Computer System Specialist Schools, Salaries, and Job Data

Job Numbers and Growth

Nationally, there are 136,000 working as computer system specialists. This occupation has a low ranking for joblessness. The jobless rate for employees was about 3% in 2008.

Area Job Conditions

Computer system specialists per capita is greatest in Carson City (Nevada), Salem (Oregon), and Warner Robins (Georgia). Cape Coral (Florida), Gary (Indiana), and Rochester (New York) have the fewest per capita.

The highest salaries for workers are found in Washington (District of Columbia), Atlantic City (New Jersey), and Pascagoula (Mississippi), and the lowest-paying areas are in Muskegon (Michigan), Provo (Utah), and Lakeland (Florida).

Training and Education

An associate degree is generally expected for employees. Recent data shows that 68% of computer system specialists have a degree. Workers with some schooling beyond high school, but not a four college degree, represent about 25% of the total. A high school diploma or GED, without further education, is held by 7% of employees. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

Computer system specialists working less than full time, whether by design or chance, were 6% of the total. Approximately 7% of people who work as workers are self-employed.

Computer System Specialists: An Introductory Video

Computer System Specialists Around the Country

In the list below, each metro area is rated for the relative popularity of computer system specialists compared to other locations (that is, jobs per population). Single or double up or down arrows indicate the relative popularity in that location. Within each state listing, metro areas are sorted by the actual number of jobs for computer system specialists.

Alabama

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Huntsville	$88,000	820
Montgomery	$73,000	580
Birmingham	$66,000	440

Alaska

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Anchorage	$76,000	330
Fairbanks	$70,000	130

Arizona

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Phoenix	$71,000	1,040
Tucson	$57,000	420
Flagstaff	$63,000	50

Arkansas

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Little Rock	$62,000	340
Fayetteville	$50,000	60
Pine Bluff	$53,000	40

California

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
San Francisco	$85,000	4,750
San Diego	$79,000	4,190
San Jose	$94,000	3,580
Sacramento	$67,000	2,870
Santa Ana	$72,000	2,840
Oakland	$93,000	2,570
Riverside	$68,000	770
Oxnard	$77,000	520
Bakersfield	$80,000	440
Salinas	$84,000	400
Fresno	$66,000	230
Santa Barbara	$68,000	180
Vallejo	$80,000	160
Stockton	$68,000	110
San Luis Obispo	$64,000	60
Yuba City	$101,000	50
Hanford	$74,000	50
Santa Rosa	$77,000	50

Colorado

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Denver	$76,000	4,300
Boulder	$76,000	910
Colorado Springs	$73,000	910
Fort Collins	$77,000	560
Grand Junction	$53,000	70
Pueblo	$64,000	50

Connecticut

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Hartford	$68,000	330
Bridgeport	$66,000	160
New Haven	$59,000	120
Norwich	$82,000	70

Delaware

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Wilmington	$69,000	280

District of Columbia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Washington	$96,000	16,730

Florida

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Tampa	$68,000	790
Orlando	$43,000	780
Miami	$62,000	500
Jacksonville	$72,000	470
Pensacola	$78,000	350
Fort Lauderdale	$60,000	300
Palm Bay	$68,000	200
Fort Walton Beach	$70,000	160
West Palm Beach	$68,000	130
Tallahassee	$49,000	70
Gainesville	$68,000	60
Lakeland	$32,000	60
Panama City	$72,000	40
Cape Coral	$59,000	30

Georgia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Atlanta	$75,000	2,490
Warner Robins	$69,000	330
Augusta	$67,000	190
Albany	$72,000	100
Columbus	$70,000	70
Brunswick	$75,000	50
Athens	$63,000	50

Hawaii

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Honolulu	$71,000	1,010

Idaho

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Boise	$59,000	630
Idaho Falls	$57,000	110
Pocatello	$56,000	50
Coeur Dalene	$54,000	50
Lewiston	$41,000	40

Illinois

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Chicago	$75,000	9,490
Springfield	$66,000	420
Champaign	$66,000	250
Peoria	$60,000	140
Rockford	$48,000	130

Indiana

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Indianapolis	$70,000	1,030
South Bend	$54,000	70
Fort Wayne	$66,000	60
Terre Haute	$63,000	50
Gary	$69,000	40

Iowa

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Des Moines	$57,000	410
Davenport	$77,000	350
Ames	$53,000	190
Iowa City	$63,000	70

Kansas

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Wichita	$74,000	300
Topeka	$72,000	110

Kentucky

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Louisville	$71,000	520
Lexington	$75,000	160
Bowling Green	$56,000	30

Louisiana

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
New Orleans	$80,000	880
Baton Rouge	$51,000	300
Shreveport	$66,000	70
Lafayette		50
Alexandria	$66,000	50
Monroe	$39,000	40

Maine

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Portland	$57,000	170

Maryland

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Baltimore	$88,000	5,650
Bethesda	$92,000	2,740
Hagerstown	$85,000	650

Massachusetts

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Boston	$80,000	2,060
Framingham	$85,000	320
Worcester	$65,000	180
Lowell	$75,000	170
Springfield	$69,000	140
Barnstable Town	$74,000	90
Lawrence	$73,000	60

Michigan

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Warren	$66,000	3,270
Detroit	$87,000	1,910
Grand Rapids	$49,000	990
Ann Arbor	$73,000	480
Kalamazoo	$48,000	260
Battle Creek	$71,000	230
Flint	$44,000	140
Saginaw	$59,000	140
Holland	$56,000	130
Muskegon	$41,000	50
Jackson	$56,000	50
Niles	$50,000	50
Monroe	$65,000	40

Minnesota

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Minneapolis	$75,000	6,300
Rochester	$62,000	340
St Cloud	$57,000	110
Duluth	$56,000	90

Mississippi

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Gulfport	$71,000	190
Jackson	$68,000	140
Pascagoula	$94,000	60

Missouri

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
St Louis	$76,000	2,870
Kansas City	$77,000	1,480
Springfield	$42,000	90
Jefferson City	$72,000	40
Columbia	$59,000	40

Montana

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Missoula	$50,000	60

Nebraska

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Omaha	$71,000	380
Lincoln		160

Nevada

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Las Vegas	$64,000	740
Carson City	$70,000	330
Reno	$58,000	260

New Hampshire

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Nashua	$96,000	210
Portsmouth	$73,000	170
Manchester	$71,000	110
Rochester	$72,000	60

New Jersey

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Edison	$73,000	2,270
Newark	$94,000	2,010
Trenton	$74,000	780
Camden	$56,000	660
Atlantic City	$91,000	510

New Mexico

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Albuquerque	$76,000	490
Santa Fe	$57,000	140
Las Cruces	$66,000	100

New York

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
New York	$74,000	3,240
Albany	$82,000	320
Nassau	$63,000	300
Buffalo	$62,000	140
Syracuse	$69,000	60
Rochester	$63,000	50

North Carolina

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Raleigh	$72,000	720
Charlotte	$74,000	620
Fayetteville	$68,000	430
Durham	$77,000	430
Jacksonville	$66,000	180
Asheville	$84,000	100
Greensboro	$73,000	80

North Dakota

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Bismarck	$56,000	80
Fargo	$62,000	60

Ohio

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Cincinnati	$68,000	1,930
Columbus	$80,000	1,890
Cleveland	$70,000	1,760
Dayton	$78,000	1,200
Akron	$66,000	290
Toledo	$57,000	150
Youngstown	$48,000	80
Springfield	$64,000	40
Canton	$42,000	40

Oklahoma

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Oklahoma City	$74,000	650
Tulsa	$67,000	270

Oregon

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Portland	$72,000	2,960
Salem	$63,000	1,560
Eugene	$53,000	210
Medford	$56,000	140
Bend	$71,000	80

Pennsylvania

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Philadelphia	$74,000	2,100
Harrisburg	$76,000	1,070
Pittsburgh	$69,000	660
York	$83,000	150
Scranton	$75,000	130
State College	$54,000	120
Lebanon	$67,000	80
Reading	$54,000	40
Johnstown	$79,000	40
Lancaster	$58,000	40

Rhode Island

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Providence	$73,000	950

South Carolina

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Columbia	$55,000	270
Charleston	$75,000	250

Tennessee

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Nashville	$60,000	630
Memphis	$70,000	550
Knoxville	$52,000	230
Chattanooga	$40,000	110
Johnson City	$65,000	90
Clarksville	$68,000	80

Texas

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Houston	$79,000	2,670
Dallas	$77,000	1,860
San Antonio	$73,000	1,220
Austin	$79,000	1,000
Fort Worth	$66,000	600
Killeen	$65,000	220
Corpus Christi	$74,000	220
El Paso	$68,000	140
Midland	$76,000	60
Beaumont	$81,000	30

Utah

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Ogden	$70,000	920
Provo	$31,000	220

Virginia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Virginia Beach	$79,000	1,550
Richmond	$77,000	520
Charlottesville	$82,000	60
Blacksburg	$74,000	50

Washington

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Seattle	$81,000	5,820
Tacoma	$63,000	370
Bremerton	$79,000	290
Spokane	$52,000	260
Kennewick	$72,000	180
Bellingham	$50,000	50

West Virginia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Parkersburg	$76,000	280
Huntington	$65,000	60
Charleston	$58,000	40
Wheeling	$58,000	30

Wisconsin

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Milwaukee	$65,000	410
Madison	$56,000	320
Green Bay	$46,000	50
Racine	$43,000	30

Wyoming

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Cheyenne	$60,000	90
Casper	$66,000	60

Our computer system specialist career and school information is provided by CTI Career Search.