with an online certificate. Google IT Support Professional Certificate is among the top certificates for IT support professionals. The certificate program on Coursera helps enrollees learn technical skills that range from wireless networking to debugging, as well as other skills like customer support.
professional certificate
Get on the fast track to a career in IT. In this certificate program, you’ll learn in-demand skills, and get AI training from Google experts. Learn at your own pace, no degree or experience required.
4.8
(182,663 ratings)
1,742,417 already enrolled
Beginner level
Average time: 6 month(s)
Learn at your own pace
Skills you'll build:
Cybersecurity, Wireless Security, Cryptography, Network Security, Directory Service, Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), Backup, Domain Name System (DNS), Ipv4, Network Model, Troubleshooting, Binary Code, Customer Support, Linux, Powershell, Linux File Systems, Command-Line Interface
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Outlook Handbook: Computer Support Specialists, Pay. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/computer-support-specialists.htm#tab-5.” Accessed January 27, 2025.
Glassdoor. “Technical Support Engineer Salaries: How much does a Technical Support Engineer make?, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/technical-support-engineer-salary-SRCH_KO0,26.htm.” Accessed January 27, 2025.
Payscale. “Average Technical Support Engineer Salary, https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Technical_Support_Engineer/Salary.” Accessed January 27, 2025.
Indeed. “Technical support engineer salary in United States, https://www.indeed.com/career/technical-support-engineer/salaries.” Accessed January 27, 2025.
Zippia. “Technical Support Engineer Salary, https://www.zippia.com/technical-support-engineer-jobs/salary/.” Accessed January 27, 2025.
Zippia. “How to Become a Technical Support Engineer, https://www.zippia.com/technical-support-engineer-jobs/how-to-become-a-technical-support-engineer/.” Accessed January 27, 2025.
Zippia. “Best Colleges and Majors for Technical Support Engineers, https://www.zippia.com/technical-support-engineer-jobs/education/?src=chatbot_popout_displayed.” Accessed January 27, 2025.
Payscale. “Salary for Certification: Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Certification=Cisco_Certified_Network_Associate_(CCNA)/Salary.” Accessed January 27, 2025.
Payscale. “Salary for Certification: CompTIA Network+, https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Certification=CompTIA_Network%2B/Salary.” Accessed January 27, 2025.
Payscale. “Salary for Certification: Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Foundation, https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Certification=Information_Technology_Infrastructure_Library_(ITIL)_Foundation/Salary.” Accessed January 27, 2025.
Payscale. “Salary for Certification: Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Certification=Cisco_Certified_Network_Associate_(CCNA)/Salary.” Accessed January 27, 2025.
Payscale. “Salary for Certification: CompTIA Security+, https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Certification=CompTIA_Security%2B/Salary.” Accessed January 27, 2025.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Outlook Handbook: Computer Support Specialists, Job Outlook, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/computer-support-specialists.htm#tab-6.” Accessed January 27, 2025.
Editorial Team
Coursera’s editorial team is comprised of highly experienced professional editors, writers, and fact...
This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.