IT Support Technician
Also advertised as: 1st Line Support, 2nd Line Support, after-sales installation technician, after-sales maintenance technician, after-sales rectification technician, after-sales repair technician
Fixes technology problems for staff or customers, from logins to hardware faults.
What the job involves
IT support technicians are the first line when something stops working. You triage tickets, diagnose faults, set up accounts and devices, and escalate what you cannot fix. It is the most reliable way into technology without a degree, and the ladder above it is long.
Typical responsibilities
- Log, triage and resolve support tickets
- Set up user accounts, devices and software
- Diagnose hardware and network faults
- Document fixes and maintain the knowledge base
- Escalate complex issues to specialists
Common employers
- Managed service providers
- NHS IT teams
- Schools and colleges
- Corporate IT departments
- Retail head offices
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£22,000 – £27,000 a year
With experience
£30,000 – £38,000 a year
Typical hours
37.5 hours, sometimes with a shift or on-call rota
Working environment
Office based with some remote support
Remote working
hybrid
Demand for this work
high
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Troubleshooting
- Operating systems
- Networking basics
- Customer service
- Ticket documentation
Transferable skills you may already have
- Helping colleagues with technology
- Customer service
- Methodical problem solving
Requirements employers ask for
- Troubleshooting
- Operating systems
- Networking basics
- Customer service
- Ticket documentation
- No formal qualification required
- implement sales strategies
- characteristics of services
- maintenance and repair
- advise on merchandise features
- product comprehension
- execute after sales activities
- contact customers
- implement customer follow-up
- ensure compliance with legal requirements
- create solutions to problems
- customer relationship management
- provide customer follow-up services
Useful but not essential
- Helping colleagues with technology
- Customer service
- Methodical problem solving
- CompTIA A+ and Network+
- Microsoft 365 certifications
- Level 3 IT Support apprenticeship
- consumer protection
- electronic and telecommunication equipment
- listen actively
- maintain relationship with customers
- keep records of customer interaction
- sales strategies
- monitor after sales records
- provide information
Helpful qualifications
- CompTIA A+ and Network+
- Microsoft 365 certifications
- Level 3 IT Support apprenticeship
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Apprenticeships and work-based routes
- Information Communications Technician (Level 3)
- Experience route — Build evidence in a related role, then move across using your recorded achievements.
- Apprenticeship route — An apprenticeship lets you earn while you train towards this role.
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Computing
- Related subject: IT
- Related subject: Digital technologies
Where this career can lead
next
Systems Administrator
next
Network Engineer
next
Cloud Engineer
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- Best entry point into tech without a degree
- Certifications are cheap and respected
- Clear specialisation routes
What people find hard
- Repetitive password and printer tickets
- Users contact you when frustrated
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a it support technician?
- No. As well as degree routes, this career can be entered through an apprenticeship or by building experience and qualifications on the job. not_required
- How much does a it support technician earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £22,000 to £27,000 a year, rising towards £38,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Helping colleagues with technology, Customer service, Methodical problem solving.
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Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 14 September 2026.
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