What Is an Applications Support Engineer and How to Become One

By ZipRecruiter Marketplace Research Team

Applications support engineers perform maintenance on existing software and help customers solve system problems. As an applications support engineer, you need to evaluate issues and decide which of them get priority, modify existing software and documentation, train employees on any changes made, and implement a plan for future improvements. To accomplish this, you may need to work nights, weekends, or holidays. Some employers ask you to identify areas where a system is lacking, establish end-to-end monitoring systems, and ensure staff gets proactive notifications of potential problems. This is a collaborative position that often works closely with engineering and sales departments.

Many applications support engineers have a bachelor’s degree in information technology, computer science, or a related field, but many employers prefer applicants who have experience with the software the company uses over those with a degree but no work experience. Depending on the employer's needs, you may also need experience with customer portals, web interfaces, video technology, routing protocols, data centers, virtualization skills, and scripting.