Computer User Support Specialists: Career Overview
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.
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The Daily Work of Computer User Support Specialists Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of computer user support specialists include:
- 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.
- Enter commands and observe system functioning to verify correct operations and detect errors.
- Maintain records of daily data communication transactions, problems and remedial actions taken, or installation activities.
What Computer User Support Specialists Need to Know
Top computer user support specialists combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Types of Computer User Support Specialists Jobs
Common job titles for this role include:
- Application Customer Service Representative (Application CSR)
- Application Support Engineer
- Applications Analyst
- Automatic Data Processing Customer Liaison (ADP Customer Liaison)
- Call Center Support Representative (Call Center Support Rep)
- Cloud Operations Specialist
- Computer Customer Support Specialist
- Computer Hardware Technician (Computer Hardware Tech)
Employment and Demand
There are roughly 385,784 computer user support specialists working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +11.0% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Computer User Support Specialists Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $71,530 |
| Hourly median | $34.39 |
| 10th percentile | $39,846 |
| 25th percentile | $55,688 |
| 75th percentile | $87,372 |
| 90th percentile | $103,214 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Computer User Support Specialists Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $76,880 |
| California | $76,870 |
| Massachusetts | $75,670 |
| Connecticut | $68,800 |
| Washington | $68,640 |
| Vermont | $68,170 |
| Colorado | $66,270 |
| New Jersey | $65,810 |
| New Hampshire | $64,850 |
| New York | $63,910 |
| Virginia | $63,420 |
| Minnesota | $62,970 |
| Delaware | $62,280 |
| Maryland | $62,200 |
| Arizona | $61,990 |
| Oregon | $61,120 |
| Rhode Island | $59,420 |
| North Dakota | $59,420 |
| Hawaii | $59,250 |
| Wyoming | $58,680 |
| North Carolina | $58,660 |
| Alaska | $58,600 |
| Wisconsin | $58,570 |
| Pennsylvania | $58,130 |
| Florida | $58,120 |
| Nebraska | $57,920 |
| Utah | $57,560 |
| Georgia | $57,160 |
| Nevada | $56,900 |
| Iowa | $56,710 |
| Illinois | $56,540 |
| Michigan | $56,110 |
| Maine | $56,050 |
| Texas | $55,320 |
| Indiana | $55,030 |
| West Virginia | $54,850 |
| Tennessee | $54,420 |
| Ohio | $53,500 |
| Montana | $53,410 |
| Louisiana | $53,350 |
| Missouri | $52,730 |
| Kentucky | $51,630 |
| Idaho | $51,080 |
| Kansas | $50,870 |
| South Carolina | $50,500 |
| Oklahoma | $50,090 |
| Virgin Islands | $49,610 |
| Alabama | $48,860 |
| Arkansas | $47,720 |
| New Mexico | $47,540 |
| South Dakota | $46,780 |
| Mississippi | $46,690 |
| Puerto Rico | $33,950 |
| Guam | $32,160 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Earnings for computer user support specialists differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $72,313 | 15.7% | 0.96 |
| New England | $70,523 | 5.5% | 1.17 |
| Middle Atlantic | $62,927 | 15.2% | 1.00 |
| Rocky Mountains | $60,967 | 4.6% | 1.19 |
| Southeast | $56,611 | 23.9% | 1.01 |
| Plains States | $56,535 | 7.2% | 1.06 |
| Southwest | $55,929 | 13.5% | 1.09 |
| Great Lakes | $55,823 | 13.6% | 0.96 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $102,430 | 13,690 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $85,010 | 9,720 |
| Carson City, NV | NV | $84,280 | 510 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $80,930 | 5,500 |
| Vallejo, CA | CA | $79,780 | 360 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | CA | $78,260 | 950 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $77,750 | 15,640 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | CA | $76,760 | 510 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of computer user support specialists are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 210,440 | $59,950 |
| Educational Services | 80,880 | $56,240 |
| Information | 66,680 | $63,080 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 57,450 | $49,900 |
| Wholesale Trade | 45,590 | $60,980 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 37,660 | $62,370 |
| Finance and Insurance | 37,300 | $62,420 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 35,010 | $58,220 |
Computer User Support Specialists work in the following industries:
Tools and Technology
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: AJAX (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Redshift (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Web Services AWS software (hot technology)
- Expert system software: Ansible software (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Apache Cassandra (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Apache Hadoop (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Apache Hive (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The work environment for computer user support specialists reflects the following characteristics:
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Telephone Conversations
- Freedom to Make Decisions
Education and Training
Entry-level computer user support specialists positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Computer and Information Systems Managers (Supplemental)
- Computer Systems Analysts (Primary-Short)
- Information Security Analysts (Primary-Long)
- Computer Network Support Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Computer Network Architects (Supplemental)
- Telecommunications Engineering Specialists (Supplemental)
- Database Administrators (Primary-Long)
- Network and Computer Systems Administrators (Primary-Short)
Degree Programs
Students preparing for computer user support specialists commonly pursue programs in:
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
1 programs across 1 majors
Health Professions and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, and Related Sciences
1 programs across 1 majors
References
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 15-1232.00 (Computer User Support Specialists).
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