IT Support Technician

Also known as
IT user support technician, IT helpdesk technician, service desk technician, IT service engineer

Become a “hero of science"

When you lose data, crash a PC, or can't get an important presentation to work, don't panic! IT support are the heroes that rescue software or hardware when it all goes horribly wrong.

At a glance

What can you expect from this role?
Average salary per year
£18000
Starter
Experienced
£18000
£35000
Typical hours
35 to 40 a week
You could work evenings / weekends on shifts
Flexible working hours?
Need a lab coat?
Not for this role!

What to expect

Day-to-day tasks

You could:

  • take details from customers about their IT problems
  • find and fix faults
  • track work in progress and record issues and solutions
  • update online databases
  • regularly check equipment like printers, projectors and IT networks
  • set up new equipment and upgrade existing systems
  • teach people how to use new software, face-to-face and online

Working environment

You could work in an office, at a client's business or in a contact centre.

More Information

Career tips

You may also find it useful to get an industry standard certification like:

Further information

You can find out more about working in IT support from techskills and The Chartered Institute for IT.

Explore the different ways to get into this role

People in these types of job started their career paths after studying courses like the ones below.

College

You could take a college course in computing or IT support, like a: Level 2 Certificate in ICT Systems Support…
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Apprenticeship

You may be able to get into this job by doing an advanced apprenticeship, such as: IT Solutions Technician Level…
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Work

You could get started as a trainee technician and do qualifications while you work. You'll need some IT skills to…
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Discover the skills you need for this role

People in these types of job possess skills like the ones below.

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • the ability to work well with others
  • knowledge of computer operating systems, hardware and software
  • analytical thinking skills
  • knowledge of engineering science and technology
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • customer service skills
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • to be flexible and open to change
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

Career progression

Career progression opportunities include

With experience, you could become a manager or senior IT support technician. You could teach in further education or move into technical sales.

With training, you could move to a similar job, such as:

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