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🇬🇧 UKSOC 3132· Science, Engineering and Technology Associate Professionals

IT user support technicians

IT user support technicians are responsible for providing technical support, advice and guidance for internal/external users of IT systems and applications, either directly or by telephone, e-mail or other network interaction.

Business support analyst (computing/IT)Customer support analystHelp desk operator (computing/IT)IT support technicianSystems support officer
£34,314
median salary
£27,882 – £41,843
132,000
currently employed
108,299
projected 2035
Strong growth
8 tasks scored3 AI Automates4 AI Assists1 Human-Led

Task Bundle Breakdown

How AI interacts with this occupation's task bundle

38%
50%
12%
38%
AI automates
50%
AI assists
12%
Human-led

Task-by-Task Breakdown

Every task scored individually — sorted highest to lowest AI exposure

78

researches possible solutions in user guides, technical manuals and other documents

AI Automates

AI tools like ChatGPT or Perplexity can rapidly search and synthesise information from technical manuals, knowledge bases, and documentation far faster than manual research.

78

maintains a log of work in progress, calls received, actions taken and problems detected

AI Automates

ITSM platforms with AI (e.g. ServiceNow, Jira Service Management) can auto-log, categorise, and update tickets with minimal manual input, significantly reducing administrative burden.

78

reports on commonly occurring queries to detect underlying problems

AI Automates

AI analytics tools within ITSM platforms can automatically detect patterns in ticket data, flag recurring issues, and generate trend reports without manual analysis.

67

advises users on how to resolve hardware and software problems

AI Assists

AI-powered knowledge bases and tools like GitHub Copilot or Freshdesk AI can suggest resolution steps in real time, but technicians must validate and adapt advice to the user's specific environment.

56

provides technical support to IT users

AI Assists

AI chatbots and virtual agents (e.g. Microsoft Copilot for IT, ServiceNow AI) can handle Tier 1 queries autonomously but complex or novel issues still require human diagnosis and empathy.

56

facilitates user access to systems

AI Assists

Identity and access management platforms with AI (e.g. Microsoft Entra ID) can automate routine provisioning, but technicians still handle exceptions, approvals, and security judgements.

44

refers more complex or intractable problems to appropriate IT professionals

AI Assists

AI triage tools can classify ticket complexity and route issues automatically, but the human judgement to decide when escalation is truly needed remains important.

22

installs and upgrades hardware, cables, operating systems and/or appropriate software

Human-Led

Physical installation of hardware and cabling requires hands-on presence; AI can assist with scripted software deployment (e.g. via Ansible or SCCM) but cannot replace physical tasks.

ROI Calculator

IT user support technicians

19hrs
saved per week
911.3hrs
per year ≈ 24.3 weeks
£17,371
salary-equivalent capacity freed per year

This is not a pay rise — it's 911.3 hours of productive capacity that AI could return to you, valued at your current rate.

£30,025
value at risk — 88% of role exposed to AI

The portion of your current salary tied to tasks AI can automate or augment. Not a prediction of job loss — a signal of where your role is changing fastest.

How is this calculated?▾

Task weights — each task is weighted by its O*NET frequency rating. Where frequency data is absent, equal weighting is applied.

AI time reduction — tasks scored as "AI Automates" assume 80% time saving; "AI Assists" assumes 40%; "Human-Led" assumes 5%.

Salary equivalent — annual hours saved × (salary ÷ 1,800 working hours/year).

Value at risk — salary × share of role time in AI-automate or AI-assist tasks.

Figures are indicative estimates for planning purposes, not guarantees of productivity gain or job loss risk.