What is a software support engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted Experts
Frank McCown Ph.D.,
Christian Hansen Ph.D.

A software support engineer provides technical assistance to software users. They work with developers, quality assurance, and project managers to identify and resolve problems related to software functionality, installation, and configuration. They communicate with end-users via phone, email, or chat to understand their problems and provide solutions. A software support engineer also creates and maintains documentation for troubleshooting procedures and known issues. They ensure customer satisfaction by resolving issues promptly and effectively.

What general advice would you give to a Software Support Engineer?

F

Frank McCown Ph.D.Frank McCown Ph.D. LinkedIn Profile

Associate Professor, Harding University

The market is stable for software developers, despite the economic challenges created by the pandemic. Before accepting a job offer, talk to the company's employees through online meetings or email, and see what they think of the company. Do they enjoy their work? Are there opportunities to learn new technologies? How does the company treat their employees? There's a good chance you will be working remotely in your first job, so you will need to exercise a lot of self-discipline, be punctual for online meetings, do the work you've been assigned, and know when to ask questions when you get stuck. Expect a steeper-than-normal learning curve if you are working remotely instead of in an office.
ScoreSoftware Support EngineerUS Average
Salary
6.9

Avg. Salary $87,968

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
4.0

Growth Rate 21%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 30.00%

Black or African American 4.36%

Hispanic or Latino 8.09%

Unknown 4.78%

White 52.61%

Gender

female 19.48%

male 80.52%

Age - 38
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38
Stress Level
4.0

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
7.9

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
6.6

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Software Support Engineer?

Pros

  • High demand for skilled software support engineers

  • Competitive salary and benefits packages

  • Opportunities for career growth and advancement

  • Ability to work remotely or flexible work schedules

  • Job stability and security

Cons

  • Irregular work hours or being on-call during weekends/holidays

  • Repetitive tasks leading to burnout and boredom

  • Possibility of encountering complex technical issues with no immediate solution

  • Limited recognition for the importance of the role in the organization

  • Potential for miscommunication or misunderstanding with customers/clients

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Software Support Engineer career paths

Key steps to become a software support engineer

  1. Explore software support engineer education requirements

    Most common software support engineer degrees

    Bachelor's

    66.7 %

    Associate

    17.4 %

    Master's

    11.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific software support engineer skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Java11.09%
    Software Support6.60%
    Customer Service6.07%
    Technical Support5.96%
    C #5.26%
  3. Complete relevant software support engineer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New software support engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a software support engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real software support engineer resumes.
  4. Research software support engineer duties and responsibilities

    • Build, manage and maintain physical server hardware and perform upgrades and OS patching as needed.
    • Manage multiple Salesforce projects with tight deadlines effectively.
    • Manage multiple sandbox environments for Salesforce application testing.
    • Manage and troubleshoot new release/patch deployments and provide support for application relate problems.
  5. Prepare your software support engineer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your software support engineer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a software support engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Software Support Engineer Resume templates

    Build a professional Software Support Engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Software Support Engineer resume.
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  6. Apply for software support engineer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a software support engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Software Support Engineer Job

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Are you a Software Support Engineer?

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Average software support engineer salary

The average Software Support Engineer salary in the United States is $87,968 per year or $42 per hour. Software support engineer salaries range between $67,000 and $114,000 per year.

Average Software Support Engineer Salary
$87,968 Yearly
$42.29 hourly

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How do software support engineers rate their job?

4/5

Out of 1 Software Support Engineer reviews, 100% were positive.

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Based On 1 Ratings

Career Growth
3.0
Overall Rating
4.0
Work/Life Balance
5.0
Pay / Salary
4.0

Software Support Engineer reviews

profile
4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2024
Pros

Work from home, reasonable salary and benefits

Cons

Repetitive work. Training is on the job mostly.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2023
Pros

Problem solving and cutting edge technology - always learning and evolving my skill set

Cons

Still have to deal with people :)


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Pros

I work hard do my job good worker when i work i want the best out of my job starring with each other stand on the work

Cons

Nothing not doing my job


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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