Technical Support Specialist

A career opportunity as a technical support specialist 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, there is always a demand for these professionals in all kinds of businesses where related systems are employed.

Job Description

Generally, a technical support specialist is also referred to as a computer support specialist, as his job is mostly related to computer problem troubleshooting. 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 a advanced troubleshooting process carried out by more experienced technical 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 the systems. In case computer users face any technical problems in their systems, servers, or databases; they call or email the technical support group. Personnel from the level 1 technical team firstly try to diagnose and troubleshoot the issue over the phone or email, and if they are unable to do so, they record down the exact problem and the users' details in their database and assign a ticket.

They may even be required to go down to users' desk and carry out the troubleshooting process. The ticket is then forwarded to the IT team at the level 2 support. In order to determine the problem, technical support executives need to possess a knowledge of the way software and computer hardware function. 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.

Technical support specialists provide services and support to both internal users as well as external clients. They may even have to assign tickets of and coordinate communication between external clients. Technical support is a broad term, hence can include the services provided by both the 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 for job as a technical support executive is affected significantly by the field exposure and level and number of certifications in IT.