How to hire a child support officer

How to hire a child support officer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step child support officer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a child support officer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new child support officer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a child support officer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the child support officer you need to hire. Certain child support officer roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A child support officer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, child support officers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of child support officers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Child Support Officer	Description	Hourly rate
   Child Support Officer	Police officers protect lives and property. Detectives and criminal investigators, who are sometimes called agents or special agents, gather facts and collect evidence of possible crimes.	$11-26
   Marshal	The duties of a marshal primarily depend on their line of work or place of employment. They typically have high positions in various areas such as in the fire department, law enforcement, and even in aviation... Show more	$12-23
   Internal Affairs Investigator	An internal affairs investigator is responsible for investigating an alleged violation committed by a person or company, such as misuse of funds, misconduct, corruption among company officials, or other concerns involving employees and staff. They also monitor wrongful accusations... Show more	$12-55

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Child Support Cases
   • Child Support Orders
   • Paternity
   • Court Orders
   • Customer Service
   • Absent Parents
   • Federal Regulations
   • Non-Custodial Parents
   • State Agencies
   • Child Support
   • Child Support Obligations
   • Technical Assistance
   • Child Support Policies
   • Computer System

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Answer eligibility and coverage questions from insurance agents pertaining to Medicare advantage plans and prescription drug plans.
   • Receive and review refer application to establish paternity and support obligations and enforce existing court orders for child support.
   • Perform investigations to locate non-custodial parents and their assets to initiate legal actions in establishing paternity, financial and medical support.
   • Prepare summons, subpoenas, and motions.
   • Facilitate DNA testing, while interviewing clients for child support.
   • Support and troubleshoot all technical inquiries regarding network coverage, device information and data services.

   More child support officer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your child support officer job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A child support officer salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, child support officers' average salary in south carolina is 59% less than in maryland.
   • Seniority. Entry-level child support officers earn 59% less than senior-level child support officers.
   • Certifications. A child support officer with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a child support officer's salary.

   Average child support officer salary

   $36,446yearly

   $17.52 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level child support officer salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average child support officer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Hawaii	$55,324	$27
   2	District of Columbia	$47,672	$23
   3	New York	$45,377	$22
   4	California	$42,849	$21
   5	Virginia	$42,013	$20
   6	Washington	$37,584	$18
   7	Oregon	$36,041	$17
   8	Maine	$35,504	$17
   9	Iowa	$32,534	$16
   10	Texas	$32,413	$16
   11	Louisiana	$26,859	$13

   Average child support officer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Houston ISD Foundation	$64,952	$31.23	7
   2	Washington State University	$46,713	$22.46
   3	barrios-technology	$44,623	$21.45	1
   4	Parsons	$44,035	$21.17	26
   5	University of Hawaii Foundation	$40,925	$19.68	14
   6	Iowa Department of Transportation	$37,429	$17.99
   7	Xator	$36,816	$17.70
   8	SG Americas Securities Holdings, LLC	$36,217	$17.41
   9	Iowa State Association of Counties	$36,176	$17.39
   10	Air National Guard	$35,941	$17.28
   11	G K N Aerospace Aerostructures Inc	$35,912	$17.27
   12	Comprehensive Behavior Supports	$35,246	$16.95	3
   13	Anoka County	$31,751	$15.26
   14	Lane County Engineer	$29,766	$14.31
   15	Connections For Kids	$29,312	$14.09
   16	Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service	$25,593	$12.30
   17	Heart of Texas Goodwill Industries	$24,949	$11.99	1
   18	County of San Joaquin, CA	$23,961	$11.52	9

4. Writing a child support officer job description

   A job description for a child support officer role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a child support officer job description:

   Child support officer job description example

   MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
   Education: Graduation from high school or equivalent
   Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; experience in the following (or closely related) fields may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year
   basis: Child Support Program, credit collections, investigations, legal assistant, legal secretary, customer service, or IV-A eligibility specialist
   Skill in interviewing and negotiating
   Skill in using a personal computer for word-processing and data entry/retrieval
   Skill in basic mathematical computations
   Skill in handling multiple tasks, prioritizing, and meeting deadlines
   Skill in effective oral and written communication
   Skill in exercising sound judgment and effective decision making
   Ability to receive and respond positively to constructive feedback
   Ability to work cooperatively with others in a professional office environment
   Ability to provide excellent customer service
   Ability to arrange for personal transportation for business-related travel
   Ability to work more than 40 hours as needed and in compliance with the FLSA
   Ability to lift and relocate 30 lbs.
   Ability to travel (including overnight travel) up to 5%
   Ability to type 40 words per minute (Typing test required at time of interview)

   PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
   Education: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university
   Knowledge: Investigative practices and techniques
   Other Language: Ability to proficiently read, write, and speak Spanish

   Work Location: Dallas, TX (Oak Cliff).

   Workdays and Hours:

   Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.

   Compensation : This will be an hourly position. See below for wage range.

   • $14.50 per hour

   
   
   

   Rising Star Resource Development Corporation (Rising Star) is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation and Social Enterprise. We are a supportive and integrated employer providing employment to persons with disabilities, individuals with barriers to employment and our veterans. We are a provider of contract services for Facility Support services and Temporary Staffing services to Federal, State and local governments, and to commercial businesses. We are governed and credentialed at a State level through WorkQuest Texas and at a Federal level through the AbilityOne Commission.

   
   
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right child support officer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with child support officers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit child support officers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your child support officer job on Zippia to find and recruit child support officer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with child support officer candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new child support officer

   Once you've decided on a perfect child support officer candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new child support officer. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a child support officer?