IT support technicians, sometimes known as IS support staff, help to find and correct software and hardware problems for computer users. They may work as part of a team within their own organisation or support outside commercial clients.

IT support technicians work on site or remotely by phone, email or using web-based applications. Their typical day-to-day duties include: 

• working with the client to find the exact nature of a fault
• working out the reasons for the breakdown of systems or peripherals – like printers, scanners and modems
• visiting clients, or sending out a field technician, to deal with problems that cannot be resolved over the phone or via the website
• installing and configuring new equipment and upgrading existing systems
• testing, repairing and maintaining equipment
• recording problems and their solutions
• training clients on new systems or software applications.

Some support technicians work on technical support telephone helplines or online support services for PC manufacturers and retailers, dealing with enquiries from home users. See the profile for Helpdesk Professional for more details about this type of IT support job.

Hours and Environment

IT support technicians work 37 to 40 hours a week. On-call duties, including weekends, are common.

As a support technician in an organisation your work will be mainly office based, with some of your time spent visiting other departments. You may need to travel if you are dealing with external clients, or if your support operation works across multiple sites.

Skills and Interests

As an IT support technician, you need:

• a thorough knowledge of operating systems, networking, hardware and office software
• excellent problem solving skills
• the ability to explain problems and solutions clearly to non-technical staff
• the ability to work under pressure and to deadlines
• a patient and methodical approach to work
• the ability to work alone or as part of a team
• the ability to prioritise tasks
• a commitment to keep up to date with IT developments
• an awareness of electrical health and safety regulations.

Entry

You can start as a trainee IT support technician if you have a good working knowledge of computer systems, but you can enhance your prospects by studying for IT qualifications. These include:

• NCFE Certificate for IT Practitioners (General) Level 2
• BTEC First Certificate (Level 2) and National Certificate IT Practitioners (ICT Systems Support) Level 3
• City & Guilds (E-Quals) IT Practitioners Certificate at Level 1 and Diploma (7266) at Level 2
• OCR (iPRO) Certificate for IT Practitioners (ICT Systems Support) Level 2.

The City & Guilds and OCR awards at Level 3 also contain optional units taken from CompTIA, Cisco and Microsoft certifications. See the Training section for more details about certifications.

You may be able to start as a trainee IT support technician through an engineering, electronics or information technology apprenticeship. Funding for apprenticeships is available for 16-24 year olds and some over-25s. To find out more, visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk. For information about apprenticeships in other parts of the UK, see Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

You can also enter this career with a foundation degree, BTEC HNC/HND or degree. Relevant subjects include:

• computing
• computer studies/ computer science
• networking
• business information technology.

For information about foundation degrees see Foundation Degree Forward. To search for colleges and universities offering foundation degrees, HNDs and degrees see Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

For information about IT careers and qualifications, see the e-skills UK website in Further Information.

Training

Once you are working as a support technician, your employer will give you on-the-job training, covering some or all of the following areas:

• ICT hardware and software support
• advanced networking (LAN and WAN)
• diagnosis and troubleshooting
• customer support systems
• repair centre procedures
• telecommunications planning.

You can work towards one of several relevant qualifications in this job. These include:

• BTEC National Diploma IT Practitioners (ICT Systems Support) Level 3
• City & Guilds (E-Quals) IT Practitioners Advanced Diploma (7266) Level 3 
• City & Guilds Higher Professional Diploma for IT Practitioners (ICT Systems Support) Level 4
• OCR (iPRO) Certificate for IT Practitioners (ICT Systems Support) Level 3
• OCR (iPRO) Higher Level award IT Professionals (ICT Systems Support) Level 4
• SVQ for IT Practitioners levels 2 to 4 
• NVQ for IT Professionals levels 3 and 4 or Communication Technologies Professionals levels 3 and 4.

Alternatively, you can consider other industry-recognised certifications, such as:

• CompTIA A+ Certification
• Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
• Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST)
• Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE).

Although not essential, it is recommended that you achieve a level 3 qualification or have extensive experience in the industry before starting one of these certification courses.

The British Computer Society (BCS) also offers a range of professional qualifications for staff working in the IT sector. You can find details about of all these awards from the organisations in the Further Information section below.

The Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA)
The framework has been developed by e-skills, industry bodies and employers to help you identify your current skills and plan future career development pathways. See the SFIA website below for more details.

Opportunities

You will find job vacancies for IT support technicians across almost all industries. Typical employers include financial organisations, the health service and IT companies. However, all medium-sized and large companies using any kind of IT system will have a need for technical support.

The highest concentration of jobs is in London, the south-east, eastern England and the north-west.  As the IT knowledge of the general workforce improves, some employers may look for IT support technicians with the skills to deal with more complex queries.

As an experienced IT support technician, you can move into a supervisory role or a related area, such as network administration, IT security or training.

Annual Income

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

IT support technicians' salaries start between £17,000 and £20,000.
Experienced staff can earn between £21,000 and £26,000.
Senior staff with management responsibility may earn up to £30,000 a year.

Further information

1 Sanford Street
Swindon
Wiltshire
SN1 1HJ 1 Castle Lane
London
SW1E 6DR