Typical entry: Some college, no degree
IT support specialist
Computer user support specialists help people with hardware, software, networks, and accounts: help desks, service desks, and desktop support in every industry. It is the most common first job in IT.
By the Degreeless Jobs research deskUpdated Sep 7, 2026Sources: BLS, O*NET
What an IT support specialist makes
Median pay, May 2025, United States
$61,860
$29.74 an hour, median
- 25th percentile
- $49,000
- 75th percentile
- $79,040
- 90th percentile
- $100,540
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Wages of employed workers, not offers.
- Typical entry education
- Some college, no degree
- BLS
- Workers without a bachelor's
- 48%
- O*NET
- Growth, 2025 to 2035
- -3.5%
- BLS projections
- Openings a year
- 39,700
- BLS projections
How people get in without a degree
BLS lists the typical entry education as some college with no degree, and employers routinely hire on a certificate plus demonstrated troubleshooting. The most direct route is the Google IT Support Professional Certificate (or CompTIA A+ for a vendor-neutral credential), a home lab or volunteer tech work for the resume, and applying to help-desk roles that state no degree requirement.
The work, as O*NET defines it: 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.
The next step
Google IT Support Professional Certificate
- Typical cost
- $49 per month on Coursera, typically $150 to $300 total
- Time to complete
- About 6 months at 10 hours a week
Where to start Google IT Support Professional Certificate
Costs and durations are ranges gathered from provider and state sources; confirm the current price and your state's rules before you pay anything. Never pay a fee to apply for a job.
Pay by state
Median pay for computer user support specialists by state, May 2025, sorted by annual median. States without a published estimate are omitted.
| State | Hourly median | Annual median | 25th to 75th | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $38.92 | $80,950 | $66,410 to $100,730 | 3,140 |
| California | $38.25 | $79,570 | $62,790 to $101,780 | 74,490 |
| Washington | $36.17 | $75,220 | $60,160 to $92,760 | 21,860 |
| Massachusetts | $36.09 | $75,070 | $60,540 to $91,020 | 17,570 |
| New York | $34.89 | $72,560 | $56,510 to $91,150 | 39,100 |
| Colorado | $34.57 | $71,900 | $58,690 to $90,040 | 16,740 |
| Connecticut | $33.76 | $70,210 | $56,720 to $85,590 | 9,300 |
| Wyoming | $31.30 | $65,100 | $50,940 to $71,760 | 790 |
| Virginia | $31.27 | $65,040 | $51,460 to $80,870 | 20,910 |
| Maryland | $31.13 | $64,750 | $51,270 to $82,560 | 12,200 |
| New Jersey | $31.00 | $64,470 | $52,000 to $82,090 | 18,200 |
| Minnesota | $30.59 | $63,630 | $54,450 to $78,710 | 15,320 |
| Alaska | $30.34 | $63,110 | $52,420 to $75,550 | 950 |
| Vermont | $30.30 | $63,030 | $54,900 to $80,620 | 1,630 |
| Oregon | $30.21 | $62,840 | $53,500 to $79,070 | 8,850 |
| Rhode Island | $30.05 | $62,510 | $51,490 to $75,690 | 1,780 |
| Delaware | $29.89 | $62,160 | $50,480 to $77,170 | 1,890 |
| Arizona | $29.53 | $61,410 | $48,910 to $76,610 | 18,780 |
| North Dakota | $29.48 | $61,310 | $49,780 to $77,380 | 1,400 |
| Utah | $29.38 | $61,110 | $47,390 to $77,880 | 11,120 |
| Maine | $29.28 | $60,890 | $52,650 to $73,900 | 2,810 |
| Nebraska | $29.25 | $60,830 | $49,030 to $64,980 | 6,380 |
| New Hampshire | $29.16 | $60,660 | $48,160 to $75,930 | 3,910 |
| Georgia | $29.06 | $60,440 | $48,170 to $78,330 | 25,980 |
| North Carolina | $28.90 | $60,120 | $47,520 to $77,130 | 23,100 |
| Illinois | $28.78 | $59,860 | $47,190 to $76,660 | 26,060 |
| Missouri | $28.74 | $59,770 | $47,380 to $73,330 | 13,510 |
| Ohio | $28.71 | $59,720 | $47,890 to $73,440 | 22,370 |
| Texas | $28.60 | $59,490 | $47,270 to $72,820 | 72,030 |
| Idaho | $28.45 | $59,170 | $47,840 to $77,460 | 3,650 |
| Iowa | $28.27 | $58,810 | $47,820 to $73,700 | 6,140 |
| Wisconsin | $28.27 | $58,810 | $49,000 to $69,690 | 12,400 |
| Florida | $28.24 | $58,740 | $46,990 to $74,850 | 51,220 |
| Pennsylvania | $28.21 | $58,670 | $47,190 to $73,230 | 30,560 |
| Montana | $28.11 | $58,460 | $49,050 to $65,070 | 1,640 |
| Nevada | $27.82 | $57,870 | $47,290 to $72,080 | 6,560 |
| Kentucky | $27.81 | $57,850 | $44,980 to $71,790 | 9,460 |
| Hawaii | $27.29 | $56,760 | $48,570 to $72,800 | 2,440 |
| Indiana | $27.17 | $56,510 | $46,330 to $66,200 | 13,540 |
| Michigan | $27.04 | $56,240 | $46,220 to $70,000 | 22,090 |
| Kansas | $27.00 | $56,150 | $47,470 to $64,890 | 6,780 |
| Tennessee | $26.92 | $55,990 | $47,010 to $66,700 | 11,920 |
| West Virginia | $26.61 | $55,350 | $46,650 to $68,900 | 2,250 |
| New Mexico | $25.62 | $53,280 | $45,610 to $61,920 | 3,290 |
| Louisiana | $25.21 | $52,440 | $45,050 to $65,350 | 4,780 |
| Mississippi | $25.11 | $52,230 | $43,830 to $64,740 | 3,830 |
| South Carolina | $25.04 | $52,080 | $44,160 to $66,320 | 9,880 |
| Oklahoma | $25.02 | $52,040 | $44,400 to $65,320 | 9,600 |
| Alabama | $23.86 | $49,630 | $42,260 to $61,300 | 7,360 |
| South Dakota | $23.20 | $48,260 | $40,750 to $59,080 | 1,240 |
| Arkansas | $22.29 | $46,360 | $39,510 to $60,060 | 4,390 |
Questions
Do you need a degree to be an IT support specialist?
No. BLS lists "some college, no degree" as the typical education for entry, and 48% of workers in the occupation report less than a bachelor's degree (O*NET). The usual credential is google IT Support Professional Certificate.
How much does an IT support specialist make?
The median pay was $61,860 a year ($29.74 an hour) in May 2025, according to BLS. The middle half earned between $49,000 and $79,040, and the top 10 percent earned more than $100,540.
How long does it take to become an IT support specialist?
About 6 months at 10 hours a week. The typical cost is $49 per month on Coursera, typically $150 to $300 total.
Is IT support specialist work growing?
BLS projects employment to decline 3.5% from 2025 to 2035 with about 39,700 openings a year from growth and from workers leaving the occupation.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation code 15-1232.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 (Table 1.2).
- O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), CC BY 4.0. The share without a bachelor’s degree is our summary of O*NET’s education distribution; USDOL/ETA has not approved or endorsed it.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile