Technical support specialist jobs are in great demand, owing to the technical background of this career opportunity. A professional in this arena is involved in troubleshooting issues related to Information Technology and Computer Systems.
A career opportunity in this field can be considered one of the most rewarding. As the name suggests, this is an IT job that is related to troubleshooting technical issues associated with computers and other electronic systems. As technical problems in Information Technology (IT) and electronic setups are inevitable, in addition to it, with increased awareness in privacy and security of computer networks to protect data, there is always a demand for these professionals in all kinds of businesses.
Job Description
He is also referred to as a computer support specialist, as his job requires troubleshooting computer related problems. In the technical troubleshooting process, there are basically three tiers, namely level 1, 2, and 3. Level 1 is concerned with basic troubleshooting; level 2 relates to advanced troubleshooting process carried out by more experienced personnel; while in level 3, the problem is addressed by IT engineers.
Technical support specialists are IT experts who act as a liaison between users and the IT team. They are the first point of contact if computer users face any issues with their systems. In case users face any technical problems in their systems, servers, or databases; they contact the technical support group. Personnel from level 1 first try to diagnose and troubleshoot the issue over the phone or email, and if they are unable to do so, they record the exact problem and the users’ details in their database and assign a ticket.
They may even be required to go down to users’ desks and carry out the troubleshooting process. The ticket is then forwarded to the IT team at level 2. In order to determine the problem, they need to possess a knowledge of the software and computer hardware functions. Along with the troubleshooting procedure, these experts may even resolve basic issues such as installing email client on the user’s computer, removing computer viruses, connecting to the main service, and installing any software required as per the IT policies of the company.
They provide services and support to both internal as well as external clients. They may even have to assign tickets and coordinate communication between external clients. Technical support is a broad term, hence, can include the services provided by both help desk executives as well as IT engineers.
Salary
The career opportunity and growth for technical support specialists is considered to be good, with the following table showing the median salary for these professionals. Growth and future prospects for these professionals are expected to rise, as is in the case of all computer related fields.
Years of Experience | Median Salary Scale |
0 to One Year | $30,500 to $46,000 |
One to Four Years | $31,500 to $44,500 |
Five to Nine Years | $36,400 to $52,000 |
10 to 19 Years | $40,000 to $58,000 |
Over 20 Years | $45,000 to $80,500 |
State of Employment | Median Salary Scale |
New York | $37,500 to $56,000 |
California | $43,000 to $61,000 |
Texas | $35,000 to $50,000 |
Georgia | $32,000 to $54,000 |
Pennsylvania | $33,500 to $56,500 |
City of Employment | Median Salary Scale |
New York City | $43,000 to $61,000 |
Houston | $35,000 to $51,500 |
Atlanta | $36,500 to $59,000 |
Chicago | $39,500 to $48,500 |
Dallas | $36,000 to $53,000 |
In order to become a technical support specialist, no formal education is required as such; but this requirement may depend on the employer. You simply need to have good communication and interpersonal skills, and an interest in computer technology. Coming to the educational qualifications, you can pursue a bachelors or masters in IT fields. There are also a wide range of reputed certifications for IT professionals offered by organizations such as Cisco, CompTIA, IBM, Microsoft, and many others. Note that the salary range is affected significantly by field exposure, and level and number of certifications in IT.