Technical Support Engineer Salary: Your 2026 Guide

Key takeaways

• Technical support engineer salary data from Glassdoor reveals a median total salary of $107,000 per year [1].

• Zippia reports that the salary for a technical support engineer is $89,741 with a bachelor’s degree and increases to $103,860, on average, with a master’s degree [2].

• According to Payscale, the average salary for a technical support engineer with a CompTIA Network+ is $83,000 [3].

Technical support engineer average salary data from Zippia shows that the following states offer the highest averages: Washington, California, New Jersey, Delaware, and Rhode Island [4]. Learn more about what you might expect to earn and what could impact technical support engineer salary details.

If you’re ready to begin developing your skills in IT, enroll in the Google IT Support Professional Certificate. In as little as three months, you can learn about computer networking, IT infrastructure, network troubleshooting, network administration, desktop support, and more.

What is a technical support engineer?

Tech support engineers assist an organization’s customers or employees with computer system issues. They may help resolve technical issues with software, hardware, and other network systems. A tech support engineer troubleshoots reported problems, identifies them, and then works to resolve them. The role also involves updating an organization’s computer software systems and applications and monitoring these systems. In some organizations, a technical support engineer may also help build computer systems based on the company's needs.

Often, it is a customer-facing position where the technical support engineer works one-on-one with an organization’s users and may communicate with customers via phone, email, or chatbot. However, if a technical support engineer works internally within an IT department, they may communicate solely with the organization’s employees rather than customers.

What does a technical support engineer do?

Technical support engineers provide information technology (IT) and computer support to employees within a company or its customers, depending on the company's size and the IT department's structure. The role ensures the smooth operation of a company’s network systems for all intended users. Tech support engineering requires proficient technical knowledge of computer network systems and the ability to problem-solve and communicate clearly and patiently.

How much does a technical support engineer make?

A technical support engineer makes a median annual salary of $73,340, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) [5]. BLS calculates this median annual wage for all computer network support specialists within the US, which includes the role of a technical support engineer. BLS reports the lowest 10 percent of all earners in this field earn less than $46,010 a year, while the highest 10 percent average over $124,470 a year [5]. It’s helpful to note that factors like location, education, experience, and industry may impact these averages.

What is the average technical support engineer salary?

According to various job listing sites, the average pay range for technical support engineers in the United States ranges from $73,340 to $107,000. The base salary ranges given by five different organizations for technical support engineers are as follows [5, 1, 6, 7, 4]:

The Glassdoor salary information represents the median total pay as of July 2026. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

Factors that affect salary

Multiple factors impact your earnings as a technical support engineer. Learning how attributes such as location, level of education, experience, and industry affect your salary can help you better understand how much you might earn.

Education

You’ll likely need a bachelor’s degree to become a technical support engineer. The most common majors for technical support engineers are computer science, electrical engineering, and fields closely related to these majors. Some tech support engineers hold degrees in business or computer information systems.

While a bachelor’s degree is seemingly the standard educational entry point for this profession, some tech support engineers enter the field with an associate degree. Advanced degrees are also possible for you to pursue, as earning advanced degrees like a master’s degree may lead to higher-paying positions.

Zippia lists the most commonly held educational credentials for technical support engineers as [8]:

• Bachelor’s degree: 62.6 percent

• Associate degree: 21 percent

• Master's degree: 9 percent

• High school diploma: 2.7 percent

When comparing the average annual income for technical support engineers by education level, Zippia’s data reflects a significant gap between tech support engineers with advanced degrees and those without. Its data shows the highest-paid technical support engineers are those with master’s degrees, and the lowest paid are those with a high school diploma or less [2]:

• Master’s degree: $103,860

• Bachelor’s degree: $89,741

• Associate degree: $81,817

• High school diploma or less: $79,992

Certification

Earning certifications related to your role as a technical support engineer can often be a way to boost your earnings. Some popular certifications for those in IT support positions, along with their average salaries, include:

• CompTIA A+: $78,000 [9]

• CompTIA Network +: $83,000 [3]

• Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL): $114,000 [10]

• Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA): $95,000 [11]

Technical support engineers typically handle issues based on different tiers. For example, Tier I issues might be passwords and other user problems. These are more basic issues that someone in a support or help desk role can resolve. While working at this IT support level for some time, you may want to earn certifications that allow you to work on Tier II or Tier III level issues. These individuals are more experienced and typically have higher-paying positions.

As you gain experience in this IT support role, you might consider specializing in areas that lead to better-paying positions. You’ll find many opportunities for advancement and promotion in this field. For example, if you want to move into a certain area of IT, such as cybersecurity, earning certification helps you move from IT support to cybersecurity. CompTIA Security + is among the top certification programs for anyone who wants to move into a higher-paying field within the IT industry. The average annual salary for holders of this certification is $90,000, according to Payscale [12].

Read more: Network Certification: 6 Options for Your IT Career

Experience

As a technical support engineer with more professional experience, there are usually additional opportunities for higher-paying positions. Employers in this field tend to pay more for expertise and experience.

Payscale reports that the highest earners based on years of experience are those with 20 or more years in the field. Overall, the breakdown of average annual total salaries by experience according to findings by Payscale is as follows [6]:

• Less than one year of experience: $62,451

• 1–4 years of experience: $73,095

• 5–9 years of experience: $79,195

• 10–19 years of experience: $83,196

• 20+ years of experience: $89,939

Industry

The industry in which you work and your employer impact your average annual salary. Some industries pay more for technical support engineers to provide IT support. The company's size and your employer's pay structure affect your salary as well. It’s advantageous to note these variances when choosing an industry and company to work for.

Glassdoor reports the industries that pay above-average wages for technical support engineers as [1]:

• Aerospace and defense: $108,238

• Financial services: $96,587

• Energy, mining, and utilities: $95,832

• Manufacturing: $95,497

• Transportation and logistics: $93,031

All salary information represents the median total pay from Glassdoor as of July 2026. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

Some of the highest-paying companies for technical support engineers, according to median total pay, are [1]:

• ServiceNow: $107,000

• Microsoft: $146,000

• Oracle: $101,000

• Dell: $92,000

All salary information represents the median total pay from Glassdoor as of July 2026. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

Location

Where you live within the US can also likely affect your earnings as a technical support engineer. Variations in annual earnings by geographical location are partly due to factors like the cost of living and demand for technical support engineers.

Zippia reports the highest-paying states for technical support engineers within the US as [4]:

1. Washington: $95,081

2. California: $94,922

3. New Jersey: $86,378

4. Delaware: $85,490

5. Rhode Island: $85,481

If you’re employed as a technical support engineer in one of these states, you are likely to earn more than other tech support engineers within the US. Zippia also identifies the top five highest-paying cities in the US as [4]:

1. San Francisco, California: $107,612

2. Seattle, Washington: $96,301

3. Mahwah, New Jersey: $86,400

4. Providence, Rhode Island: $85,495

5. Reston, Virginia: $83,899

Job outlook

The BLS reports a steady growth rate for computer network support specialists, which includes technical support engineers. According to the BLS, employment of computer support specialists is expected to grow by 2 percent between 2024 and 2034 [13]. A reason for the growth can be partially attributed to supply and demand. As companies rely more on software and hardware systems to conduct daily business, the need for IT support professionals grows. Companies need network systems to be safe and secure, operational, and efficient. They also want to ensure a positive user experience. Computer support specialists meet these needs for companies, whether working on-site as part of an IT department or via a third-party provider.

Discover more about IT with our free resources

Discover fresh insights into your career or learn about trends in your industry by subscribing to our LinkedIn newsletter, Career Chat. Or if you want to keep learning more about IT, check out these free resources:

• Watch on YouTube: 3 Ways IT Professionals Can Start Using Generative AI Right Now

• Read our Career Chat issue: 7 IT Certifications to Know + Career Benefits

• Take a quiz: Which IT Course Should You Take? Find Out in 1 Minute

Accelerate your career growth with a Coursera Plus subscription. When you enroll in either the monthly or annual option, you’ll get access to over 10,000 courses.