How to hire a computer support technician

How to hire a computer support technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step computer support technician 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 support technician job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new computer support technician
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a computer support technician do?

Post a computer support technician job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a computer support technician, 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

   A computer support technician's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, computer support technicians 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 computer support technicians and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Computer Support Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Computer Support Technician	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	$16-24
   Administrative Technical Support	Administrative technical support maintains every technical set-up used in a company. Their primary responsibility is to inspect a company's systems, evaluate for issues, and repair any problems immediately... Show more	$13-36
   Technical Support Engineer	A technical support engineer is responsible for responding to customer issues, providing immediate resolutions to their system issues through remote assistance. Technical support engineers must have strong knowledge of software and hardware applications to diagnose system defects and process troubleshooting... Show more	$29-57

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Technical Support
   • Computer Support
   • Desk Support
   • Mac
   • Computer System
   • Network Printers
   • Remote Desktop
   • Software Installation
   • Laptop Computers
   • PCS
   • OS
   • Software Issues
   • Customer Support

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage backups, replications and disaster recovery plans of company mission critical servers and database files to ensure redundancy.
   • Used and become familiar with LINUX network file system.
   • Used Linux operating system to recover data from hard drives.
   • Support & troubleshoot VPN, Internet connections, email, browser and OS errors.
   • Network troubleshooting (proxy setting, TCP/IP configuration, DNS servers, etc . )
   • Install and configure new office computers to connect to the office network and the Internet via TCP/IP.

   More computer support technician duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, computer support technicians' average salary in south dakota is 32% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level computer support technicians 33% less than senior-level computer support technicians.
   • Certifications. A computer support technician 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 support technician's salary.

   Average computer support technician salary

   $41,852yearly

   $20.12 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level computer support technician salary

   $34,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average computer support technician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$49,957	$24
   2	Washington	$47,297	$23
   3	Georgia	$45,011	$22
   4	Colorado	$44,426	$21
   5	District of Columbia	$44,241	$21
   6	Nevada	$42,788	$21
   7	New York	$42,546	$20
   8	Hawaii	$41,971	$20
   9	New Jersey	$41,855	$20
   10	Texas	$40,525	$19
   11	Florida	$39,965	$19
   12	Missouri	$38,516	$19
   13	Arkansas	$38,130	$18
   14	Virginia	$34,602	$17
   15	Ohio	$34,256	$16
   16	Nebraska	$34,112	$16
   17	North Carolina	$33,793	$16
   18	Utah	$33,706	$16
   19	Iowa	$33,406	$16
   20	Tennessee	$33,286	$16

   Average computer support technician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory	$69,154	$33.25	1
   2	General Dynamics Mission Systems	$54,886	$26.39	9
   3	Craig Technologies	$52,596	$25.29	2
   4	Emory University	$52,549	$25.26	8
   5	Northrop Grumman	$52,082	$25.04	27
   6	Leidos	$52,029	$25.01	162
   7	General Dynamics	$51,671	$24.84	142
   8	United Insurance Company of America	$47,612	$22.89
   9	Farnsworth Group	$47,544	$22.86
   10	University of Washington	$47,146	$22.67	3
   11	SUNY New Paltz	$46,637	$22.42
   12	SAIC	$46,548	$22.38	78
   13	Coe	$46,186	$22.20
   14	Coffman Engineers	$46,133	$22.18	4
   15	CenterPoint Energy	$45,733	$21.99
   16	Eurofins	$45,448	$21.85	6
   17	Nes Holdings	$45,448	$21.85
   18	Science	$45,359	$21.81	1
   19	Grp Inc	$45,359	$21.81	5
   20	SRC	$45,261	$21.76	3

4. Writing a computer support technician job description

   A good computer support technician job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a computer support technician job description:

   Computer support technician job description example

   SRC, Inc. is currently seeking an on-site client services administrator who is a self-starter with excellent communications skills. This person should be able to work independently and as part of a team. This candidate requires the ability to learn new skills and technology, solve problems, and be highly detail oriented.
   Responsibilities:
   Work closely with other IT team members to support enterprise client systems including hardware, applications, network, and security infrastructure located on-premises and in remote offices Monitor and respond to internal support requests submitted to ticketing system, by telephone and walk-up methods Diagnose and resolve hardware, software, network, and account-related issues Procure, configure, and setup new computer systems and peripherals Create and maintain client computer systems documentation Monitor and maintain computer systems by performing and/or assisting with patches, upgrades, and migrations Create computer objects and modify user accounts in Active Directory using DRA.
   Position Requirements :
   Bachelor's degree in information technology/information security, computer science, equivalent technical discipline with 3 or more years' experience; or any equivalent TS/SCI security clearance Flexible schedule which may include working nights and weekends. Experience in a customer-facing role and excellent customer service skills Experience with Microsoft Windows Operating systems; including system builds, backups, security patching, virus software, licensing, management, and documentation of end user systems. Experience with a wide-array of software packages that includes installation, configuration, and troubleshooting. Experience with USAF Standard Desktop Configuration (SDC) is a plus. Experience with Microsoft Windows Active Directory object creation, deletion, and attributes. Knowledge of PC hardware and peripheral troubleshooting. Preferred Requirements:
   The following certifications: A+, Security+, MCP is preferred Security Clearance Requirements
   
   An active TS/SCI security clearance and current investigation are required
   
   Equal Opportunity
   
   Individuals seeking employment are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identify, national origin, age, status as a protected veteran, or disability. You are being given the opportunity to provide the following information in order to help us comply with federal and state Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action record keeping, reporting, and other legal requirements.
   Learn more about SRC:
   Employee Benefits
   Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
   Awards & Recognition
   
   COVID-19 Policy:
   President Biden's Executive Order 14042, requires Federal contractors and subcontractors to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by January 18, 2022. This requirement applies to all SRC, Inc. and SRCTec, LLC employees and its subcontractors.
   
   Location San Antonio, TX Employment Type Full-Time Salaried Experience Required 3+ Years Education Required Bachelors Degree Security Clearance Requirement TS/SCI Travel % 0

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right computer support technician 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 computer support technician job on Zippia to find and recruit computer support technician candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit computer support technicians, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with a computer support technician applicant. In those cases, having candidates complete a test project can go a long way in figuring out who's the most likely to succeed in the role. If you aren't a technical person and don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • 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 support technician

   Once you've found the computer support technician candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new computer support technician. 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a computer support technician?