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ANZSCO 3131Skill level 2Technology and data

ICT support technician

Provide first and second-level technical support for hardware, software and network issues.

Salary

Cited figures from Job Outlook and QILT. ExamExplained does not publish predictive earnings or projections.

FigureAUDSource
Full-time weekly earnings$1500Job Outlook (2025-06-01)

How far does this stretch in each city?

What a ict support technician actually does

ICT support technicians work the front line of an organisation's technology. A typical day starts with a sweep of the service desk queue in a ticketing tool such as ServiceNow, Jira Service Management or Freshservice, and a check on any incidents that escalated overnight. From there the work is a constant rotation of small jobs: resetting passwords in Active Directory or Entra ID, walking a user through a fault over the phone or remote-control session, imaging a laptop for a new starter, swapping out failed peripherals, and chasing vendors on longer-running hardware tickets. Tier-two staff also handle deeper troubleshooting on networking, group policy, Microsoft 365 admin and application issues. Most roles are on-site or hybrid because hands-on hardware work matters. Hours are usually 38-40 per week, with rostered early and late shifts at sites that cover wide business hours, and occasional weekend project work for major rollouts.

Typical tasks

  • Respond to service tickets.
  • Image and configure user devices.
  • Coordinate with vendors on hardware faults.

Skills you'll use

  • Windows 10/11 troubleshooting and Active Directory administration
  • Microsoft 365 and Entra ID basics
  • Hardware diagnostics for laptops, desktops, printers and AV gear
  • Networking fundamentals (DHCP, DNS, VPN, Wi-Fi)
  • Mobile device management (Intune, Jamf)
  • Ticketing platforms and ITIL-style incident workflows
  • Plain-language written and spoken communication with non-technical users
  • Patience and steady customer service under pressure

How to become one

  1. 1Finish Year 10, 11 or 12. Year 12 with English helps for entry into stronger graduate trainee programmes
  2. 2Complete a Certificate IV in Information Technology or Diploma of Information Technology at TAFE. Cert IV is usually enough to land the first role
  3. 3Pick up vendor-neutral certs such as CompTIA A+, Network+ and ITIL Foundation while studying
  4. 4Take a junior helpdesk or service desk role. Many roles are willing to train if you can show motivation and reasonable communication skills
  5. 5Build a home lab. Set up a small Windows domain in virtual machines, learn PowerShell scripting and basic Linux admin
  6. 6After 2-3 years, decide whether to specialise (network, systems administration, security, cloud) or step up to a tier-three or team-lead role

Where you can work

  • Big four banks, insurers and corporate head offices
  • Federal, state and local government departments
  • Hospitals, health networks and aged-care providers
  • Universities and large schools or school systems
  • Managed service providers serving SME clients
  • Mining, energy and resources operators with regional sites
  • Retail head offices and large e-commerce companies

Career progression

Typical stages and salary bands. Salary figures are sourced from Job Outlook, QILT or industry bodies; brackets are 25th-75th percentile not absolute floors or ceilings.

  1. Junior
    0-2 years
    Typical roles: Helpdesk technician, Service desk analyst, Tier-one support
    Salary band: $55,000 - $70,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  2. Mid-level
    3-5 years
    Typical roles: ICT support technician, Desktop support engineer, Tier-two support
    Salary band: $70,000 - $90,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  3. Senior or specialist
    6-9 years
    Typical roles: Senior support engineer, Systems administrator, Endpoint engineer
    Salary band: $90,000 - $120,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  4. Team lead or manager
    8+ years
    Typical roles: Service desk team lead, Service delivery manager, IT operations manager

Is this for you?

You might love this if

  • You're patient with people who don't know what you know
  • You enjoy puzzling through a problem until something works
  • You can stay calm when someone is angry about their broken laptop
  • You're methodical about documenting what you did and why
  • You like a job where every ticket is slightly different

This might not suit you if

  • You want to write code or build new systems all day
  • You hate dealing with users and prefer to work alone
  • You dislike repetitive tasks (a lot of the work is routine)
  • You expect senior salaries within the first few years

Three ways in

Uni, TAFE and trade routes for ict support technician. Not every career has all three; we only list pathways that actually lead to this occupation.

University

Bachelor degrees that lead to this career.

No direct undergraduate pathway. Consider postgraduate study after a related bachelor degree.

TAFE / VET

Nationally accredited Certificate and Diploma qualifications.

Apprenticeship trade

Earn while you learn through an Australian Apprenticeship.

Not an apprenticeship trade.

Sources

ExamExplained does not publish predictive salary figures. For current Australian earnings data check Job Outlook directly. Career classifications follow the ABS ANZSCO 2022 release.