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Computer Support Specialist

Types of Degrees Computer Support Specialist Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Computer Support Specialist can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1,164
Associate’s Degree	1,558
Bachelor’s Degree	132
Master’s Degree	1,939

What Computer Support Specialist Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Computer Support Specialist emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Computer Support Specialist graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Computer Support Specialist emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.9 / 5; level 6.1 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Telecommunications — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Computer Support Specialist program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Computer Support Specialist careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Computer Support Specialist graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.8 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.8 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.7 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	3.7 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.6 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Computer Support Specialist professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Exchange	Electronic mail software	—
VMware	Clustering software	—
Voice over internet protocol VoIP system software	Internet protocol IP multimedia subsystem software	—
IBM Domino	Communications server software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
Job control language JCL	Operating system software	—
Citrix cloud computing software	Access software	—
Wireshark	Network monitoring software	—
Shell script	Operating system software	—
Nagios	Network monitoring software	—
Microsoft Dynamics	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Apple macOS	Operating system software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Computer Support Specialist graduates include:

• Technical Support Specialist
• Support Engineer
• Technical Support Technician (Technical Support Tech)
• Computer Systems Specialist
• Technical Services Specialist
• IT Tech (Information Technology Technician)
• IT Support Tech (Information Technology Support Technician)
• Service Desk Analyst
• Computer Specialist
• Desktop Support Technician (Desktop Support Tech)
• Operations Support Technician (Operations Support Tech)
• Computer Operator
• IT Associate (Information Technology Associate)
• Help Desk Tech (Help Desk Technician)
• Computer Support Specialist

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Computer Support Specialist graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	47.2%
Postsecondary certificate	26.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	15.8%
Some college courses	4.9%
First professional degree	3.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.5%
Post-master’s certificate	0.4%
Master’s degree	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Computer Support Specialist?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 78.2% of Computer Support Specialist degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,071	21.8%
Men	3,851	78.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Computer Support Specialist graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,118	43.0%
Asian	310	6.3%
Hispanic or Latino	975	19.8%
Black or African American	868	17.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	43	0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	31	0.6%
Two or More Races	244	5.0%
Race Unknown	294	6.0%
International Students	39	0.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Computer Support Specialist Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Computer Support Specialist graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$64,248
4 years	$56,780
5 years	$64,307

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $64,307 — roughly 0% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Computer Support Specialist Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Computer Support Specialist. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	40	14
Bachelor’s	18	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Computer Support Specialist Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Computer Support Specialist graduates earn a median of $56,780 four years after completion — roughly 49% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management	11.10
Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance	11.1003
Computer/Information Technology Services Administration and Management, Other	11.1099
Information Technology Project Management	11.1005
Network and System Administration/Administrator	11.1001
System, Networking, and LAN/WAN Management/Manager	11.1002
Web/Multimedia Management and Webmaster	11.1004
Cloud Computing	11.0902
Computer Programming/Programmer, General	11.0201
Computer Science	11.0701
Computer Systems Analysis/Analyst	11.0501
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications	11.0901

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.