Computer User Support Specialists
Also called: Computer Support Specialist, Computer Tech (Computer Technician), IS Tech (Information Systems Technician), IT Specialist (Information Technology Specialist)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.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 14 of its 16 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 3.5% by 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 3.9% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Computer support specialists”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.9 hires for every 10 job openings in professional and business services, which employs about 42% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.9 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $49,630 | $42,260 to $61,300 | 7,360 |
| Alaska | $63,110 | $52,420 to $75,550 | 950 |
| Arizona | $61,410 | $48,910 to $76,610 | 18,780 |
| Arkansas | $46,360 | $39,510 to $60,060 | 4,390 |
| California | $79,570 | $62,790 to $101,780 | 74,490 |
| Colorado | $71,900 | $58,690 to $90,040 | 16,740 |
| Connecticut | $70,210 | $56,720 to $85,590 | 9,300 |
| Delaware | $62,160 | $50,480 to $77,170 | 1,890 |
| District of Columbia | $80,950 | $66,410 to $100,730 | 3,140 |
| Florida | $58,740 | $46,990 to $74,850 | 51,220 |
| Georgia | $60,440 | $48,170 to $78,330 | 25,980 |
| Guam | $37,460 | $29,490 to $46,640 | 220 |
| Hawaii | $56,760 | $48,570 to $72,800 | 2,440 |
| Idaho | $59,170 | $47,840 to $77,460 | 3,650 |
| Illinois | $59,860 | $47,190 to $76,660 | 26,060 |
| Indiana | $56,510 | $46,330 to $66,200 | 13,540 |
| Iowa | $58,810 | $47,820 to $73,700 | 6,140 |
| Kansas | $56,150 | $47,470 to $64,890 | 6,780 |
| Kentucky | $57,850 | $44,980 to $71,790 | 9,460 |
| Louisiana | $52,440 | $45,050 to $65,350 | 4,780 |
| Maine | $60,890 | $52,650 to $73,900 | 2,810 |
| Maryland | $64,750 | $51,270 to $82,560 | 12,200 |
| Massachusetts | $75,070 | $60,540 to $91,020 | 17,570 |
| Michigan | $56,240 | $46,220 to $70,000 | 22,090 |
| Minnesota | $63,630 | $54,450 to $78,710 | 15,320 |
| Mississippi | $52,230 | $43,830 to $64,740 | 3,830 |
| Missouri | $59,770 | $47,380 to $73,330 | 13,510 |
| Montana | $58,460 | $49,050 to $65,070 | 1,640 |
| Nebraska | $60,830 | $49,030 to $64,980 | 6,380 |
| Nevada | $57,870 | $47,290 to $72,080 | 6,560 |
| New Hampshire | $60,660 | $48,160 to $75,930 | 3,910 |
| New Jersey | $64,470 | $52,000 to $82,090 | 18,200 |
| New Mexico | $53,280 | $45,610 to $61,920 | 3,290 |
| New York | $72,560 | $56,510 to $91,150 | 39,100 |
| North Carolina | $60,120 | $47,520 to $77,130 | 23,100 |
| North Dakota | $61,310 | $49,780 to $77,380 | 1,400 |
| Ohio | $59,720 | $47,890 to $73,440 | 22,370 |
| Oklahoma | $52,040 | $44,400 to $65,320 | 9,600 |
| Oregon | $62,840 | $53,500 to $79,070 | 8,850 |
| Pennsylvania | $58,670 | $47,190 to $73,230 | 30,560 |
| Puerto Rico | $36,250 | $28,950 to $47,220 | 5,760 |
| Rhode Island | $62,510 | $51,490 to $75,690 | 1,780 |
| South Carolina | $52,080 | $44,160 to $66,320 | 9,880 |
| South Dakota | $48,260 | $40,750 to $59,080 | 1,240 |
| Tennessee | $55,990 | $47,010 to $66,700 | 11,920 |
| Texas | $59,490 | $47,270 to $72,820 | 72,030 |
| Utah | $61,110 | $47,390 to $77,880 | 11,120 |
| Vermont | $63,030 | $54,900 to $80,620 | 1,630 |
| Virgin Islands | $50,430 | $45,910 to $62,910 | 90 |
| Virginia | $65,040 | $51,460 to $80,870 | 20,910 |
| Washington | $75,220 | $60,160 to $92,760 | 21,860 |
| West Virginia | $55,350 | $46,650 to $68,900 | 2,250 |
| Wisconsin | $58,810 | $49,000 to $69,690 | 12,400 |
| Wyoming | $65,100 | $50,940 to $71,760 | 790 |
Nationally: $61,860. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 14 of its 16 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI alone | Read technical manuals, confer with users, or conduct computer diagnostics to investigate and resolve problems or to provide technical assistance and support. | 0.06% |
| Not much | Set up equipment for employee use, performing or ensuring proper installation of cables, operating systems, or appropriate software. | Not published |
| AI alone | Answer user inquiries regarding computer software or hardware operation to resolve problems. | 1.98% |
| Not much | Install and perform minor repairs to hardware, software, or peripheral equipment, following design or installation specifications. | 0.01% |
| AI + software | Confer with staff, users, and management to establish requirements for new systems or modifications. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Oversee the daily performance of computer systems. | 0.01% |
See all 16 tasks
| AI alone | Maintain records of daily data communication transactions, problems and remedial actions taken, or installation activities. | 0.01% |
| AI + software | Refer major hardware or software problems or defective products to vendors or technicians for service. | Not published |
| AI alone | Prepare evaluations of software or hardware, and recommend improvements or upgrades. | 0.07% |
| AI alone | Develop training materials and procedures, or train users in the proper use of hardware or software. | Not published |
| AI + software | Inspect equipment and read order sheets to prepare for delivery to users. | Not published |
| AI alone | Enter commands and observe system functioning to verify correct operations and detect errors. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Read trade magazines and technical manuals, or attend conferences and seminars to maintain knowledge of hardware and software. | Not published |
| AI + software | Modify and customize commercial programs for internal needs. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Conduct office automation feasibility studies, including workflow analysis, space design, or cost comparison analysis. | Not published |
| AI + software | Hire, supervise, and direct workers engaged in special project work, problem-solving, monitoring, and installation of data communication equipment and software. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 9 of the 16 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 16 tasks fall under 17 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #4 Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- #15 Evaluate the characteristics, usefulness, or performance of products or technologies
- and 4 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Advise others on the design or use of technologies | |||
| Coordinate with others to resolve problems | |||
| Set up computer systems, networks, or other information systems | |||
| Test performance of computer or information systems | |||
| Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise | |||
| Evaluate the characteristics, usefulness, or performance of products or technologies | |||
| Communicate with others about specifications or project details |
Show all 17 activities
| Research technology designs or applications | |||
| Resolve computer problems | |||
| Design computer or information systems or applications | |||
| Monitor operation of computer or information technologies | |||
| Maintain electronic, computer, or other technical equipment | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Train others to use equipment or products | |||
| Perform recruiting or hiring activities | |||
| Supervise personnel activities |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An explanation or answer48%
- Advice or a recommendation12%
- Configuration or infrastructure10%
- A script or snippet7%
- Code fixes or debugging4%
How they worked with Claude
46% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for computer user support specialists specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 653,851 moves out
- 1 Computer Occupations, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
- 2 Network and Computer Systems Administrators Very high -4.1% 6%
- 3 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 4 Computer Systems Analysts Very high +7.9% 4%
- 5 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 4%
Where people moved in from
of 540,970 moves in
- 1 Network and Computer Systems Administrators Very high -4.1% 6%
- 2 Computer Occupations, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 3 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 5%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 5 Computer Systems Analysts Very high +7.9% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 2% some college
- 14% associate's
- 4% professional doctorate
- 80% not published
O*NET marks 80% of the answers as too uncertain to publish, so the parts shown don't add up to 100%.
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 21 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 1% less than high school
- 11% high school
- 24% some college
- 15% associate's
- 36% bachelor's
- 11% master's
- 1% professional degree
- 1% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Computer support specialists” · 6,726 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Computer support specialists”
3 programs: Agricultural Business Technology/Technician, Computer Support Specialist and Medical Office Computer Specialist/Assistant.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
29.7% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | <0.5% | 19.1% |
| a certification | 9.9% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | 0.6% | 2.8% |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 9 registered apprenticeships in this occupation. Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Computer User Support Specialists” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/15-1232.00