How to hire a computer assistant

How to hire a computer assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step computer assistant hiring guide:

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

What does a computer assistant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the computer assistant you need to hire. Certain computer assistant 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a computer assistant to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a computer assistant that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of computer assistants and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Computer Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Computer Assistant	Computer support specialists provide help and advice to people and organizations using computer software or equipment. Some, called computer network support specialists, support information technology (IT) employees within their organization... Show more	$12-39
   Desk Support Technician	A desktop support technician is responsible for assisting end-users with their network issues, grant authorization requests, and create user accounts. Desktop support technicians maintain the safety and security of networks, preventing unauthorized access and illegal dissemination of database information... Show more	$12-29
   Information Systems Technician	An information systems technician is responsible for maintaining the efficiency of various network systems' performance. Information systems technicians provide network troubleshooting, upgrading systems for optimization, maintaining the security of databases, managing the interaction of networks, and inspecting and troubleshooting system inconsistencies... Show more	$13-35

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Computer Equipment
   • Software Issues
   • Customer Support
   • Software Applications
   • Computer System
   • Computer Operations
   • Treasury
   • CAD
   • Troubleshoot
   • Computer Lab
   • Computer Programs
   • Computer Software
   • User Accounts
   • DOD

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Set up and manage all Linux labs campus-wide.
   • Process customer billing for cad services.
   • Support deployment of all PCs and peripherals.
   • Perform OS and software testing prior to creating system images.
   • Install, modify, troubleshot and repair computer hardware and software.
   • Perform HTML editing and page creation in support of classify intranet site.

   More computer assistant duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, computer assistants' average salary in maine is 48% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level computer assistants 69% less than senior-level computer assistants.
   • Certifications. A computer assistant 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 computer assistant's salary.

   Average computer assistant salary

   $47,077yearly

   $22.63 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level computer assistant salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average computer assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$60,782	$29
   2	Pennsylvania	$55,967	$27
   3	Washington	$55,358	$27
   4	North Carolina	$52,106	$25
   5	California	$51,916	$25
   6	Texas	$50,240	$24
   7	South Carolina	$49,005	$24
   8	Oregon	$48,246	$23
   9	Florida	$47,617	$23
   10	Virginia	$47,498	$23
   11	Missouri	$46,335	$22
   12	Massachusetts	$45,903	$22
   13	Kansas	$45,854	$22
   14	Ohio	$45,170	$22
   15	Indiana	$43,157	$21
   16	New Mexico	$41,684	$20
   17	Nebraska	$39,994	$19
   18	Iowa	$39,481	$19
   19	Utah	$39,345	$19
   20	South Dakota	$38,038	$18

   Average computer assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Bristol-Myers Squibb	$131,974	$63.45
   2	Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center	$126,145	$60.65
   3	California Polytechnic State University	$83,334	$40.06
   4	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	$76,185	$36.63	2
   5	UC Santa Barbara	$71,144	$34.20
   6	Olsson	$67,984	$32.68
   7	State University of New York College at Cortland	$65,741	$31.61	1
   8	Maganti IT Resources	$59,877	$28.79
   9	Internal Revenue Service	$56,046	$26.95
   10	CARE	$55,817	$26.84	3
   11	Bellevue Jr/Sr High School	$55,399	$26.63
   12	Hilton CSD	$52,722	$25.35
   13	National Park Foundation	$50,396	$24.23
   14	Seattle Pacific University	$49,556	$23.82
   15	University of Georgia Small Business Development Center	$49,008	$23.56	7
   16	Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake City	$46,753	$22.48
   17	University of Central Florida	$46,182	$22.20	7
   18	Army National Guard	$45,671	$21.96	14
   19	W.W. Gay Mechanical Contractor	$45,478	$21.86
   20	United States Marine Corps	$45,376	$21.82

4. Writing a computer assistant job description

   A job description for a computer assistant 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 computer assistant job description:

   Computer assistant job description example

   Hannaford Supermarkets started out as a fresh produce vendor in Portland, Maine way back in 1883, and is still connected to those early roots as a local market. Hannaford actively seeks out farmers and producers to join our Local program which celebrates not only local foods, but the preservation of farmland, local traditions and local jobs. The connection we have to the source of our fresh foods is core to the way we do business, becoming the first major supermarket in the United States to document that all its seafood products were sustainably harvested.
   PRIMARY PURPOSE
   
   Perform computer assisted ordering functions and other duties that ensure department appearance, quality, variety, safety, on shelf availability and food safety are consistently maintained at the highest level. Demonstrate a strong culture in support of Hannaford Strategy. Maintain solid communication with center store manager. Build customer relations and provide enthusiastic customer awareness.
   
   DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
   
   • Role model outstanding, friendly customer service and use skills and knowledge to offer solutions that meet or exceed customer's expectations.• Perform and support all CAO (Computer Assisted Ordering) maintenance walks for all areas of Center Store including DSD.• Perform and support all CAO exception walks for all areas of the center store including DSD.• Perform and support the new and discontinued item process.• Research and take corrective action on items with excessive back stock.• Aid in growing sales through effective on shelf availability.• Assist in training and other special projects as assigned by management.• Effectively communicate inventory level challenges to Center Store Manager.• Maintain the quality of department's appearance and presentation.• Process merchandise properly, paying special attention to code dates and rotation of products according to prescribed standards.• Cut, mark and stock product, as required.• Assist in communicating department and company policies to associates.• Adhere to all standard practices as outlined in the Center Store Standard Practices Manual.• Perform various department functions as needed to meet production and customer service guidelines.• Perform all other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
   
   QUALIFICATIONS
   
   • Understanding of store operations and merchandising techniques required.• Effective interpersonal and organizational skills.• Ability to lead and direct others.• Effective communication, customer service and selling skills.• Must meet minimum age requirements.
   
   Physical Requirements
   
   • Lift up to 20 lbs. regularly, including overhead lifting, and up to 60 lbs. occasionally. Push/pull up to 40 lbs. regularly.• Meet established volume/activity standards.• Stand or walk 100% of the time.• Frequent reaching, grasping and lifting individual stock items below waist level or above shoulder level.• Frequent bending, kneeling and squatting.• Able to handle a variety of substances associated with cleaning materials, packaging materials and food products.• Tolerate working in extreme hot/cold temperatures for up to 20 minutes at a time.• Ability to use computers, calculators and communication systems required to perform the job functions.
   
   Hannaford provides equal opportunity in employment to all associates and applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions), age, veteran status, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.
   
   Job Requisition: 262837_external_USA-ME-Bar-Harbor_9262022

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right computer assistant 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 computer assistants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit computer assistants 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 computer assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit computer assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting computer assistants 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.

   Sometimes, it's not enough to interview computer assistant candidates, so you can ask them to do a test project. If you are not a technical person and don't know what a test project should be, you can use these websites:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   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 computer assistant

   Once you've decided on a perfect computer assistant 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 equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new computer assistant first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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