Contents
- IT support employment statistics: how many support specialists are employed?
- IT support employment statistics by support occupation and outlook
- IT support employment statistics by state
- IT support employment statistics by industry
- IT support employment statistics: pay and workplace conditions
- IT support employment statistics: training and experience requirements
- IT support employment statistics: workplace conditions and demands
- Sources
IT support employment statistics: how many support specialists are employed?
The term “computer support specialists” covers more than one occupation in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) table. In May 2025, the broad group had 863,380 U.S. jobs. Within it, computer user support specialists accounted for 717,190 jobs, while computer network support specialists accounted for 146,190. These are employment estimates for that month, not counts of people who were unemployed or looking for work. BLS OEWS national employment and wage data, May 2025
| Occupation | U.S. jobs, May 2025 |
|---|---|
| Computer support specialists | 863,380 |
| Computer user support specialists | 717,190 |
| Computer network support specialists | 146,190 |
The two specific occupation counts make clear why the broad total should be read with its definition in mind. User support specialists provide assistance to computer users; network support specialists focus on network-related support. The figures are separate rows in the same national OEWS table, each tied to its stated occupation. BLS OEWS national employment and wage data, May 2025
IT support employment statistics by support occupation and outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook presents projections for 2025 and 2035. These are projected employment levels, distinct from the May 2025 observed OEWS estimates above. The projected level for computer support specialists is 903,100 in 2025 and 878,800 in 2035. The projection for user support specialists is 750,600 in 2025 and 724,400 in 2035. For network support specialists, it is 152,500 in 2025 and 154,400 in 2035. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Computer Support Specialists
| Occupation | Projected employment, 2025 | Projected employment, 2035 |
|---|---|---|
| Computer support specialists | 903,100 | 878,800 |
| Computer user support specialists | 750,600 | 724,400 |
| Computer network support specialists | 152,500 | 154,400 |
Across the 2025–2035 projection period, computer support specialists are projected to decline by 24,300 jobs, a 3% change. The user support specialist projection is a decline of 26,200 jobs. Network support specialists have a different projected direction: their employment is projected to rise from 152,500 in 2025 to 154,400 in 2035. These are occupation-level projections, not guarantees about an individual employer or local labor market. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Computer Support Specialists
A falling projected employment level does not mean there are no opportunities to enter the field. The Handbook projects about 48,700 openings for computer support specialists each year on average over 2025–2035. It attributes those openings to replacement needs as workers transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force. The annual openings measure is therefore different from net employment change: it describes projected openings across the decade, while the change figure compares projected employment levels. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Computer Support Specialists
IT support employment statistics by state
State employment tables for May 2024 show the highest-employment states for each support occupation. For computer user support specialists, California led the listed states with 70,920 jobs. Texas had 61,290, Florida 48,780, and New York 41,260. The listed figures then include Pennsylvania at 29,220, Georgia at 26,900, Illinois at 25,370, Ohio at 22,090, Michigan at 21,970, and North Carolina at 21,730. BLS OEWS highest employment by state and occupation, May 2024
These counts describe computer user support specialists, not all computer support jobs. The source table is explicitly a highest-employment ranking, so the entries are not a complete state-by-state distribution. The sequence indicates where the occupation had the largest recorded employment levels among the listed states; it does not provide state shares, employment rates, or a comparison adjusted for population. BLS OEWS highest employment by state and occupation, May 2024
The network support picture has a different scale and ranking. Texas had the highest listed employment, with 12,730 computer network support specialists in May 2024. California followed with 11,410. These are counts for the network support occupation in the source’s top-employment state table, and should not be combined with the user support state counts as if they described the same occupation. BLS OEWS highest employment by state and occupation, May 2024
IT support employment statistics by industry
Computer user support specialists worked across varied industries in May 2024. Computer systems design and related services employed 157,410, the largest count among the industries shown. Elementary and secondary schools employed 42,000; management of companies and enterprises, 37,660; and employment services, 32,900. Colleges, universities, and professional schools employed 27,930. BLS OEWS highest employment by industry and occupation, May 2024
| Industry employing computer user support specialists | Employment, May 2024 |
|---|---|
| Computer systems design and related services | 157,410 |
| Elementary and secondary schools | 42,000 |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 37,660 |
| Employment services | 32,900 |
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools | 27,930 |
| Professional and commercial equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers | 23,770 |
| Local government, excluding schools and hospitals | 22,750 |
| State government, excluding schools and hospitals | 19,520 |
| Computing infrastructure providers, data processing, web hosting, and related services | 19,120 |
The distribution extends from technology service firms to education, staffing, government, and wholesale businesses. The table’s industry labels matter: for example, the local and state government counts exclude schools and hospitals. As with the state ranking, these are the highest-employment industries in the source’s table, not a full list of every industry that employs user support specialists. BLS OEWS highest employment by industry and occupation, May 2024
Network support specialists also appear in multiple industries. Computer systems design and related services employed 29,820 in May 2024, while telecommunications employed 12,540. These values are specific to computer network support specialists; they should be kept distinct from the user support industry figures above. BLS OEWS highest employment by industry and occupation, May 2024
Software publishers employed 28,890 computer user support specialists in May 2024. Data tables for OEWS charts: highest employment by industry and occupation, May 2024
IT support employment statistics: pay and workplace conditions
National median annual wages in May 2025 differed by support occupation. Computer user support specialists had a median annual wage of $61,860, compared with $76,220 for computer network support specialists. A median divides the occupation’s wage distribution into two equal parts; it is not an entry-level wage or a promise of what a particular worker will earn. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Computer Support Specialists
Industry medians provide further context for selected sectors. In May 2025, computer user support specialists working in government, excluding state and local education and hospitals, had a median annual wage of $77,180. For network support specialists, the median was $82,640 in finance and insurance and $77,810 in telecommunications. These are occupation-specific medians by selected industry, so they should not be read as an across-the-board wage for every IT support role in those sectors. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Computer Support Specialists
Work schedules can include nonstandard hours. The Occupational Outlook Handbook explains that some computer support specialists work nights or weekends because support services may need to be available 24 hours a day. That is a qualitative description of possible schedules, not a percentage of workers assigned to nights or weekends. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Computer Support Specialists
IT support employment statistics: training and experience requirements
The Occupational Requirements Survey (ORS) describes requirements attached to jobs, rather than the credentials held by workers. In 2025, on-the-job training was required for 86.2% of computer user support specialist jobs, and prior work experience was required for 56.8%. The measures do not mean that those shares of workers had completed training or possessed prior experience; they report the job requirements recorded by the survey. BLS Occupational Requirements Survey, Computer User Support Specialists, 2025
Education requirements varied across the same occupation’s jobs. A high school diploma was required for 43.6% of computer user support specialist jobs in 2025, while an associate’s degree was required for 32.9%. The figures describe separate credential requirements in the ORS profile. They should not be treated as a complete breakdown of every possible education level, nor as a statement that a specific credential is mandatory for all employers. BLS Occupational Requirements Survey, Computer User Support Specialists, 2025
Taken together, the indicators show a mix of formal education, experience, and workplace training requirements across jobs. They do not establish that one pathway is sufficient for every position, and they do not describe hiring preferences beyond the listed requirements. The profile is specifically about computer user support specialist jobs in 2025, not all IT occupations. BLS Occupational Requirements Survey, Computer User Support Specialists, 2025
IT support employment statistics: workplace conditions and demands
The 2025 ORS profile offers a detailed view of job conditions for computer user support specialists. Telework was routinely allowed for 52.4% of jobs, while work schedules varied for 30.6%. A supervisor was present in the immediate work area for 39.2% of jobs. The figures describe whether these arrangements or conditions applied to jobs, not what every worker experienced on every shift. BLS Occupational Requirements Survey, Computer User Support Specialists, 2025
| Job condition or requirement | Share of jobs, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Telework routinely allowed | 52.4% |
| Work schedule varies | 30.6% |
| Supervisor present in immediate work area | 39.2% |
| Ability to pause work for brief unscheduled breaks | 86.7% |
| Ability to choose to sit or stand for tasks | 75.6% |
| Driving required | 17.8% |
The ORS also measured interpersonal and physical demands. More than basic people skills were required for 97.0% of jobs; basic people skills were required for 3.0%. Speaking was required for greater than 99.5% of jobs. Within the speaking frequency categories, it was occasionally required for 62.6% and frequently required for 37.2%. These frequency figures describe job requirements, not the amount of time every worker spent talking. BLS Occupational Requirements Survey, Computer User Support Specialists, 2025
The physical-demand profile reports that workers spent an average of 81.2% of the workday sitting and 18.8% standing in 2025. The ability to choose to sit or stand while performing tasks was available in 75.6% of jobs, and brief unscheduled breaks were available in 86.7%. Driving was required in 17.8% of jobs. Together, these measures describe a role that is commonly communication-intensive and often performed seated, while also showing variation in mobility and work arrangements across jobs. BLS Occupational Requirements Survey, Computer User Support Specialists, 2025
Sources
- Table 1. National employment and wage data from the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey by occupation, May 2025
- Computer Support Specialists: Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational projections and worker characteristics
- Data tables for OEWS charts: highest employment by state and occupation, May 2024
- Data tables for OEWS charts: highest employment by industry and occupation, May 2024
- Computer user support specialists: Occupational Requirements Survey profile, 2025