How to hire a client specialist

How to hire a client specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step client specialist hiring guide:

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

What does a client specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a client specialist, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect client specialist also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of client specialist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Client Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Client Specialist	Customer service representatives interact with customers to handle complaints, process orders, and provide information about an organization’s products and services.	$12-30
   Client Liaison	Client Liaisons support client service representatives in matters related to clients. They plan and make a schedule for the monthly meetings with their clients... Show more	$11-32

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Client Facing
   • Client Satisfaction
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Customer Service
   • CRM
   • Customer Relationships
   • Client Service
   • Post Sales
   • Client Retention
   • Account Management
   • Client Relationships
   • Client Accounts
   • Client Issues
   • Product Knowledge

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Deliver exceptional customer service while assisting patients with their questions and concerns regarding scheduling or supplements.
   • Develop working knowledge of animal medical conditions and terminology, diplomacy with and compassion for pet owners and their animals.
   • Train clients on treasury products (i.e.
   • Create PowerPoint presentations to aid in WebEx training.
   • Create PowerPoint for training and prepare documents for new hires.
   • Recommend over the counter products such as flea products, pet foods, shampoos, etc.

   More client specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your client specialist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A client specialist can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, client specialists' average salary in oklahoma is 53% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level client specialists 59% less than senior-level client specialists.
   • Certifications. A client specialist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a client specialist's salary.

   Average client specialist salary

   $41,368yearly

   $19.89 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level client specialist salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

   Average client specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$68,485	$33
   2	Maryland	$57,726	$28
   3	Massachusetts	$57,323	$28
   4	Illinois	$55,074	$26
   5	New Jersey	$54,295	$26
   6	Minnesota	$53,123	$26
   7	Connecticut	$48,826	$23
   8	Washington	$46,902	$23
   9	Georgia	$46,224	$22
   10	California	$46,166	$22
   11	Texas	$44,151	$21
   12	Colorado	$42,274	$20
   13	North Carolina	$42,030	$20
   14	Michigan	$41,399	$20
   15	South Carolina	$41,320	$20
   16	Ohio	$40,387	$19
   17	Arizona	$38,392	$18
   18	Indiana	$38,278	$18
   19	Florida	$37,478	$18
   20	Nebraska	$36,998	$18

   Average client specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	McKinsey & Company Inc	$111,290	$53.50	25
   2	Arrowstreet Capital	$99,968	$48.06
   3	Standard Chartered	$86,073	$41.38	15
   4	Credit Suisse	$85,269	$40.99
   5	BMO Capital Markets	$85,259	$40.99	2
   6	Bridgewater Associates	$84,506	$40.63
   7	Capital Group	$83,846	$40.31	2
   8	Citi	$83,455	$40.12	17
   9	IBM	$81,696	$39.28	26
   10	Thomson Reuters	$81,351	$39.11	16
   11	Morgan Stanley	$76,265	$36.67	222
   12	Baird	$74,496	$35.82	60
   13	Raymond James Financial	$73,384	$35.28	132
   14	Deutsche Bank	$72,162	$34.69	7
   15	PRWeek	$71,989	$34.61	1
   16	BNY Mellon	$70,871	$34.07	107
   17	City National Bank	$70,726	$34.00	37
   18	The Motley Fool	$68,661	$33.01
   19	Concierge Home Care	$68,201	$32.79	3
   20	First Republic Bank	$65,546	$31.51

4. Writing a client specialist job description

   A client specialist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a client specialist job description:

   Client specialist job description example

   We are looking for a Client Specialist to join Bernstein's Private Wealth Management team to support the onboarding of clients across all 19 domestic offices. This dynamic role will require candidates to work closely with our internal teams with a specific focus on opening new accounts. This is an exciting and challenging opportunity to partner with Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Associates to handle all aspects of onboarding new high net worth clients. Specialists will walk internal partners through the opening process to complete the required documentation and share their expertise about various types of entities to ensure an exceptional client experience.
   Client Specialists will:
   Partner with internal business partners in the onboarding of new clients in Private Wealth Management at Bernstein. The Client Specialist will onboard and provide service and support functions to set up new accounts by facilitating the coordination of all aspects of the account creation process Partner with Private Wealth Associates on all aspects of onboarding process to ensure superior client service throughout the process, all client's first interaction with the firm Facilitate the coordination of the transfer of assets from other firms to Bernstein through proactive and diligent review of our transfer process Coordinate with team members in our Legal and Compliance Departments to handle any documentation related account opening items and obtain final approval of new accounts
   
   Job Qualifications
   Applicants should have a bachelor's degree and possess experience working in client service. Candidates should be client-focused, proactive and creative thinkers, and detail-oriented with a strong ability to multi-task and work under pressure in a fast-paced atmosphere. They should also possess strong interpersonal and communication skills (both written and verbal) and an ability to build internal and external relationships.
   
   Preferred Qualifications
   Candidates with SIE and Series 7 & 63 licenses preferred.
   
   Department Description
   Bernstein Private Wealth Management (“Bernstein”), also a subsidiary of AllianceBernstein L.P. (AB), provides advanced planning strategies and a wide array of investment management services to high net worth families, endowments and foundations, and institutions to help them reach specific financial objectives. Bernstein Private Wealth Management is distinguished among major wealth managers by its single focus and the resulting alignment of interests and accountability this brings to each client relationship. Bernstein's integrated approach allows the firm to tailor each client's portfolio, minimizing the effects of tax and volatility, with investment strategies that draw on AB's deep research expertise across asset classes and geographies.
   
   Location
   Nashville, TN
   
   AllianceBernstein (AB) is a global investment-management firm providing industry-leading research and investment solutions through a combination of innovation, intellectual curiosity and relentless ingenuity. We offer high-quality research and diversified investment services to institutional and individual investors worldwide. Our clients include some of the world's top institutions as well as private-wealth clients and retail investors. Through close partnerships with our clients, we collaborate on investment strategies across regions and sectors to inspire innovative thinking and deliver superior outcomes.
   
   We invest in our people and in the communities in which we operate, and we celebrate our diversity to showcase what makes us unique. We offer our talent the opportunity to grow professionally while working on cutting-edge ideas and outcomes in a global culture that operates as a tight-knit community.
   If you're ready to innovate and grow your career, join us.
   
   People of color, women, and those who identify as LGBTQ people are encouraged to apply. AB does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, ancestry, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, citizenship status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or veteran status or any other basis that is prohibited by applicable law. AB's policies, as well as practices, seek to ensure that employment opportunities are available to all employees and applicants, based solely on job-related criteria.
   Nashville, Tennessee

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right client specialist for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting client specialists requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to 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 client specialist

   Once you've decided on a perfect client specialist 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 important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new client specialist. 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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