Job: IT Support Specialists

Percent growth: 2.4 Percent 

Average salary: $50,000

The report estimates about 712,000 IT support specialists jobs in 2023. Although only ranking eighth for percent growth, support specialists make up a large share of tech jobs, only second to software developers and engineers.

IT support specialists make about $50,000 in annual median salary, according to CompTIA’s online salary calculator. The 10th percentile sees about $34,000. The 90th percentile sees about $91,000.

IT support specialists face the second highest turnover rate among tech jobs featured in the report. They face an estimated annual turnover rate of 46 percent. The tech workforce faces a 36 percent annual turnover rate.

Support specialists’ turnover rate is second only to the 48 percent of computer, ATM and office machine technicians.

These jobs also tie for the second highest annual replacement rate at 8 percent, just over the workforce’s 7 percent. They are tied with network support specialists and web and digital interface designers. These jobs are second to the 11 percent faced by computer, ATM and office machine technicians.

More young professionals make up IT support specialists compared to the tech workforce. About 35 percent of IT support specialists are 19 to 34 compared to the tech workforce’s 32 percent.

About 47 percent of support specialists are 35 to 54 compared to 51 percent for the workforce. And the share of 55 and older support specialists is the same as the workforce at 17 percent, according to CompTIA.

IT support specialists are more diverse than the tech workforce overall. About 12 percent of support specialists are Black or African American compared to 8 percent of the workforce. Black people make up about 13 percent of the U.S. labor force.

About 11 percent of IT support specialists are Hispanic or Latino, according to CompTIA. That’s a higher share than the 8 percent of the tech workforce that identifies as Hispanic or Latino.

About 28 percent of support specialists are women, higher than the 26 percent share for the tech workforce.

About 12 percent of the overall United States workforce is Black or African American. About 17 percent of the U.S. workforce is Hispanic or Latino. About 50 percent of the overall U.S. workforce are women, according to the report.