Computer Technician Job Description Templates
Free computer technician job description templates: general, repair, help desk, small business, and 1099. FLSA classification included. Download as DOCX.
Computer Technician Job Description Templates
5 free templates with FLSA classification built in. Download as DOCX or copy-paste.
The computer technician job description is one most companies copy from a generic one-pager that lists "troubleshoot and repair computers" and stops, missing the classification fact that actually matters for this hire: a computer technician is almost always non-exempt and owed overtime, the opposite of a programmer, because the FLSA computer exemption specifically excludes hardware repair work. A small business writing its first IT posting from a thin template often gets this backwards and creates real wage liability.
At FirstHR, we build templates for small companies that hire without an IT or HR department, the businesses making their first dedicated technical hire. The five templates below cover the role by context: general, repair, help desk, a small-business first IT hire, and a 1099 contractor scope of work. Each marks the FLSA non-exempt status as a built-in field. This page covers both "computer technician job description" and "job description of a computer technician." Fill in the brackets and post, and the guide to writing a job description covers the fundamentals.
What Does a Computer Technician Do?
A computer technician installs, maintains, troubleshoots, and repairs computer hardware, software, and peripherals, and provides technical support to users. In federal occupational data the role maps most closely to computer user support specialists, who provide technical assistance to computer users and resolve hardware and software problems in person, by phone, or electronically.
For the employer writing the posting, the useful frame is that the technical core stays constant while the context shifts the focus: broad install-and-support for a general technician, diagnosis and component replacement for a repair technician, ticket response for a help desk role, and everything at once for a small-business first IT hire. That is why the templates below differ by context. If the role you actually need writes and maintains code rather than fixing and supporting equipment, that is a different job, and the computer programmer templates cover it, with a very different FLSA answer.
Computer Technician Duties and Responsibilities
Computer technician duties center on hardware and setup, software and troubleshooting, user support, and the maintenance and security that keep systems running. The context shifts the weights, bench repair versus ticket response, but the categories hold. These are the duties grouped the way the templates use them.
A strong posting grounds these in the context with specifics: the systems and tools used, the ticketing platform, whether the role is on-site or remote, and the certifications expected. Technicians read postings for the concrete scope, what they will actually support, the environment, and the pay, before applying. For a structured way to scope any role before posting, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Computer Technician vs IT Technician vs Help Desk
The titles around this role overlap, and naming it precisely keeps your posting accurate and searchable. Here is how the most-confused roles relate.
| Role | Primary focus | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Technician | Install, maintain, repair, support | Broad hardware and end-user support |
| IT Technician | Broader IT systems and infrastructure | Wider IT scope beyond individual machines |
| Help Desk Technician | Ticket response, Tier-1 support | Front-line support, often remote |
| Desktop Support | On-site end-user device support | Hands-on user support at the desk |
PC technician, bench technician, and field technician are usually synonyms for the computer technician role and are covered by the templates here. IT technician, help desk, and desktop support are closely related but distinct enough that they each have their own hiring patterns; use the title that matches the actual scope so the posting reaches the right candidates.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by context and by whether you are hiring an employee or a contractor. The technical core runs through all five, but the focus, the environment, and the structure differ enough that the matched version always reads more credibly. Use this guide to choose.
5 Free Computer Technician Job Description Templates
Download all five as a single Word document or copy individual templates. The four employee versions follow the same structure: company overview, job summary, key responsibilities, qualifications, pay, and how to apply, with the FLSA non-exempt status marked. The fifth is a 1099 scope of work with a classification note. Fill in the brackets and post.
Template 1: General Computer Technician (W-2)
The base version: install, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair hardware and software plus end-user support, marked non-exempt by default. Start here if no specialized version fits.
Template 2: Computer Repair / Bench Technician
The repair-shop version: diagnostics, component replacement, data recovery, and turnaround at the bench, clearly non-exempt as hardware repair work.
Template 3: Help Desk / Desktop Support Technician
The support-desk version: ticket response, Tier-1 troubleshooting, account and device setup, remote and on-site, with CompTIA A+ common and the role non-exempt.
Template 4: Small Business First IT Hire
The one-person-IT-department version for a small company's first dedicated IT hire: broad scope, workstation setup, vendor coordination, and basic security, with real ownership.
Template 5: 1099 IT Contractor / MSP Scope of Work
The contractor version for when outsourcing beats hiring: a scope of work with rate, terms, and a worker-classification note, since a misclassified contractor is a real liability.
FLSA: Is a Computer Technician Exempt or Non-Exempt?
A computer technician is almost always non-exempt, and this is the single most important and most-missed fact about the role. Employers assume that anyone working with computers is exempt, but the FLSA computer-employee exemption is narrow. It covers systems analysts, programmers, software engineers, and similarly skilled workers whose primary duty is systems analysis or the design, development, and modification of programs, and even they must meet a pay test of $684 per week on a salary basis or $27.63 per hour. Critically, the regulation excludes hardware work outright: the exemption does not include employees engaged in the manufacture or repair of computer hardware and related equipment.
A computer technician, whose primary duties are installing, repairing, and supporting hardware, does not meet that duties test, and entry-level help desk work generally does not either. So a technician is typically non-exempt: hourly, and owed overtime beyond 40 hours in a week, regardless of the title or even a relatively high rate of pay. One note on the threshold itself: a 2024 rule that would have raised the salary level was vacated by a federal court in November 2024, so the 2019 level of $684 per week currently applies, but for a technician the duties test is what settles it anyway. Mark the role non-exempt, track hours, and keep the posting job-related and neutral, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on protected characteristics. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm with an employment attorney.
In-House vs MSP, W-2 vs 1099
Before writing the posting, a small business has a structural choice: hire a W-2 employee, or engage a 1099 contractor or a managed service provider. A full-time in-house technician fits when support needs are steady and you want someone embedded; a contractor or MSP can be more economical for occasional, project-based, or specialized work. But the choice is not purely practical. Worker classification is set by the actual relationship, not the label you prefer: per the IRS guidance on independent contractor versus employee status, the test turns on behavioral control, financial control, and the relationship between the parties.
If the person will be supervised, work set hours, use your equipment, and work only for you, they are likely an employee, and classifying them as a 1099 contractor to avoid payroll taxes and overtime creates back-tax and wage liability. The templates here include both a W-2 employee version and a 1099 scope-of-work version with a classification note, so you start from the right structure. Decide which you are before you post, and confirm the classification with a professional, since this is general information and not legal advice.
Computer Technician Qualifications to Include
Computer technician qualifications are skill- and certification-anchored, which makes the posting's job naming the real requirements clearly so candidates can self-qualify rather than guess.
| Weak requirement | Strong requirement |
|---|---|
| Tech-savvy | Hands-on experience troubleshooting hardware, software, and networks |
| Certified | CompTIA A+ certification, or equivalent experience |
| Good with people | Strong customer-service and clear communication skills |
| Experience preferred | [N] years of technical support, or entry-level for help desk |
| Reliable | Able to lift up to [__] lbs and, if needed, travel between sites |
CompTIA A+ is the common baseline credential for the role, but allowing equivalent hands-on experience widens a strong field, and for a help desk or first-IT-hire role practical skill and communication often matter more than a specific certificate. Keep every line job-related, and for the standard sections of a posting, the SHRM job description tools describe a good job description as a plain-language summary of a position's tasks, duties, and responsibilities.
How to Write a Computer Technician Job Description
A strong technician posting takes about 25 minutes and does two jobs: it gives a candidate the scope, environment, and pay they screen on, and it gets the classification and contractor question right so you do not create liability. Here is the process the templates are built around. If this is among your first hires, the small business hiring guide covers the steps around the posting itself.
Computer Technician Pay
Technician pay is hourly, varies by the type of work and certifications, and maps to the federal computer support specialist categories, which argues for putting a real hourly range in the posting.
Within that range, repair and entry-level help desk roles sit toward the lower end, while experienced, network-focused, or specialized roles run higher, and certifications like CompTIA A+ and beyond move the number up. Geography matters too. Because the role is non-exempt and hourly, remember to budget for overtime when support needs spike, and because technicians compare pay and schedule when they apply, posting a concrete hourly range is one of the most effective ways to attract candidates, which is why the templates leave pay as a field. National compensation surveys can help you set a range for your specific market and the certifications you require.
After You Hire: Onboarding and Access
The job description is step one, and a technician hire is different from most because the new person will hold the keys to your systems, so onboarding is access-aware by necessity. Send the offer with the hourly rate and the non-exempt classification, collect the signed offer, complete Form I-9 within the first days along with the rest of the new hire paperwork, gather tax forms, and add a confidentiality agreement given the access involved.
Then plan access deliberately: decide what accounts and permissions the role genuinely needs, provision them with a record of what was granted, assign and log equipment, set up passwords and multi-factor authentication, so access can be revoked cleanly if the person leaves, which for an IT role matters more than most. Then the role onboarding that decides the first months: a walkthrough of your systems and vendors, the ticketing process, documentation of how things are set up, and clear escalation paths, the kind of structured start the employee onboarding guide lays out and a 30-60-90 day plan template can anchor. Once your offer is ready, the offer letter template handles the next step with the non-exempt classification, and the employment contract template carries the formal terms and confidentiality. FirstHR connects the offer with e-signature, the confidentiality and onboarding documents and their storage, document management, and the onboarding workflow in one place, built for companies without an IT or HR department. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a computer technician do?
A computer technician installs, maintains, troubleshoots, and repairs computer hardware, software, and peripherals, and provides technical support to users. The core work is consistent: setting up computers and accounts, diagnosing and fixing hardware and software problems, maintaining networks and printers, tracking issues in a ticketing system, and following security procedures. The setting shapes the rest. A general technician does broad install-and-support work, a repair or bench technician focuses on diagnosing and repairing devices, a help desk technician fields tickets and resolves Tier-1 issues, and a small-business first IT hire does all of it as a one-person department. This page covers the role and offers a template for each context, since the technical core is constant while the focus and environment vary.
What is the difference between computer technician job description and job description of a computer technician?
There is no difference. Computer technician job description and job description of a computer technician are two phrasings of the same hiring need: a posting for someone who installs, maintains, troubleshoots, and repairs computers and supports users. They return the same templates and target the same role, so use whichever reads better for you. The role also overlaps with related titles. PC technician, bench technician, and field technician are usually synonyms covered by the templates here, while IT technician, help desk technician, and desktop support technician are closely related roles with their own emphasis. Use the title that matches your actual work, and the templates on this page cover the general, repair, help desk, small-business, and contractor versions of the role.
Is a computer technician exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
A computer technician is almost always non-exempt, which means hourly pay and overtime eligibility. This surprises employers who assume anyone in a computer role is exempt, but the FLSA computer-employee exemption is narrow and specifically excludes hardware work. The regulation states the exemption does not include employees engaged in the manufacture or repair of computer hardware and related equipment, and a technician whose primary duties are installing, repairing, and supporting hardware does not meet the exemption's duties test. Entry-level help desk work generally does not qualify either. So unlike a software programmer or engineer, who can be exempt if paid and tasked accordingly, a computer technician is typically non-exempt and owed overtime at one and a half times the regular rate beyond 40 hours in a week. Mark the role non-exempt on the posting and track hours. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm with the Department of Labor or an attorney.
What should a computer technician job description include?
A strong computer technician job description includes a company overview, a job summary, key responsibilities, required qualifications, the employment type and FLSA classification, the pay, and how to apply. List the core duties: installing and configuring equipment, troubleshooting and repairing hardware and software, setting up users, providing support, maintaining networks, and following security procedures. State the role is hourly and non-exempt, since technicians are overtime-eligible, which is the single most-missed item. Note the certifications, with CompTIA A+ the common baseline. Match the template to the context, since general, repair, help desk, small-business, and contractor roles emphasize different work. Show the hourly pay, because this is a role where candidates compare pay and schedule, and decide up front whether you are hiring a W-2 employee or engaging a 1099 contractor, since that changes the document you write.
Should I hire a W-2 employee or a 1099 contractor for IT?
It depends on how steady the need is, but the choice is partly legal, not just practical. A full-time W-2 technician makes sense when support needs are frequent and ongoing and you want someone embedded in the business. A 1099 contractor or a managed service provider can be more economical for occasional, project-based, or specialized work. The legal constraint is that you cannot simply choose the label to save on taxes and overtime: worker classification is determined by the actual relationship. If the person is supervised, works set hours, uses your equipment, and works only for you, the IRS and DOL tests generally point to employee, and misclassifying them as a 1099 contractor creates back-tax and wage liability. Use the IRS factors covering behavioral control, financial control, and the relationship, and confirm with a professional. This page includes both a W-2 employee template and a 1099 scope-of-work template so you can start from the right structure.
How much does a computer technician make?
Federal wage data, which maps the technician role most closely to computer user support specialists, reports a median annual wage of $60,340 in May 2024, with the lowest 10 percent under $38,780 and the highest 10 percent over $98,010. The closely related computer network support specialists earned a higher median of $73,340. Pay varies by the type of work, certifications, and region, with repair and entry-level help desk roles toward the lower end and experienced or network-focused roles higher. About 729,500 computer user support specialists are employed nationally, and while overall employment of computer support specialists is projected to decline about 3 percent through 2034, turnover generates roughly 50,500 openings each year. Because technicians are paid hourly and compare pay and schedule when applying, posting a real hourly range is one of the most effective ways to attract candidates, which is why the templates leave pay as a field.
How do I write a computer technician job description for a small business?
Pick the small-business first IT hire template and write it for the reality of a one-person IT department. First, be honest about the scope: this person will set up new hires, fix everything from printers to Wi-Fi, manage vendors and licenses, and handle basic security, so the posting should signal broad, hands-on, own-it work rather than a narrow specialty. Name the certifications you want, with CompTIA A+ a common baseline, but value broad practical skill highly for a generalist role. Second, classify it correctly: a computer technician is almost always non-exempt and overtime-eligible, since the FLSA computer exemption excludes hardware and repair work. Third, decide W-2 versus 1099 or MSP before posting, because a small business with occasional needs may be better served by a contractor, and the document differs. The templates here cover both. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm classification with a professional.
What happens after I hire a computer technician?
Start with paperwork, then plan access carefully, because this hire will have the keys to your systems. Send the offer letter with the hourly rate and the non-exempt classification, collect the signed offer, complete Form I-9 within the first days, and gather tax forms, adding a confidentiality agreement given the access involved. Then run an access-aware setup: decide what accounts and permissions the role actually needs, provision them with a record of what was granted, assign and log equipment, and set up passwords and multi-factor authentication, so you can revoke access cleanly later. Then the role onboarding that decides the first months: a walkthrough of your systems and vendors, the ticketing process, documentation of how things are set up, and clear expectations and escalation paths. For a sole IT person, good documentation from day one is what keeps you from being dependent on one head. FirstHR handles the offer with e-signature, the confidentiality and onboarding documents and their storage, document management, and the onboarding workflow in one place, built for companies without an IT or HR department. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.