Computer User Support Specialists

What Computer User Support Specialists Do

Provide technical assistance to computer users. Answer questions or resolve computer problems for clients in person, via telephone, or electronically. May provide assistance concerning the use of computer hardware and software, including printing, installation, word processing, electronic mail, and operating systems.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

None

On-the-job training

Moderate-term on-the-job training

Self-employed

2%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Computers and Electronicsimportance 4.9/5
• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.1/5
• Telecommunicationsimportance 3.9/5
• English Languageimportance 3.8/5
• Education and Trainingimportance 3.7/5
• Mechanicalimportance 3.7/5
• Engineering and Technologyimportance 3.6/5
• Administration and Managementimportance 3.6/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• E-Mail5.0/5
• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.9/5
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.8/5
• Telephone Conversations4.6/5
• Freedom to Make Decisions4.6/5
• Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.4/5

Related Careers

• Computer Network Support Specialists
• Network and Computer Systems Administrators
• Computer Occupations, All Other
• Computer Systems Analysts
• Software Developers
• Database Administrators
• Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers
• Information Security Analysts

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Audio and Video Technicians83% skill match
• Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators82% skill match
• Power Distributors and Dispatchers81% skill match
• Forensic Science Technicians80% skill match
• Air Traffic Controllers79% skill match
• Fish and Game Wardens79% skill match
• Prepress Technicians and Workers78% skill match
• Radiologic Technologists and Technicians77% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.6/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.3/5
• Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.1/5
• Service Orientationimportance 3.1/5
• Instructingimportance 3.0/5
• Operations Monitoringimportance 3.0/5
• Troubleshootingimportance 3.0/5
• Systems Analysisimportance 3.0/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Dependability
• Attention to Detail
• Cooperation
• Perseverance
• Intellectual Curiosity
• Social Orientation
• Adaptability

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• ConventionalHigh
• RealisticMedium
• InvestigativeMedium
• SocialMedium
• EnterprisingLow
• ArtisticLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where computer user support specialists make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Carson City, NV3.81× national avg
2. 2Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA2.77× national avg
3. 3Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT2.16× national avg
4. 4Lansing-East Lansing, MI2.05× national avg
5. 5Boulder, CO1.93× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Power Distributors and DispatchersCareer Change
• Audio and Video TechniciansCareer Change
• Security and Fire Alarm Systems InstallersCareer Change
• Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and TechniciansCareer Change

See the full career path from Computer User Support Specialists →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.