2027 Salary Guide · Technology
Computer user support specialists, the BLS occupation for IT support and help desk roles, earned a median of $61,860 in May 2025, or $29.74 an hour. That projects to about $66,000 for 2027. It is one of the few IT occupations BLS expects to shrink, yet turnover still creates about 39,700 openings a year, many of them first jobs in IT.
Support tiers
BLS does not publish pay by support tier. These levels map the usual help desk structure onto the BLS percentiles. Hourly figures divide the annual amount by 2,080 hours, the BLS convention.
About $40,980 to $49,000 (10th to 25th percentile), roughly $19.70 to $23.56 an hour
Password resets, account access, ticket triage and first-call fixes. Common first IT job; BLS notes some employers hire with a high school diploma plus IT certifications.
About $49,000 to $79,040 (25th to 75th percentile)
Escalated tickets, device imaging, software deployment and on-site fixes. Familiarity with endpoint management and directory tools is typical.
About $79,040 to $100,540 (75th to 90th percentile)
Root-cause work on recurring problems, scripting and automation, and mentoring tier 1 staff. Many people at this level are a step away from systems administration.
Pay distribution
BLS reports IT support specialists, help desk analysts and desktop support technicians as one occupation, so this chart is a close match for the title. The 10th percentile is about $19.70 an hour and the 90th about $48.34.
Typical for the IT Support Specialist title: $49,000 to $79,040 (25th to 75th percentile of Computer User Support Specialists)
| Percentile | BLS, May 2025 | 2027 planning estimate |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $40,980 | $43,500 |
| 25th percentile | $49,000 | $52,000 |
| Median | $61,860 | $66,000 |
| 75th percentile | $79,040 | $84,000 |
| 90th percentile | $100,540 | $107,000 |
Local pay
The Bay Area median is $89,440, well ahead of Seattle ($78,330), Washington, DC ($77,860) and Boston ($77,850). At the other end, Nashville ($58,960), Pittsburgh and Detroit sit near $59,000. New York has by far the most IT support jobs, about 36,580.
| Metro area | Median | 10th – 90th | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Bay Area | $89,440 +45% | $58,910 – $130,440 | 10,770 |
| Seattle | $78,330 +27% | $50,010 – $131,570 | 15,030 |
| Washington, DC | $77,860 +26% | $50,390 – $120,190 | 18,510 |
| Boston | $77,850 +26% | $49,990 – $107,110 | 13,580 |
| New York City | $75,690 +22% | $47,600 – $117,080 | 36,580 |
| Denver | $75,480 +22% | $49,870 – $122,270 | 9,960 |
| Los Angeles | $75,070 +21% | $49,560 – $110,150 | 20,660 |
| San Diego | $74,020 +20% | $49,660 – $102,870 | 5,260 |
| Portland | $65,880 +6% | $50,220 – $96,030 | 5,630 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | $64,890 +5% | $48,800 – $97,350 | 11,190 |
| Metro area | Median | 10th – 90th | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford | $63,930 +3% | $41,720 – $98,700 | 3,450 |
| Baltimore | $62,950 +2% | $37,680 – $97,030 | 5,080 |
| Raleigh | $62,460 +1% | $39,370 – $99,640 | 5,320 |
| Providence | $62,410 +1% | $46,850 – $93,600 | 2,290 |
| Phoenix | $62,310 +1% | $45,050 – $97,370 | 14,310 |
| Philadelphia | $62,210 +1% | $42,560 – $96,450 | 12,850 |
| Atlanta | $62,110 +0% | $39,700 – $101,820 | 15,980 |
| Austin | $61,990 +0% | $39,110 – $95,770 | 9,680 |
| Albany | $61,190 -1% | $45,310 – $95,780 | 1,690 |
| Tampa | $61,050 -1% | $40,330 – $102,810 | 7,410 |
| Chicago | $60,730 -2% | $42,200 – $98,590 | 19,680 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | $60,710 -2% | $39,990 – $92,460 | 22,600 |
| Buffalo | $60,660 -2% | $44,530 – $98,990 | 2,430 |
| Miami | $60,500 -2% | $36,710 – $100,430 | 13,270 |
| Charlotte | $60,220 -3% | $38,900 – $94,720 | 5,250 |
| Houston | $59,250 -4% | $38,690 – $93,580 | 12,840 |
| Detroit | $59,040 -5% | $38,230 – $93,410 | 9,240 |
| Pittsburgh | $59,010 -5% | $38,270 – $82,890 | 5,270 |
| Nashville | $58,960 -5% | $43,370 – $86,670 | 4,310 |
BLS metro estimates, May 2025. Percent compares the metro median with the national median. "Jobs" is BLS estimated employment in the metro; blank where BLS does not publish it.
Next steps
The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook names systems administration, information security and software development as common moves for support specialists; network engineering is another frequent path. Medians are BLS, May 2025.
| Next role | BLS median | What usually bridges the gap |
|---|---|---|
| Systems administrator | $99,130 | Server, directory and backup experience gained on tier 2 or 3 tickets |
| Network engineer | $134,050 | Network support work plus several years in IT; BLS says network architects usually have 5+ years of related experience |
| Cybersecurity analyst | $129,180 | Security monitoring, incident tickets and a security certification |
| Software developer | $135,980 | Scripting and automation work, often alongside formal coursework |
The network engineer row uses BLS Computer Network Architects; cybersecurity analyst uses Information Security Analysts.
Outlook
BLS projects employment of computer user support specialists to decline from 2025 to 2035. The Occupational Outlook Handbook links this to organizations adopting automated support tools. Openings stay high, about 39,700 a year, because many people leave the job for other IT roles.
BLS Employment Projections via O*NET OnLine. Projections cover Computer User Support Specialists as a whole.
Automation
BLS expects automated troubleshooting tools such as chatbots to take over some routine user support work. The Occupational Outlook Handbook notes this may free support specialists to handle more complex cases. In pay terms, that moves the work people are hired for toward the tier 2 and tier 3 end of the range.
For job seekers, the practical point is that the tier 1 role is a shorter stop than it used to be. Specialists who learn scripting, endpoint management or security basics on the job are the ones who move into the higher-paid roles in the table above.
Compare
Every role in this table is a common next step from support, and each has a BLS median well above $61,860.
| Role | BLS median | 2027 estimate | Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|
| IT Support Specialist | $61,860 | $66,000 | Decline |
| Systems Administrator | $99,130 | $105,500 | Decline |
| Network Engineer | $134,050 | $142,500 | Much faster than average |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | $129,180 | $137,500 | Much faster than average |
| Software Engineer | $135,980 | $144,500 | Much faster than average |
FAQ
The BLS median for computer user support specialists was $61,860 a year in May 2025. The middle half earned between $49,000 and $79,040, and the top tenth more than $100,540. With two years of wage growth at 3.1% a year, the 2027 planning median is about $66,000.
The BLS median works out to $29.74 an hour. Dividing the annual percentiles by 2,080 hours gives about $19.70 an hour at the 10th percentile, $23.56 at the 25th, $38.00 at the 75th and $48.34 at the 90th. Contract help desk work is often billed hourly.
BLS does not publish starting pay, but the 10th percentile, $40,980 a year, is a reasonable guide to first help desk offers, and the 25th percentile is $49,000. Entry pay in high-cost metros runs higher: the 10th percentile in the Bay Area was $58,910.
A degree helps, but it is not the only route in. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook says user support specialists typically need some college coursework, and some employers accept a high school diploma plus IT certifications. BLS adds that coursework in networking, server administration or information security can also help applicants qualify.
BLS projects a decline in employment from 2025 to 2035 as automated tools take over routine requests. The job is still large, about 750,600 people, and BLS expects about 39,700 openings a year, mostly from people moving into other IT roles.
Careerscape fills IT support roles on temporary, contract and direct-hire terms, with pre-screened candidates for each support tier.
How can we help?
We got it!
A recruiter will reach out shortly.
Application Submitted!
Thank you for applying. We'll review your application and get back to you soon.