Is your technical support specialist salary on point for your location, experience, certifications and skill set? Here's a dynamic look at tech support and help desk wages, including salary comparisons derived from the leading salary surveys and employment data sources.

Utilize our custom job search and school finder tools to maximize your technical support specialist salary. Explore the IT help desk career path for a deep dive into this essential role.

Featured Technical Support Programs

Compare top-rated online courses and degrees in IT support and related fields.

Southern New Hampshire University

Top IT Support Programs:

 

Historic Technical Support Salaries

Average salary ranges for technical support specialists, help desk technicians and related occupations for the past three years:

Job Title 2020 Salary 2021 Salary 2022 Salary 2-Year Change
Computer Repair Technician $33,500 - $47,500 $35,000 - $48,000 $36,500 - $49,250 + 5.9%
Help Desk / Tech Support $41,500 - $56,500 $41,500 - $56,500 $42,750 - $58,000 + 2.8%
Desktop Support Analyst $49,750 - $73,500 $50,750 - $72,000 $52,000 - $73,500 + 1.8%
Mobile Device Support $58,000 - $83,250 $58,500 - $84,000 $59,000 - $85,750 + 2.5%
Technical Support Manager $107,500 - $157,750 $111,500 - $163,750 $112,000 - $164,500 + 4.2%

Sources: Robert Half Technology 2020, 2021 & 2022 IT Salary Guides

Skills To Boost Your Tech Support Salary

Learn these skill sets to increase your earnings in technical support and IT help desk positions:

  • CompTIA certifications inc. A+, Network+ & Security+
  • Windows desktop and server administration
  • Cisco network management skills and certs
  • Cyber security skills and credentials
  • Cloud computing and virtualization
  • Mobile device management
  • Superior customer service skills
  • Soft skills inc. critical thinking, problem solving & communication

Technical Support Specialist Salaries by State

US State / Location

Average Annual Wage

Average Hourly Wage

Alabama
$49,890 $23.99
Alaska
$61,350 $29.49
Arizona
$55,190 $26.54
Arkansas
$45,540 $21.89
California
$71,790 $34.51
Colorado
$65,270 $31.38
Connecticut
$63,050 $30.31
Delaware
$60,420 $29.05
District of Columbia
$73,930 $35.54
Florida
$51,900 $24.95
Georgia
$57,570 $27.68
Hawaii
$61,980 $29.80
Idaho
$51,350 $24.69
Illinois
$54,330 $26.12
Indiana
$50,120 $24.10
Iowa
$55,170 $26.52
Kansas
$50,140 $24.11
Kentucky
$49,900 $23.99
Louisiana
$50,120 $24.10
Maine
$52,110 $25.05
Maryland
$57,580 $27.68
Massachusetts
$71,080 $34.17
Michigan
$51,680 $24.85
Minnesota
$57,950 $27.86
Mississippi
$47,090 $22.64
Missouri
$55,270 $26.57
Montana
$47,190 $22.69
Nebraska
$52,190 $25.09
Nevada
$49,930 $24.01
New Hampshire
$58,760 $28.25
New Jersey
$63,060 $30.32
New Mexico
$47,670 $22.92
New York
$64,630 $31.07
North Carolina
$54,260 $26.09
North Dakota
$54,180 $26.05
Ohio
$51,380 $24.70
Oklahoma
$50,120 $24.10
Oregon
$58,720 $28.23
Pennsylvania
$57,440 $27.61
Puerto Rico
$33,030 $15.88
Rhode Island
$56,660 $27.24
South Carolina
$51,080 $24.56
South Dakota
$42,460 $20.41
Tennessee
$48,410 $23.27
Texas
$52,530 $25.26
Utah
$56,800 $27.31
Vermont
$58,100 $27.93
Virginia
$58,980 $28.35
Washington
$64,010 $30.77
West Virginia
$45,440 $21.85
Wisconsin
$55,320 $26.59
Wyoming
$51,760 $24.89

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics

Top Paying Cities for Tech Support Pros

These cities and metropolitan areas pay the highest average salaries to technical support specialists:

  1. Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA: $90,480
  2. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA: $76,920
  3. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: $76,510
  4. Boulder, Colorado: $72,630
  5. Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH: $72,040
  6. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA: $67,970

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics

Technical Support Specialist Salaries by Role & Experience

  • Help Desk Technician Tier 1: $45,000
  • Help Desk Technician Tier 2: $58,000
  • End-User Support Specialist: $61,000
  • PC Repair Technician: $62,000
  • Technical Support Specialist: $62,000
  • Desktop Support Specialist: $63,000
  • Help Desk Technician Tier 3: $69,000
  • Application Support Specialist: $84,000
  • Systems Administrator: $92,000
  • Help Desk Manager: $92,000
  • Windows Systems Administrator: $100,000
  • Technical Support Manager: $101,000
  • Linux Administrator: $107,000
  • Senior Windows Administrator: $115,000
  • Senior Systems Administrator: $124,000
  • Senior Linux Administrator: $130,000

Source: Glassdoor.com

Tech Support Wages vs. Popular IT Job Roles

Compare earnings for technical support specialists and related positions to the IT field:

  • Systems Architect: $147,901
  • Cloud Engineer: $140,571
  • MIS Manager: $119,186
  • IT Project Manager: $118,517
  • Systems Engineer: $112,407
  • Database Administrator: $111,362
  • Cyber Security Analyst: $102,253
  • Business Intelligence Analyst: $101,497
  • Web Developer: $98,912
  • Computer Programmer: $97,320
  • Network Engineer: $93,373
  • Application Support Engineer: $91,176
  • Systems Administrator: $88,642
  • Data Analyst: $84,779
  • Technical Support Engineer: $77,169
  • Help Desk Technician: $52,259

Source: 2022 Tech Salary Report by Dice.com

Technical Support Training

New tech pros often begin their career in technical support because of its low barrier to entry and exposure to a wide range of IT domains, such as networking, data management, cloud computing and cyber security. Get started on your IT career path with technical support specialist courses and degree programs like these.

Admissions advisors can provide more info about course curriculum, admissions & start dates, career placement, tuition and financial aid.
Got targeted learning goals? Many schools offer individual courses & certificates from degree programs.
Southern New Hampshire University
  • Computer Operating Systems
  • Network Design and Security
  • Basic Scripting & Programming
  • Soft Skills for STEM Professions
 
Capella University
  • Learn Cisco, Microsoft & Linux Platforms
  • Microsoft Azure & AWS Cloud Computing
  • Design and Manage Enterprise Networks
  • Information Assurance & Network Security
 
Strayer University
  • Network Hardware & Operating Systems
  • Database and Info Systems Management
  • Programming & Web Design Essentials
  • Introduction to Information Security
 
Coursera
  • Information Technology Fundamentals
  • Network and Systems Administration
  • End-to-End Customer Support Training
  • Essential Information Security Skills
 
Search IT courses and degree programs by job role, technology platform & major.

Tech Support Resources

Web-based Help Desk & Technical Support Specialist salary data refreshed annually.

Salary survey data updated annually.