Desktop Support Engineer
Impact: Direct Support
Provides technical assistance and support related to computer systems, hardware, or software. Responds to queries, runs diagnostic programs, isolates problems, and determines and implements solutions.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Extensive
- Team vs solo
- Balanced
- Client facing
- Always
- Impact visibility
- Moderate
- Travel
- Occasional local travel
- Schedule flexibility
- Structured
- Remote work
- Hybrid
- Typical work hours
- 40 hours/week
- Stress level
- Moderate
At a glance
- Median salary
- $60,000
- Entry-level
- $45,000
- Senior
- $80,000
- Growth by 2033
- Average
- Demand
- Stable
- Freelance potential
- Low
- Salary growth potential
- Medium
- Typical student debt
- $20,000 - $30,000
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- Troubleshooting
- OS Support
- Network Basics
- Hardware Repair
Soft skills
- Problem-solving
- Communication
- Customer Service
Technical complexity: Moderate
How to get there
- Minimum education
- Associate's Degree
- Licensing
- No
- Years to mid-career
- 5
- Years to senior
- 10
- Career switching
- Moderate
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
Where you can go from here
Typical progression
- IT Support Specialist
- Desktop Support Engineer
- Systems Administrator
- IT Manager
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- Low
- AI disruption risk
- Moderate
- Demand trend
- Stable
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 4/10
- Meaning
- 4/10
- Work-life balance
- 3.5/10
- Prestige
- 5.5/10
- Social perception
- High