What is a Technical Support Engineer?
A Technical Support Engineer helps resolve technical issues within different components of computer systems. This may include: software, hardware, and other network-related IT problems.
They can work in a wide range of industries – from telecommunication to automobile, medical and healthcare services to information technology, and many more.
Technical support engineers are highly skilled in fixing technical problems, including network configuration and account setup. They ease any doubts customers may have about products or services by providing consistent communication via telephone or email.
Technical Support Engineer Job Description
A technical support engineer provides enterprise-level support to customers. An ideal technical support engineer’s resume should highlight their ability to conduct research, diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve IT issues with client satisfaction in mind.
While a technical support engineer’s job description varies based on the industry, there are many skills that crossover interchangeably. Most importantly, the average technical support engineer works around-the-clock to provide quality customer service.
Some skills a technical support engineer will need include:
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
- The ability to work under pressure.
- Self-initiation.
- Good interpersonal skills.
Technical Engineer Responsibilities
A technical support engineer can expect to perform the following tasks and routines on a regular basis.
- Install and configure computer applications.
- Monitor and maintain computer networks.
- Configure operating systems.
- Resolve issues related to the network.
- Prioritize and manage the workflow.
- Diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve issues using customer input.
- Design computer systems that meet specific requirements.
- Learn and work with emerging technologies.
- Act as the first point of contact for clients with issues concerning their computer systems and equipment.
- Keep track of system issues and adhere to the agreed timeline until an issue is resolved.
- Interact with clients via phone, email or chats and provide concise written/verbal instructions.
- Maintain procedural documents and reports.
- Follow standard procedures to resolve issues by connecting them to relevant internal departments.
- Provide prompt, accurate feedback to customers.
- Ensure proper documentation of all issues.
- Follow up with clients, ensuring their computer systems are functioning properly after troubleshooting.
- Prepare prompt, accurate reports.
- Document technical knowledge in the knowledge database.
- Train people on how to use different systems.
- Monitor daily performance of technical systems.
- Help companies deploy new software or hardware systems.
Technical Support Engineer Job Prospects and Salary
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a job growth of 6% between 2021 and 2031. This is on par with the average growth expected for the majority of technical occupations. The median salary for technical support engineers is $56, 910 per year.
As they gain knowledge and experience, technical support engineers may advance their career by becoming network controllers, network analysts, or IT project managers.
Technical Engineer Education Requirements
Technical support engineers are required to hold a bachelor’s degree in at least one of the following: computer science, software engineer, information technology, or other related discipline. While some companies will still consider a candidate with an associate’s degree, or no degree, they expect a lack of formal education to be made up for with extensive, relevant experience and a strong skill set.
For IT support engineers, the following competencies are highly beneficial:
- Operating systems including: Windows, Linux, or Mac OS.
- Computer systems, networks and mobile devices.
- LAN/WAN/MAN
- Scripting languages such as Perl, Python or BASH.
- Help desk software such as Zendesk.
- Remote desktop applications.
It is also important to have a strong customer focus and technical knowledge of their company’s products and services.
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