IT support specialist: certifications, study paths and pay
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The first point of contact when technology goes wrong. You fix devices, accounts and software problems for colleagues or customers, and keep people working.
See practice tests for this roleWhat does it pay?
What you do
- Answer tickets, calls and chats and solve the problem or pass it on with clear notes
- Set up laptops, accounts, printers and software
- Reset passwords, fix access issues and document the fixes
Skills that matter
- Clear, patient communication
- Windows, macOS and basic Linux
- Troubleshooting method
- Networking basics and ticketing tools
What does this role pay?
United States, May 2025, annual wages for the closest official occupation: Computer user support specialists, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Entry-level jobs usually start nearer the lower figure. Pay in Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and other countries is different, so check local job boards and salary guides. These figures are a guide, not an offer or a promise of pay.
Practice tests that fit this role
Certifications that appear most often alongside this role. Start with the first one if you are new to it.
Study paths that lead here
IT support to networking path
View roadmap →
STUDY PATHStart in tech: your first certification
View roadmap →
Job titles this page covers
- Application support engineer
- Azure support associate
- Cloud support associate
- Computer or device technician
- Customer support agent (technical)
- Customer support specialist (technical)
- Desktop or field support technician
- Desktop support technician
- Field or desktop support
- Hardware support technician
- Help desk or service desk technician
- Help desk technician
- IT service desk analyst
- IT support analyst
- IT support and service desk lead
- IT support specialist
- IT trainee or apprentice
- Junior cloud or AI support specialist
- Microsoft 365 support specialist
- Oracle Cloud practitioner
- Service desk analyst
- Service desk team lead
- Technical support agent
- Technical support engineer
- Technical support specialist
Employers use many names for similar work. Requirements vary by employer and country, and a certificate supports your application but does not guarantee a job.
Related roles
- Systems administrator
- Network support technician
- DevOps and platform engineer
- Site reliability engineer (SRE)
- Business analyst
- Technical sales and customer success
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