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How to hire a customer support associate

Customer support associate hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring customer support associates in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a customer support associate is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new customer support associate to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a customer support associate, step by step

To hire a customer support associate, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a customer support associate:

Here's a step-by-step customer support associate hiring guide:

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

What does a customer support associate do?

A customer support associate's responsibilities revolve around assisting walk-in customers by answering inquiries, offering recommendations, issuing refunds, addressing complaints, and resolving it promptly and professionally. They may also provide support to clients through calls and correspondence, offering them products or services when necessary. There are also instances when they must perform follow-up calls, troubleshoot problems, and arrange appointments. Furthermore, as a customer support associate, it is essential to interact with clients in a friendly and efficient manner, ensuring customer satisfaction and quality service.

Learn more about the specifics of what a customer support associate does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    First, determine the employments status of the customer support associate you need to hire. Certain customer support associate 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?

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

    Type of Customer Support AssociateDescriptionHourly rate
    Customer Support AssociateCustomer service representatives interact with customers to handle complaints, process orders, and provide information about an organization’s products and services.$12-23
    Customer AgentA customer agent provides friendly service to external and internal customers. Customer agents talk to customers on behalf of businesses and companies... Show more$12-18
    Customer LiaisonCustomer liaisons are professionals who act as the focal point to deal with customer problems, questions, or concerns by coordinating with the proper company personnel to provide accurate answers for them. They are required to handle inbound calls to resolve immediate issues while providing excellent customer service to members... Show more$14-51
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Data Entry
    • Strong Customer Service
    • Customer Satisfaction
    • CSA
    • Inbound Calls
    • Health Insurance
    • Customer Inquiries
    • Technical Support
    • Troubleshoot
    • Call Tracking
    • Data Integrity
    • Phone Calls
    • Customer Issues
    • PeopleSoft
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage the use of DHL or FEDEX.
    • Achieve quarterly A/R objectives on a regular basis.
    • Negotiate freight rates and manage relationships with freight forwarders and shipping companies.
    • Organize company events and manage payroll.
    • Manage high volume weekly consultant payroll using PeopleSoft.
    • Create and track opportunities monitor using Microsoft CRM.
    More customer support associate duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in the customer support associate job description is a good way to get more applicants. A customer support associate salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

    For example, the average salary for a customer support associate in Georgia may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level customer support associate. Additionally, a customer support associate with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

    Average customer support associate salary

    $16.77hourly

    $34,878 yearly

    Entry-level customer support associate salary
    $25,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 28, 2026

    Average customer support associate salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1California$42,915$21
    2New York$40,549$19
    3Pennsylvania$36,948$18
    4Washington$36,637$18
    5Massachusetts$36,297$17
    6Minnesota$36,125$17
    7Illinois$33,809$16
    8Connecticut$33,599$16
    9Indiana$33,288$16
    10Michigan$33,022$16
    11Arizona$32,978$16
    12Colorado$32,799$16
    13Wisconsin$32,796$16
    14North Carolina$32,786$16
    15Iowa$32,293$16
    16New Hampshire$32,255$16
    17Ohio$31,947$15
    18Texas$30,658$15
    19Florida$30,447$15
    20Utah$29,570$14

    Average customer support associate salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Adobe$94,173$45.283
    2Accenture$73,223$35.20288
    3Blackbaud$55,486$26.68
    4Cummins$53,736$25.8317
    5Lattice Semiconductor$53,660$25.80
    6Intel$53,054$25.51
    7Alliant Energy$51,587$24.801
    8Arrow Electronics$46,142$22.187
    9Carbonite$45,428$21.84
    10New York Life Insurance$44,330$21.3117
    11Fastenal$42,752$20.5572
    12Fidelity Investments$41,066$19.74113
    13Quorum International$41,021$19.72
    14GEICO$40,979$19.7043
    15Atmos Energy$40,765$19.60
    16Spectrum$40,699$19.57
    17Room & Board$40,048$19.25
    18Empower Media Marketing$39,748$19.11
    19DXC Technology$39,588$19.039
    20Fortune Brands Home & Security$39,542$19.018
  4. Writing a customer support associate job description

    A customer support associate 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 customer support associate job description:

    Customer support associate job description example

    Schedule - We are looking for someone who can work a set part time schedule for opening and/or closing shifts. Opening shifts start at 6:00am with a flexible end time. Closing shifts end at 6:00pm with a flexible start time. This position will also have to work on Saturday ever 4 weeks from 8:00am-12:00pm.

    JOB SUMMARY

    Contributes to growth, profitability, and productivity of the bank by effectively providing service on wide range of banking services via telephone and/or internet. Assists in development of customer relationships, including account service and sales.

    KEY JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

    The following are essential job responsibilities:

    1. Answers incoming calls via the Call Center. Provides guidance directly to customer, or determines most appropriate bank contact which to forward the inquiry.
    2. Provides excellent service to customers and co-workers by phone including actively promoting and selling additional bank products and services.
    3. Assists customers with online and mobile banking, debit and credit cards, account inquiries and transfers and various other financial service aspects.
    4. Assists internal customers with various network and software password resets and functionality.
    5. Maintains positive attitude while promoting products, services, and functions in fast-paced, multi-faceted environment.
    6. Actively engages in self-development through participation in meetings, committees, computer-based training, reading periodicals, maintaining product knowledge, etc.
    7. Maintains and orders department supplies and equipment.

    The following job responsibilities may be reassigned:

    • Other related duties as assigned or requested.

    Knowledge/Skills/Abilities :

    • PC, phone system, general office equipment
    • Ability to maintain strict confidentiality
    • Ability to recognize sales opportunities and effectively offer solutions to customers
    • Must work both independently and be a team player
    • Ability to sit for prolonged periods on the phone and concentrate visually on a PC
    • Position requires judgment, tact and on-the-spot decision making

    Communication:

    Effective verbal and written communication skills and strong interpersonal skills.

    Representation :

    Ability to represent the bank in a professional and positive manner.

    Compliance :

    Uphold the bank’s philosophy and policies by maintaining appropriate controls to ensure full compliance with applicable laws and regulations, thereby fulfilling legal responsibilities and enhancing the quality of the bank.

    Attendance :

    Ability to maintain regular and reliable attendance.

    Diversity Mindset:

    Ability to understand the value of diversity within the workplace and to work successfully with others without regard to age, gender, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, culture, religion, disability status, socioeconomic status or other non-job-related classification. A commitment to the bank's policies on equal employment opportunities and non-discrimination with a willingness to pursue efforts of inclusion and respect toward different perspectives.

    Education Required/ Preferred :

    High School diploma or equivalent

    Experience Required/ Preferred :

    Understanding of banking and related products and services typically acquired through 1-3 years of experience in a bank customer service role

    PHYSICAL DEMANDS

    In compliance with the ADA, performance of this job requires certain physical demands. These demands are as follows but not limited to the ability to sit, stand and walk often throughout the day, constantly be able to operate with their hands and arms, occasionally ascend/descend flights of stairs, position themselves frequently throughout the day, communicate with other employees, able to examine their work and regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds while occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. These physical demands must be met by an employee to be successful and perform at full potential but reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

  5. Post your job

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

    To successfully recruit customer support associates, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

    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.

    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 customer support associate

    Once you've decided on a perfect customer support associate 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.

    Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new customer support associate. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

  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 customer support associate?

Recruiting customer support associates involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

You can expect to pay around $34,878 per year for a customer support associate, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for customer support associates in the US typically range between $12 and $23 an hour.

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