Information Provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook
Career Profile:
Computer Support Specialists See More Careers
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.
Career Salary:
On average, Computer Support Specialists earn $ 41,470 per year.
Number of People in Profession:
514,460Job Outlook:
Job Opportunities for Computer Support Specialists are expected to:
Increase faster than average.
Recommended Education Level:
- Master's Degree
- Bachelor's Degree
- Associate Degree
- Professional Certificate
Nature of the Job
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.
Training
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.
Employment Opportunities
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.
Additional Resources:
- National Workforce Center for Emerging Technologies
- The League of Professional System Administrators