Best Computer User Support Specialist programs in California, ranked by enrollment
Provide technical assistance to computer users. Answer questions or resolve computer problems for clients in person, via telephone, or electronically.
33 schools in California run programs that feed this job, graduating 345 people a year. The job pays a median of $79,570 in California across about 74,490 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in California that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
1 programs in California that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in California (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own California page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 11.1006In California → | 345 | 100.0% | 33 | $48,185 | $25,250 |
Top 25 schools in California
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 4 of the 33 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asher College Sacramento, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 58 | Computer Support Specialist | $36,560 | 56% | $16,924 | — |
| 2 | ICOHS College San Diego, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 37 | Computer Support Specialist | — | 80% | $58,478 | — |
| 3 | Pasadena City College Pasadena, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 30 | Computer Support Specialist | — | 48% | — | — |
| 4 | Southern California Institute of Technology Anaheim, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 29 | Computer Support Specialist | $45,632 | 74% | $29,667 | 74% |
| 5 | Cypress College Cypress, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 22 | Computer Support Specialist | — | 37% | — | — |
| 6 | Laurus College San Luis Obispo, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 22 | Computer Support Specialist | $40,730 | 43% | $15,773 | — |
| 7 | Chaffey College Rancho Cucamonga, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 17 | Computer Support Specialist | — | 36% | — | — |
| 8 | MTI College Sacramento, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 13 | Computer Support Specialist | $43,827 | 77% | $22,079 | 63% |
| 9 | Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 13 | Computer Support Specialist | — | 37% | — | — |
| 10 | Long Beach City College Long Beach, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 12 | Computer Support Specialist | — | 30% | — | — |
| 11 | Los Angeles Pierce College Woodland Hills, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Computer Support Specialist | — | 46% | — | — |
| 12 | American River College Sacramento, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Computer Support Specialist | — | 37% | — | — |
| 13 | Cabrillo College Aptos, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Computer Support Specialist | — | 38% | — | — |
| 14 | Cuesta College San Luis Obispo, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Computer Support Specialist | — | 48% | — | — |
| 15 | Reedley College Reedley, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Computer Support Specialist | — | 42% | — | — |
| 16 | Cosumnes River College Sacramento, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 5 | Computer Support Specialist | — | 40% | — | — |
| 17 | Glendale Community College Glendale, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 5 | Computer Support Specialist | — | 37% | — | — |
| 18 | Butte College Oroville, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Computer Support Specialist | — | 45% | — | — |
| 19 | Citrus College Glendora, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Computer Support Specialist | — | 41% | — | — |
| 20 | Clovis Community College Fresno, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Computer Support Specialist | — | 45% | — | — |
| 21 | De Anza College Cupertino, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Computer Support Specialist | — | 68% | — | — |
| 22 | Los Angeles Valley College Valley Glen, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Computer Support Specialist | — | 32% | — | — |
| 23 | MiraCosta College Oceanside, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Computer Support Specialist | — | 41% | — | — |
| 24 | Moreno Valley College Moreno Valley, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Computer Support Specialist | — | 34% | — | — |
| 25 | Ohlone College Fremont, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Computer Support Specialist | — | 52% | — | — |
All 33 schools in California
Every school in California with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asher College | Sacramento | Private for-profit | 58 | 1 |
| ICOHS College | San Diego | Private not-for-profit | 37 | 1 |
| Pasadena City College | Pasadena | Public | 30 | 1 |
| Southern California Institute of Technology | Anaheim | Private for-profit | 29 | 1 |
| Cypress College | Cypress | Public | 22 | 1 |
| Laurus College | San Luis Obispo | Private for-profit | 22 | 1 |
| Chaffey College | Rancho Cucamonga | Public | 17 | 1 |
| MTI College | Sacramento | Private for-profit | 13 | 1 |
| Santa Rosa Junior College | Santa Rosa | Public | 13 | 1 |
| Long Beach City College | Long Beach | Public | 12 | 1 |
| Los Angeles Pierce College | Woodland Hills | Public | 9 | 1 |
| American River College | Sacramento | Public | 7 | 1 |
| Cabrillo College | Aptos | Public | 7 | 1 |
| Cuesta College | San Luis Obispo | Public | 7 | 1 |
| Reedley College | Reedley | Public | 6 | 1 |
What computer user support specialists earn in California
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $61,860. California pays above the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in California
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Computer User Support Specialists page.
How to become a Computer User Support Specialist
Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0- Typical entry education
- Some college, no degree
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in California
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 3 majors mapped to Computer User Support Specialists3 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 01.0106Agricultural Business Technology/Technician
- 11.1006Computer Support Specialist
- 51.0709Medical Office Computer Specialist/Assistant
Common questions
Answers for people weighing computer user support specialists programs in California.
What degree do you need to become a Computer User Support Specialist?+
Some college, no degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Computer Support Specialist, which awarded 345 degrees in California in 2024-25, 100.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Computer User Support Specialist?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 1 programs to this occupation. The largest are Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management. Together they graduate about 345 people a year in California.
How much do computer user support specialists earn in California?+
The median is $79,570 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 28.6% above the U.S. median of $61,860. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for computer user support specialists growing?+
BLS projects a -3.7% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 40,800 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in California?+
33 institutions in California reported graduates from at least one of the 1 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do computer user support specialists work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Computer Support Specialist, Computer Tech (Computer Technician), IS Tech (Information Systems Technician), IT Specialist (Information Technology Specialist) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 15-1232.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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