Information Provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook
Rapid job growth for computer support specialists is projected over the 2004-14 period. There are many paths of entry to these occupations. Job prospects should be best for college graduates who are up to date with the latest skills and technologies; certifications and practical experience are essential for persons without degrees.
On average, Computer Support Specialists earn $ 41,470 per year.
Job Opportunities for Computer Support Specialists are expected to:
Increase faster than average.
In the last decade, computers have become an integral part of everyday life at home, work, school, and nearly everywhere else. Of course, almost every computer user encounters a problem occasionally, whether it is the annoyance of a forgotten password or the disaster of a crashing hard drive.
Due to the wide range of skills required, there are many paths of entry to a job as a computer support specialist or systems administrator. Training requirements for computer support specialist positions vary, but many employers prefer to hire applicants with some formal college education. A bachelors degree in computer science or information systems is a prerequisite for some jobs; other jobs, however, may require only a computer-related associate degree.
Computer support specialists and systems administrators held about 862,000 jobs in 2006. Of these, approximately 552,000 were computer support specialists and about 309,000 were network and computer systems administrators. Although they worked in a wide range of industries, about 23 percent of all computer support specialists and systems administrators were employed in professional, scientific, and technical services industries, principally computer systems design and related services.
