WATERTOWN, Mass. -- March 16, 2008 -- Tech support salaries rose significantly across the board during 2007, according to the latest annual salary survey conducted by the Association of Support Professionals (ASP).

The ASP's 13th annual Technical Support Salary Survey, which reflects compensation data supplied by 148 participating support organizations, found double-digit pay gains in five of the seven job categories that the survey tracks, with 8%-9% raises for two other groups.

The report shows pay levels for seven major job categories, including senior support executives, department managers, analyst/project managers, senior support technicians, field support technicians, support technicians, and customer service reps.

The upturn in salary pay reflects several converging trends in the support and services world, the report notes. These include a tight employment market, customer pressure for higher-quality support, greater employee productivity, lower employee turnover, and less hiring of lower-paid entry- level staff.

"Tech support has undergone a major restructuring in the past few years, and higher pay is a symptom of these changes," says ASP executive director Jeffrey Tarter. "Support organizations are trying to deliver more expertise and improve customer satisfaction, and that's creating a bidding war for top talent."

Copies of the survey are free to ASP members and survey participants; membership is $80/year for individuals and $500 for companies. For more information, visit the ASP Web site at http://www.asponline.com.

The Association of Support Professionals is a membership organization that publishes research reports for software tech support managers and professionals, offers workshops in services marketing, and conducts an annual competition for the "Ten Best Web Support Sites."