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.
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
U.S. 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: U.S. 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:
- Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA: $90,480
- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA: $76,920
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: $76,510
- Boulder, Colorado: $72,630
- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH: $72,040
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA: $67,970
Source: U.S. 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
Tech Support Resources
- Technical support specialist career path deep dive
- Technical support specialist education requirements
- Technical support specialist training programs
- Certifications for tech support professionals
Web-based Help Desk & Technical Support Specialist salary data refreshed annually.
Salary survey data updated annually.
