IT downtime: The $7,800 annual cost IT professionals face
IT issues aren’t just frustrating – they come with real costs, draining time, money, and productivity across industries. From delays in daily tasks to missed opportunities for career growth, tech troubles have far-reaching effects on both employees and businesses.
Liquid Web surveyed 1,000 IT professionals and analyzed Google search trends in the U.S. to uncover the most common tech challenges and their impact.
The findings reveal how recurring issues affect productivity and morale, offering key insights for businesses aiming to minimize downtime and improve efficiency.
Key findings on IT challenges
- Wyoming, Vermont, and North Dakota lead the nation in tech support search interest per capita.
- IT professionals spend an estimated $7,800 annually resolving tech issues, based on encountering 3 issues a week at $50 each.
- On average, IT professionals encounter 144 technical issues a year.
State-by-state breakdown of IT challenges
Tech frustrations vary widely across the U.S., but certain issues consistently top everyone’s list. This section reveals the most common tech support queries by state, offering a snapshot of the challenges Americans are searching for solutions to most frequently.
Wyoming, Vermont, and North Dakota led the nation in tech support search interest per capita, suggesting a higher-than-average need for guidance in these regions.
The query “how do I enable my firewall” topped the list in 9 states, making it the most common tech problem nationwide. Searches for “why can’t I connect to the internet” followed, appearing in 5 states.
Another frequently searched question was “how do I repair my operating system,” appearing in 4 states. This points to a common challenge with maintaining reliable system performance in both personal and professional settings.
Certain states showed unique priorities. For example, California residents were most concerned with computer overheating, while Minnesota users frequently searched for solutions to fast-draining phone batteries.
In other states, security and system reliability were top concerns. Nevada users frequently searched for how to reinstall their operating system, while residents of North Dakota and Idaho focused on setting up two-factor authentication.
Strategies to minimize IT issues
IT professionals face a near-constant stream of technical challenges, both from their own work and the needs of their colleagues.
For their colleagues, problems often manifest as slow systems, connectivity issues, or unclear troubleshooting processes — daily obstacles that disrupt workflow and morale.
Meanwhile, IT professionals must contend with deeper systemic issues, such as outdated infrastructure, cybersecurity risks, and the pressure to maintain operational uptime.
We next explore the frequency of tech issues, their financial and time costs, and how companies are working to improve IT support.
On average, IT professionals have handled 144 technical issues annually, equating to nearly 3 issues per week.
- 1 in 10 were asked for troubleshooting help multiple times a day by colleagues, reflecting the heavy reliance on IT staff in many workplaces.
- 1 in 10 regularly dealt with security breaches or emergency incidents.
- In-office IT staff encountered more tech issues than their remote counterparts, averaging 48 additional problems per year.
Resolving these problems takes a significant toll on time and resources, with IT workers spending 52 hours a year troubleshooting – more than a full workweek lost to technical frustrations.
The financial cost is steep as well, with professionals spending an estimated $7,800 annually resolving issues, based on an average cost of $50 per issue and 3 incidents per week.
Despite these challenges, nearly 3 in 4 IT professionals felt their team was effective at addressing daily frustrations, and 3 in 5 believed their company resolved issues faster than ChatGPT could.
Real estate was the most issue-prone industry, with an average of 4 issues per week. Technology, construction, education, finance, hospitality, government, healthcare, and retail followed, each reporting 3 issues weekly. Digital marketing had the fewest, facing 2 tech problems per week.
To combat these ongoing challenges, companies were investing in training and upskilling their teams.
Popular initiatives included:
- Developing self-service IT resources (36%)
- Offering training on new collaboration tools/platforms (35%)
- Providing regular IT training sessions for employees (32%)
- Providing advanced training for IT support staff (30%)
- IT certification programs for tech support staff (30%)
- Workshops on cybersecurity and data protection (28%)
- Virtual tech support training for remote workers (23%)
- Outsourcing IT support for specialized problems (16%)
While IT challenges are inevitable, targeted investments in training, tools, and resources can significantly reduce their impact, saving both time and money in the long run.
Nearly 1 in 3 IT pros (30%) reported that their companies have invested in new software or tools to reduce tech issues.
There’s a crucial opportunity for IT professionals to reclaim lost time proactively. Investing in modern tools, training, and self-service IT resources can significantly reduce annual costs.
Ryan MacDonald
Chief Technology Officer at Liquid Web
The impact of IT issues on employee growth and productivity
Technical challenges in the workplace can affect efficiency, employee development, and morale. Here’s how tech challenges hurt productivity across different generations and how work environments experience the pressures of ongoing tech issues.
Serving as unofficial tech support for co-workers is a common frustration among Gen Z workers. Nearly 2 in 5 said it stunted their professional growth, including 1 in 5 on-site Gen Z employees.
Additionally, 23% of Gen Z workers reported feeling judged or ashamed when dealing with technical difficulties at work, especially remote workers. On-site Gen Z employees were 25% less likely to experience these feelings.
Remote workers (42%) also encountered unique challenges. They were nearly 10% more likely than in-office employees to miss deadlines or experience delays due to tech issues.
On average, tech workers spend 2 hours per week resolving problems, which points to an ongoing time drain caused by recurring issues in that industry.
“Due to the high stakes of IT inefficiencies, there’s heavy reliance on IT teams to keep business operations running smoothly.”
Ryan MacDonald
Chief Technology Officer at Liquid Web
From challenges to opportunities: Solving IT issues
Recurring tech issues take a toll on productivity, morale, and overall business operations. Many companies are tackling these problems by adopting new tools, offering IT training, and upskilling their teams. Proactive efforts like these can reduce disruptions, improve efficiency, and help employees feel more supported.
As reliance on technology grows, minimizing tech-related frustrations is essential for keeping businesses running smoothly.
“Liquid Web believes empowering IT teams with the right strategies — like regular training, robust cybersecurity protocols, and streamlined collaboration — transforms IT challenges into opportunities for greater efficiency and innovation.”
Ryan MacDonald
Chief Technology Officer at Liquid Web
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