Computer User Support Specialists Salary: $91,367 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 146,450 computer user support specialists nationally earn a mean of $91,367. Employment in the series shown fell about 15% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 7.8% annual decline.
Key Statistics
Computer User Support Specialists: what the data shows
Common questions about computer user support specialists careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a computer user support specialists?
Computer User Support Specialists is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 15-1231.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 146,450 workers.
What does a computer user support specialists do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Working with Computers, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a computer user support specialists make?
BLS national median annual wage: $73,340 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $91,367 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $50,352 |
| 25th percentile | $65,185 |
| Median (50th) | $81,681 |
| 75th percentile | $107,607 |
| 90th percentile | $139,244 |
What education do you need?
For Computer User Support Specialists, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, Active Learning, Monitoring, and knowledge areas including Computers and Electronics, Telecommunications, Customer and Personal Service, Engineering and Technology. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is computer user support specialists in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 7.8% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -33.4%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -55.6%.
Current U.S. headcount: 146,450.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do computer user support specialistss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 146,450 | 18.1% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 120,330 | 14.9% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 40,870 | 5.0% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 40,870 | 5.0% |
| Educational Services | 34,650 | 4.3% |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | 29,820 | 3.7% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Computer User Support Specialists in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Systems Analysts | 497,800 | $103,790 |
| Information Security Analysts | 179,430 | $124,910 |
| Computer Programmers | 109,870 | $98,670 |
| Computer Network Architects | 177,010 | $130,390 |
| Web Developers | 200,000 | — |
| Software Developers | 1,654,440 | $133,080 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analysts | 199,800 | $102,610 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Computer User Support Specialists workforce.
Employment Over Time
146,450 Workforce in 2023
The Computer User Support Specialists workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Computer User Support Specialists.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$91,367 Average Wage
In 2023, Computer User Support Specialists earned an average of $91,367.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Computer User Support Specialists.
Salary distribution for Computer User Support Specialists.
Employment Growth Projections
-7.8% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
29,484 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -33.4%
19,650 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -55.6%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Computer User Support Specialists.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Computer User Support Specialists and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Computer User Support Specialists employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Computer User Support Specialists.
Wage Trends by Industry
5.3% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Computer User Support Specialists.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Computer User Support Specialists.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 12,730 employees, $71,850 avg wage
- CA: 11,410 employees, $88,950 avg wage
- OH: 9,320 employees, $71,710 avg wage
- MD: 8,310 employees, $108,990 avg wage
- IL: 8,240 employees, $73,010 avg wage
- FL: 7,830 employees, $76,940 avg wage
- IN: 6,510 employees, $73,450 avg wage
- NY: 6,450 employees, $84,760 avg wage
- VA: 5,690 employees, $85,490 avg wage
- PA: 4,600 employees, $76,040 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Computer User Support Specialists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 6,620 employees, $93,730 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 6,070 employees, $98,540 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 5,730 employees, $76,600 avg wage
- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD: 4,720 employees, $114,610 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 4,710 employees, $76,560 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 4,020 employees, $83,140 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 2,730 employees, $90,700 avg wage
- Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO: 2,630 employees, $94,110 avg wage
- Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN: 2,480 employees, $76,410 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 2,380 employees, $73,540 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Computer User Support Specialists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Computer User Support Specialists in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Computer User Support Specialists in 2023 was 146,450 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Computer User Support Specialists.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Computer User Support Specialists.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Computer User Support Specialists.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Computer User Support Specialists in 2023 were Information Technology, Computer Science, Technical Support.
Common majors for Computer User Support Specialists.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Computer User Support Specialists workers.
Education level distribution for Computer User Support Specialists.
Skills
Computer User Support Specialists need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, Active Learning.
Required skills for Computer User Support Specialists.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Computer User Support Specialists.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Computer User Support Specialists include Computers and Electronics, Telecommunications, Customer and Personal Service, Engineering and Technology, English Language.
Knowledge areas required for Computer User Support Specialists.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Computer User Support Specialists include Oral Comprehension, Deductive Reasoning, Problem Sensitivity, Inductive Reasoning, Oral Expression.
Required abilities for Computer User Support Specialists.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Computer User Support Specialists.
Daily Activities
Computer User Support Specialists spend their time on activities such as Working with Computers, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships.
Most important work activities for Computer User Support Specialists.
About
Computer User Support Specialists
The average yearly wage for Computer User Support Specialists was $91,367 in 2023.
SOC Code
15-1231 - Computer User Support Specialists
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Computer User Support Specialists reports an average salary of $91,367.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 146,450 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -7.8%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.