Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$40,980
- 25th Percentile — Junior$49,000
- 50th Percentile — Median$61,860
- 75th Percentile — Senior$79,040
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$100,540
The top 10% of Computer User Support Specialists earn $100,540 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $40,980, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
What Computer User Support Specialists Do
Role, training and entry requirements
Computer user support specialists, often called help desk or IT support technicians, help people with computer problems. They troubleshoot hardware and software issues, set up equipment, walk users through fixes by phone or in person, and escalate complex problems.
How to become one
Requirements range from some college coursework to a bachelor's degree in an IT field. Industry certifications such as CompTIA A+ are common entry points.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $85,690 | +27.3% |
| California | $85,030 | +26.3% |
| Washington | $80,340 | +19.3% |
| Colorado | $77,230 | +14.7% |
| Massachusetts | $76,460 | +13.6% |
| New York | $75,290 | +11.8% |
| Connecticut | $72,960 | +8.4% |
| Maryland | $71,450 | +6.1% |
| New Jersey | $70,970 | +5.4% |
| Virginia | $70,650 | +4.9% |
| Minnesota | $68,060 | +1.1% |
| Vermont | $68,010 | +1.0% |
| Oregon | $67,800 | +0.7% |
| Delaware | $66,040 | -1.9% |
| Rhode Island | $66,010 | -2.0% |
| Georgia | $65,950 | -2.0% |
| Arizona | $65,590 | -2.6% |
| New Hampshire | $65,490 | -2.7% |
| Utah | $65,410 | -2.9% |
| North Dakota | $65,220 | -3.1% |
| Alaska | $65,000 | -3.5% |
| North Carolina | $64,720 | -3.9% |
| Wyoming | $64,450 | -4.3% |
| Maine | $63,910 | -5.1% |
| Illinois | $63,630 | -5.5% |
| Florida | $62,940 | -6.5% |
| Missouri | $62,780 | -6.8% |
| Idaho | $62,670 | -6.9% |
| Ohio | $61,830 | -8.2% |
| Nevada | $61,790 | -8.2% |
| Texas | $61,690 | -8.4% |
| Hawaii | $61,160 | -9.2% |
| Pennsylvania | $61,040 | -9.3% |
| Wisconsin | $60,840 | -9.6% |
| Kentucky | $60,650 | -9.9% |
| Iowa | $60,620 | -10.0% |
| Nebraska | $60,140 | -10.7% |
| Michigan | $59,740 | -11.3% |
| Louisiana | $59,700 | -11.3% |
| Indiana | $59,550 | -11.6% |
| West Virginia | $59,280 | -12.0% |
| Tennessee | $59,100 | -12.2% |
| Montana | $58,900 | -12.5% |
| South Carolina | $58,580 | -13.0% |
| Kansas | $57,250 | -15.0% |
| Mississippi | $56,870 | -15.5% |
| Oklahoma | $56,850 | -15.6% |
| New Mexico | $55,660 | -17.3% |
| Alabama | $53,100 | -21.1% |
| Arkansas | $51,130 | -24.1% |
| South Dakota | $50,470 | -25.0% |
What Factors Affect Computer User Support Specialists Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for Computer User Support Specialists is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: District of Columbia pays an average of $85,690, while South Dakota pays $50,470 — a gap of $35,220 per year.
Specialists supporting complex enterprise systems or working in finance, government, and large technology firms earn more. Gaining networking, security, or systems administration skills is a common path into higher-paid IT roles.
These figures are the wages employers report to BLS: base pay plus commissions, production bonuses and tips. They exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, year-end bonuses, benefits and self-employed workers, so total compensation can be higher than the numbers shown.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) · May 2025
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for Computer User Support Specialists?
The average salary for Computer User Support Specialists in the United States is $67,330 per year, with a median of $61,860.
What is the starting salary for Computer User Support Specialists?
Entry-level Computer User Support Specialists typically earn between $40,980 and $49,000 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays Computer User Support Specialists the most?
District of Columbia pays Computer User Support Specialists the most at $85,690 per year on average, followed by California ($85,030) and Washington ($80,340).
How much do Computer User Support Specialists make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $67,330, Computer User Support Specialists earn approximately $32.37 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is Computer User Support Specialists a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 717,190 Computer User Support Specialists jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $67,330 and a median of $61,860 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
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