Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

15-1150 Computer Support Specialists

Provide technical assistance to computer users. Answer questions or resolve computer problems for clients in person, or 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. Excludes "Network and Computer Systems Administrators" (15-1142).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
632,490 0.8 % $24.91 $51,820 0.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $13.93 $17.78 $22.91 $30.06 $39.03
Annual Wage (2) $28,980 $36,990 $47,660 $62,530 $81,190


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 122,990 8.20 $25.79 $53,630
Management of Companies and Enterprises 34,980 1.84 $25.25 $52,510
Elementary and Secondary Schools 34,760 0.41 $22.14 $46,040
Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 29,380 4.79 $26.47 $55,050
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 28,570 1.00 $23.05 $47,950

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Software Publishers 22,060 8.32 $27.95 $58,130
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 122,990 8.20 $25.79 $53,630
Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services 16,130 6.75 $24.56 $51,080
Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 29,380 4.79 $26.47 $55,050
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing 7,380 4.65 $29.46 $61,280

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Investment Pools and Funds 660 1.69 $34.94 $72,670
Postal Service 270 0.04 $33.52 $69,720
Amusement Parks and Arcades 120 0.07 $32.98 $68,590
Oil and Gas Extraction 470 0.29 $31.92 $66,400
Natural Gas Distribution 410 0.38 $31.74 $66,020


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 67,880 4.84 0.98 $28.39 $59,050
Texas 54,370 5.28 1.07 $25.85 $53,770
New York 41,070 4.87 0.99 $26.80 $55,740
Florida 31,260 4.37 0.89 $21.38 $44,470
Pennsylvania 24,740 4.46 0.90 $23.30 $48,460




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 5,070 7.87 1.60 $30.81 $64,080
Colorado 16,840 7.73 1.57 $27.47 $57,140
Vermont 2,030 6.98 1.42 $23.19 $48,230
Virginia 24,190 6.81 1.38 $26.69 $55,520
Utah 7,860 6.74 1.37 $22.24 $46,260




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 5,070 7.87 1.60 $30.81 $64,080
Connecticut 8,690 5.40 1.10 $30.08 $62,570
Massachusetts 21,020 6.66 1.35 $29.27 $60,880
California 67,880 4.84 0.98 $28.39 $59,050
Colorado 16,840 7.73 1.57 $27.47 $57,140





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 26,270 5.19 1.05 $28.83 $59,970
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 20,790 9.00 1.83 $29.37 $61,080
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 17,750 7.97 1.62 $24.14 $50,220
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 16,220 7.93 1.61 $28.05 $58,350
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 16,090 4.21 0.85 $26.04 $54,150
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 15,110 4.22 0.86 $27.10 $56,370
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 14,220 8.49 1.72 $30.29 $63,000
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 13,730 5.38 1.09 $26.49 $55,100
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 11,190 6.58 1.34 $23.79 $49,490
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 10,670 7.79 1.58 $28.14 $58,530




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Boulder, CO 2,300 14.82 3.01 $29.14 $60,610
Burlington-South Burlington, VT 1,450 13.01 2.64 $24.37 $50,700
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 3,360 12.55 2.55 $31.53 $65,580
Huntsville, AL 2,350 11.69 2.37 $21.89 $45,530
Madison, WI 3,850 11.67 2.37 $25.86 $53,790
Bismarck, ND 700 11.24 2.28 $20.17 $41,950
Raleigh-Cary, NC 5,290 10.58 2.14 $25.82 $53,710
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 9,120 10.40 2.11 $35.27 $73,350
Ann Arbor, MI 1,890 9.89 2.01 $22.15 $46,070
Framingham, MA NECTA Division 1,490 9.60 1.95 $31.50 $65,530




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 9,120 10.40 2.11 $35.27 $73,350
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 6,510 6.79 1.38 $33.49 $69,660
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 3,360 12.55 2.55 $31.53 $65,580
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 3,690 6.71 1.36 $31.52 $65,560
Framingham, MA NECTA Division 1,490 9.60 1.95 $31.50 $65,530
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division 5,860 6.15 1.25 $31.31 $65,130
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 2,800 6.82 1.38 $31.30 $65,100
Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, MA-NH NECTA Division 1,080 9.45 1.92 $30.45 $63,330
Salinas, CA 630 4.18 0.85 $30.35 $63,120
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 14,220 8.49 1.72 $30.29 $63,000

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 1,080 2.82 0.57 $17.17 $35,710
Other North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 830 2.85 0.58 $20.47 $42,580
West Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 810 4.77 0.97 $21.00 $43,690
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 760 2.75 0.56 $19.40 $40,350
East Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 630 2.69 0.55 $19.97 $41,540

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
St. Mary's County, Maryland nonmetropolitan area 370 8.63 1.75 $25.27 $52,570
North Central Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 150 6.90 1.40 $26.64 $55,420
Northeastern Virginia nonmetropolitan area 310 6.56 1.33 $22.54 $46,870
Southcentral Idaho nonmetropolitan area 420 5.99 1.21 $20.59 $42,830
Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area 410 5.89 1.20 $20.24 $42,100

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Central Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 150 6.90 1.40 $26.64 $55,420
West Central North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 210 3.72 0.76 $25.60 $53,250
North Valley Region of California nonmetropolitan area 50 1.87 0.38 $25.39 $52,800
St. Mary's County, Maryland nonmetropolitan area 370 8.63 1.75 $25.27 $52,570
North Central Colorado nonmetropolitan area 210 2.98 0.60 $25.26 $52,550


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012