Technical Support Representative Job Description – Salary, Education and Career Guide for becoming a Technical Support Representative

Technical Support Representatives have many different titles. They include:
  • customer service representative
  • help desk technician
  • maintenance technician
  • PC support specialist
  • sales support technician.
 

Job Description

Technical support representatives are troubleshooters who provide technical support for many different products including computer hardware, software and systems. When users contact these representatives with technical problems, the technicians may use computer programs that automatically diagnose the issue.
 
Technical support representatives perform maintenance on computers by modifying them and cleaning them. They can also install and repair hardware and software. These representatives may also train people to use products, write manuals and provide day-to-day administration of their company’s computers.
 
Technical support representatives might work at their employer's company site or at an outside location. Help-desk or call centers are now frequently used. This outsourcing allows off-site contractors to respond to inquiries from the clients.
 
Support representatives generally work 40 hours a week in large workspaces. Representatives have stations equipped with computers, telephones and a supervisor. Clients contact representatives via:
  • e-mail
  • telephone
  • Web site.
 
Occasionally technical support representatives may be required to be “on-call” for weekends or evenings, and overtime may be required when problems occur. Ergonomics are extremely important for people who work on the computer most of their day.

Salary Guide

The median technical support representative salary is $41,500. The range for the middle 50 percent is between $33,000 and $54,000. The lowest paid technical support representatives make about $24,000 and the highest paid make over $70,000.

Education and Training

Some technical support representative jobs require a degree or certification, but many employers understand that experience and knowledge can be even more important. Formal college education is preferable for some positions. Some employers require a Bachelor’s or Associate’s degree. Others require only experience and/or a certificate, and offer a training program.
 
In addition to understanding their particular products, service representatives require additional training. This training may include:
  • customer expectations
  • managing discussions
  • problem-solving, analytical and communication skills
  • providing quality customer service
  • reducing lost calls
  • technologies required for the position
  • telephone skills.
 

Management positions require training in additional areas. These include:

  • effective training
  • managing employee stress
  • reducing turnover
  • technological applications
  • workforce management.
 

Prior Work Experience

Potential candidates for these positions do not always need prior work experience. They could, however, be hired at a higher level if they have additional skills.

Career Advancement

Job advancement may depend more on performance than education. Technical support representatives learn how to improve products through increased exposure and interaction with users. This can lead to promotions to positions such as:
  • computer engineer
  • product designer
  • technical support.
 
As technology advances, support personnel must continue learning and pursue continuing education.

Related Associations & Groups

For more information on technical support representative jobs, you may wish to contact:
  • The Information Technology Association of America
  • The World Technology and Services Alliance.
 
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