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Average Technical Support Engineer Salary in United States for 2026

A technical support engineer in United States earns about 78,500 USD a year. That's 17% below the national average of 94,500 USD.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United States sit around 40,500 USD a year, while the very top stretches to 125,400 USD. Everything on this page is in United States dollar (USD, symbol $), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in United States, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

To turn a gross salary in United States into a take-home figure, use our United States salary after tax calculator, which works the latest tax brackets and contributions through the math for you.

How much does a technical support engineer make in United States?

Average salary
78,500 USD
6,541 USD per month
Lowest reported
40,500 USD
3,375 USD per month
Highest reported
125,400 USD
10,450 USD per month

A typical technical support engineer working in United States brings home around 6,541 USD a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 40,500 USD, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 125,400 USD for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior technical support engineer working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the technical support engineer salary in Palau or British Indian Ocean Territory, both of which pay in the same currency.

How technical support engineer pay ranges in United States

A good way to think about salary in United States is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all technical support engineers in United States earn less than 79,500 USD a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 52,300 USD (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 105,800 USD (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of technical support engineers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 40,500 USD. The highest stretch to 125,400 USD, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

40,500
Low
79,500
Median
125,400
High
52,300
25th
105,800
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in USD

Technical support engineer pay by experience in United States

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a technical support engineer in United States, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical technical support engineer salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    46,700 USD
  • 2-5 Years
    +27% from previous
    59,200 USD
  • 5-10 Years
    +36% from previous
    80,500 USD
  • 10-15 Years
    +25% from previous
    100,700 USD
  • 15-20 Years
    +9% from previous
    109,700 USD
  • 20+ Years
    +4% from previous
    114,300 USD

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 36%. That is the point at which a technical support engineer typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

Technical support engineer pay by education in United States

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving technical support engineer pay in United States. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average technical support engineer salary in United States broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Bachelor's Degree
    57,800 USD
  • Master's Degree
    +58% from previous
    91,600 USD

Technical support engineer gender pay gap in United States

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and United States is no exception. Male technical support engineers in United States earn an average of 80,300 USD a year, while female technical support engineers earn around 76,900 USD. That works out to a 4% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Technical Support Engineer gender pay gap

4%

Men earn this much more than women on average in United States.

Men 80,300 USD
Women 76,900 USD

Pay raises for a technical support engineer in United States

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in United States sees a raise of about 11% every 16 months, which works out to roughly 8% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in United States, the national average raise is around 8% every 16 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in United States:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
    2%
  • Construction
  • Education
    1%

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Technical support engineer bonus rates in United States

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

57%

57% of technical support engineers in United States reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a technical support engineer a moderate-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6% of base salary. The remaining 43% of technical support engineers reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in United States

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Technical support engineer: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in United States is about 6% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

6%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in United States on average.

Public sector 98,800 USD
Private sector 93,100 USD

Technical support engineer salary by city and region in United States

Technical support engineer pay is not even across United States. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities and regions in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • Los Angeles
  • Chicago
  • Philadelphia
  • New York (city)
  • Texas
  • San Antonio
  • California
  • Houston
  • Phoenix
  • Virginia
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
Los AngelesCity103,600 USD99,100 USD51,100-157,600 USD
ChicagoCity103,600 USD111,700 USD47,600-164,100 USD
PhiladelphiaCity101,100 USD95,500 USD50,100-152,900 USD
New York (city)City100,700 USD96,000 USD50,600-152,700 USD
TexasRegion99,600 USD94,900 USD51,100-151,800 USD
San AntonioCity99,100 USD92,600 USD51,800-151,800 USD
CaliforniaRegion97,300 USD95,500 USD52,000-151,800 USD
HoustonCity95,300 USD95,500 USD44,500-147,900 USD
PhoenixCity94,200 USD93,100 USD49,800-147,900 USD
VirginiaRegion93,600 USD92,000 USD47,400-142,300 USD
DallasCity93,300 USD100,700 USD42,300-146,900 USD
SeattleCity93,100 USD95,300 USD46,300-142,300 USD
New York (region)Region92,900 USD99,900 USD42,700-147,900 USD
New JerseyRegion92,600 USD96,600 USD46,700-148,300 USD
San FranciscoCity92,500 USD89,900 USD47,200-140,200 USD
FloridaRegion92,500 USD93,600 USD43,800-146,700 USD
San DiegoCity92,200 USD100,700 USD45,000-150,100 USD
IndianapolisCity92,100 USD95,000 USD46,200-142,300 USD
PennsylvaniaRegion92,100 USD97,900 USD43,500-148,300 USD
IndianaRegion92,100 USD98,900 USD41,500-147,900 USD
WashingtonRegion91,900 USD99,600 USD41,400-142,300 USD
OhioRegion91,900 USD99,100 USD41,400-142,300 USD
IllinoisRegion91,700 USD87,400 USD48,200-139,100 USD
MassachusettsRegion91,000 USD90,900 USD45,000-141,000 USD
San JoseCity90,000 USD91,200 USD43,500-140,700 USD
GeorgiaRegion90,000 USD83,700 USD44,500-134,700 USD
KentuckyRegion89,800 USD95,000 USD42,000-141,000 USD
ArizonaRegion89,400 USD96,800 USD40,300-142,300 USD
South CarolinaRegion89,300 USD86,100 USD45,600-134,700 USD
AustinCity88,600 USD92,300 USD44,900-140,700 USD
MichiganRegion88,500 USD84,800 USD46,200-139,100 USD
JacksonvilleCity88,000 USD94,400 USD42,000-141,000 USD
DetroitCity87,800 USD96,600 USD39,700-142,100 USD
MissouriRegion87,700 USD83,300 USD46,200-132,000 USD
ColoradoRegion87,700 USD92,200 USD38,000-139,100 USD
TennesseeRegion87,500 USD88,600 USD40,300-134,100 USD
LouisianaRegion86,800 USD88,300 USD40,600-134,100 USD
MemphisCity86,800 USD88,300 USD42,300-138,700 USD
North CarolinaRegion86,600 USD89,800 USD43,500-134,700 USD
OregonRegion86,600 USD83,300 USD44,500-130,500 USD
Washington D.C.City86,300 USD83,000 USD45,700-132,000 USD
MarylandRegion84,500 USD89,400 USD37,800-132,000 USD
DenverCity84,300 USD88,400 USD42,700-134,100 USD
MinnesotaRegion84,200 USD90,000 USD36,900-130,500 USD
IowaRegion83,800 USD83,800 USD40,300-130,500 USD
BostonCity83,700 USD80,200 USD44,300-123,800 USD
MississippiRegion83,200 USD85,400 USD41,900-128,400 USD
AlabamaRegion83,000 USD87,300 USD39,800-130,500 USD
NevadaRegion82,300 USD77,300 USD41,500-123,800 USD
WisconsinRegion82,200 USD80,800 USD45,000-128,200 USD
ConnecticutRegion82,200 USD83,300 USD41,300-128,200 USD
UtahRegion81,300 USD86,600 USD36,700-130,500 USD
New MexicoRegion81,000 USD78,200 USD42,700-125,400 USD
MiamiCity81,000 USD83,300 USD40,000-127,700 USD
Oklahoma CityCity80,700 USD87,000 USD37,300-128,200 USD
KansasRegion80,700 USD75,100 USD40,300-123,000 USD
NebraskaRegion80,500 USD81,900 USD39,000-127,600 USD
Las VegasCity80,200 USD79,800 USD38,000-124,500 USD
AlaskaRegion79,700 USD74,600 USD38,900-119,700 USD
Long BeachCity79,600 USD77,300 USD43,500-123,800 USD
HawaiiRegion79,500 USD85,800 USD35,600-130,500 USD
ArkansasRegion79,500 USD84,600 USD40,300-127,700 USD
SacramentoCity79,000 USD78,700 USD36,800-123,000 USD
MinneapolisCity79,000 USD78,700 USD36,800-123,000 USD
Kansas CityCity78,700 USD80,400 USD37,900-124,500 USD
OklahomaRegion78,700 USD79,600 USD38,000-123,800 USD
OaklandCity78,500 USD84,500 USD35,500-124,500 USD
BaltimoreCity77,300 USD79,000 USD39,100-123,000 USD
West VirginiaRegion77,300 USD79,000 USD39,100-123,000 USD
IdahoRegion77,100 USD80,900 USD36,800-124,500 USD
New OrleansCity76,900 USD80,200 USD36,200-121,800 USD
MaineRegion76,800 USD71,700 USD40,300-115,600 USD
ClevelandCity75,800 USD84,900 USD36,600-124,500 USD
District of ColumbiaRegion75,800 USD83,300 USD37,200-124,500 USD
North DakotaRegion75,400 USD73,500 USD39,800-114,300 USD
New HampshireRegion75,400 USD81,600 USD35,300-119,700 USD
MontanaRegion75,000 USD80,900 USD35,300-117,100 USD
OrlandoCity75,000 USD75,400 USD34,800-114,300 USD
WyomingRegion74,600 USD79,800 USD33,600-119,700 USD
Rhode IslandRegion74,500 USD76,000 USD35,300-114,900 USD
South DakotaRegion74,300 USD80,500 USD34,400-121,800 USD
AtlantaCity74,300 USD78,100 USD35,600-118,900 USD
VermontRegion73,500 USD72,300 USD35,500-114,600 USD
DelawareRegion73,300 USD69,600 USD36,500-112,700 USD
TampaCity72,400 USD69,200 USD36,800-114,600 USD
CincinnatiCity70,500 USD71,900 USD37,200-114,600 USD
Iowa CityCity69,400 USD66,100 USD37,300-109,000 USD
HonoluluCity68,400 USD66,900 USD35,300-107,300 USD
KentCity67,200 USD70,100 USD33,600-105,200 USD
VancouverCity65,900 USD67,800 USD32,300-105,200 USD
BristolCity64,900 USD68,200 USD31,200-102,700 USD

Technical Support Engineer in United States: FAQs

  • How much does a technical support engineer make per month in United States?

    A technical support engineer in United States earns about 6,541 USD a month before tax, based on an annual average of 78,500 USD.

  • What's the salary range for a technical support engineer in United States?

    Entry-level technical support engineers in United States start near 40,500 USD. Top-end pay reaches around 125,400 USD. The middle 50% of earners sit between 52,300 and 105,800 USD.

  • Is the median technical support engineer salary in United States higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 79,500 USD, higher than the average of 78,500 USD. Half of technical support engineers in United States earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for technical support engineers in United States?

    Men working as a technical support engineer in United States earn around 4% more than women on average (80,300 vs 76,900 USD a year).

  • Do technical support engineers in United States get bonuses?

    About 57% of technical support engineers in United States reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6% of base salary.

  • Do technical support engineers earn more in the public or private sector in United States?

    In United States, the public sector pays a technical support engineer about 6% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do technical support engineers in United States get a pay raise?

    A technical support engineer in United States sees a raise of around 11% every 16 months, equivalent to roughly 8% a year.