As of August 01, 2026, the average hourly rate for a Technical Support Engineer I in the United States is $32, which translates to an annual salary of about $66,428.
However, the hourly wage can vary significantly based on several factors. Here’s a detailed look at the typical pay range per hour:
Technical Support Engineer I Salaries by Percentile
| Annual Salary |
Monthly Pay |
Weekly Pay |
Hourly Wage |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75th Percentile | $72,129 | $6,011 | $1,387 | $35 |
| Average | $66,428 | $5,536 | $1,277 | $32 |
| 25th Percentile | $58,769 | $4,897 | $1,130 | $28 |
A Technical Support Engineer I's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
Experience is a primary driver of a Technical Support Engineer I's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
| Job Role | Years of Experience | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Technical Support Engineer I | 0-2 years | $66,428 |
| Technical Support Engineer II | 2-4 years | $79,784 |
| Technical Support Engineer III | 4-7 years | $105,367 |
| Technical Support Engineer IV | 7+ years | $122,511 |
| Technical Support Engineer V | 7-10 years | $150,640 |
Demanded Skills for the Role:
| Skills | Demand Percentage |
|---|---|
| Troubleshooting | 9.41% |
| IT Support | 2.56% |
| Computer Systems | 1.83% |
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Technical Support Engineer I's salary.
| Skill | Salary | Salary % Increase |
|---|---|---|
| API | $71,742 | |
| Agile | $71,742 | |
| Project Management | $71,742 |
Technical Support Engineer I salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $74,362. While startup companies pay approximate $62,909.
| Company Size | Employees | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Startup | 1~50 | $62,909 |
| Growth Stage | 51~500 | $66,533 |
| Established | 501~5000 | $71,810 |
| Enterprise | 5000+ | $74,362 |
Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Technical Support Engineer I enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Technical Support Engineer I with a Bachelor's Degree is between $65,370 and $69,893.
| Typical Education for Technical Support Engineer I | |
|---|---|
| Degree Level | % of user with this level of education |
| No Diploma | 1.0% |
| High School | 20.7% |
| Associates | 20.5% |
| Bachelors | 51.1% |
| Masters | 6.2% |
| Doctorate | 0.5% |
Understanding how a Technical Support Engineer I's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
| Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75th Percentile | $72,129 | $6,011 | $1,387 | $35 |
| Average | $66,428 | $5,536 | $1,277 | $32 |
| 25th Percentile | $58,769 | $4,897 | $1,130 | $28 |
Salaries for a Technical Support Engineer I can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $63,570 in 2023 to around $62,628 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Technical Support Engineer I salary trends, .
| Year | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| 2022 | View More |
| 2023 | $63,570 |
| 2024 | $63,048 |
| 2025 | $62,628 |
| 2026 |
View More
|
| 2027 |
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Provides technical support to troubleshoot issues and engineer solutions for an organization's products or systems. Communicates with system users and stakeholders to define and isolate the issue and deliver technical solutions. Maintains IT infrastructure to ensure optimal function of software, hardware, and network systems. Documents bugs, fixes, and changes or updates to technical documentation for future reference. Creates diagnostic tools and performs regular testing to maintain and enhance overall system performance. Requires a bachelor's degree. Typically reports to a manager. Work is closely managed. Works on projects/matters of limited complexity in a support role. Typically requires 0-2 years of related experience.
Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.
Troubleshooting: Troubleshooting is a form of problem solving, often applied to repair failed products or processes on a machine or a system. It is a logical, systematic search for the source of a problem in order to solve it, and make the product or process operational again. Troubleshooting is needed to identify the symptoms. Determining the most likely cause is a process of elimination—eliminating potential causes of a problem. Finally, troubleshooting requires confirmation that the solution restores the product or process to its working state. In general, troubleshooting is the identification or diagnosis of "trouble" in the management flow of a system caused by a failure of some kind. The problem is initially described as symptoms of malfunction, and troubleshooting is the process of determining and remedying the causes of these symptoms. A system can be described in terms of its expected, desired or intended behavior (usually, for artificial systems, its purpose). Events or inputs to the system are expected to generate specific results or outputs. (For example, selecting the "print" option from various computer applications is intended to result in a hardcopy emerging from some specific device). Any unexpected or undesirable behavior is a symptom. Troubleshooting is the process of isolating the specific cause or causes of the symptom. Frequently the symptom is a failure of the product or process to produce any results. (Nothing was printed, for example). Corrective action can then be taken to prevent further failures of a similar kind.
IT Support: Assisting with managing, maintaining, and repairing business technology to ensure all IT functions work seamlessly.
Computer Systems: A computer system is a set of integrated devices that input, output, process, and store data and information. Computer systems are currently built around at least one digital processing device.
Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources. We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.
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