How to hire a customer support engineer

How to hire a customer support engineer, step by step

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

What does a customer support engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a customer support engineer, 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 customer support engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, customer support engineers 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 engineers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Customer Support Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Customer Support Engineer	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	$28-54
   Support	A support employee is responsible for assisting the business operations and responding to customers' inquiries and concerns regarding its goods and services. Support logs all customers' interaction and escalates potential complaints to the appropriate department... Show more	$11-25
   Support Analyst	The role of support analysts is to resolve problems with hardware, computer programs, and peripherals. They may focus on a particular aspect of the information technology (IT) department or give technical support to end-users... Show more	$24-54

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Support
   • Technical Support
   • Customer Service
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • CSE
   • Linux
   • SQL
   • SAN
   • Java
   • Corrective Action
   • Customer Issues
   • Technical Assistance
   • Technical Issues
   • Technical Problems

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage a monthly SharePoint user group to help improve the SharePoint customer experience.
   • Manage live broadcasts that are delivered via the Internet using HTML and JavaScript.
   • Support the SAN team for storage expansion, with the NEXSAN support systems and managing HDD appliance.
   • Lead technical operations for an innovative workforce virtualization movement, including initial design and improvement of technical systems and processes.
   • Perform troubleshooting and investigations of technical issues for the Java front-end and database backend of the product.
   • Sole builder of XML records via UNIX/shell scripting & creator of SQL queries, train QA co-worker Unix/SQL.

   More customer support engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your customer support engineer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A customer support engineer salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a customer support engineer in Iowa may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level customer support engineer usually earns less than a senior-level customer support engineer. Additionally, a customer support engineer with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average customer support engineer salary

   $82,674yearly

   $39.75 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level customer support engineer salary

   $59,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average customer support engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$110,131	$53
   2	Washington	$101,461	$49
   3	Oregon	$90,111	$43
   4	New York	$84,807	$41
   5	New Jersey	$84,507	$41
   6	Connecticut	$84,124	$40
   7	Rhode Island	$81,244	$39
   8	Pennsylvania	$78,192	$38
   9	Massachusetts	$77,605	$37
   10	Maryland	$75,529	$36
   11	Texas	$74,572	$36
   12	North Carolina	$73,013	$35
   13	Arizona	$71,404	$34
   14	Georgia	$66,377	$32
   15	South Carolina	$65,494	$31
   16	Colorado	$64,767	$31
   17	Illinois	$61,588	$30

   Average customer support engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Nokia	$105,021	$50.49	15
   2	Comverse Technology	$104,559	$50.27
   3	NETSCOUT	$100,450	$48.29
   4	Commvault	$98,972	$47.58
   5	Navisite	$97,908	$47.07
   6	KLA	$96,919	$46.60	25
   7	Appvance	$96,912	$46.59
   8	Cisco	$96,853	$46.56	123
   9	Conviva	$96,036	$46.17
   10	Tegile Systems	$94,987	$45.67
   11	Intel	$93,403	$44.91	4
   12	Finastra	$93,270	$44.84	6
   13	Pegasystems	$93,174	$44.80	3
   14	Foundry Networks	$91,716	$44.09
   15	Airspan Networks	$91,057	$43.78
   16	DXC Technology	$90,620	$43.57	13
   17	Astronics	$89,853	$43.20	2
   18	Advantage Tech	$88,783	$42.68
   19	General Electric	$87,750	$42.19	13
   20	Dassault Systèmes	$86,709	$41.69

4. Writing a customer support engineer job description

   A customer support engineer 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 engineer job description:

   Customer support engineer job description example

   We're looking for problem solvers, innovators, and dreamers who are searching for anything but business as usual. Like us, you're a high performer who's an expert at your craft, constantly challenging the status quo. You value inclusivity and want to join a culture that empowers you to show up as your authentic self. You know that success hinges on commitment, that our differences make us stronger, and that the finish line is always sweeter when the whole team crosses together.
   
   This is not your ordinary support job. Alteryx Customer Support Engineers (CSE's) work with the world's leading companies every day to help them with their advanced analytic solutions. From financial services to communications, retail, and pharma (and more), you'll work with customers that are on the leading edge of the analytic revolution. You will help Alteryx customers by addressing their current questions as well as provide guidance associated with the best use of Alteryx software. Additionally, you work closely with other members of the Alteryx team, including Sales and Engineering, to ensure a superior customer experience with both the product and the company as a whole.
   What you will do:
   Review, document, troubleshoot and resolve the Alteryx customer's technical questions Act as a facilitator and assist with the communication between the customer and internal teams when escalating issues Respond to customer requests within expected Service Level Agreements and manage customer expectations Create articles for our internal and external knowledge base when related information is not present using KCS methodology practices Answer incoming support inquiries via various channels (Chat, phone, email, etc.)
   
   What we look for:
   1-3 years of Product Support or related work experience Excellent troubleshooting skills (databases, environments, network communications, applications, etc…) Top-notch interpersonal skills, with excellent written communication to match Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, under pressure and prioritize multiple tasks Working knowledge of Microsoft Windows operating systems and server platforms Excellent collaboration and proven teamwork abilities Associate or Bachelor degree in Business Administration or IT preferred, or equivalent experience Can-do attitude with desire to help customers and work as part of a collaborative team Life-long learner
   Find yourself checking a lot of these boxes but doubting whether you should apply? At Alteryx, we support a growth mindset for our associates through all stages of their careers. If you meet some of the requirements and you share our values, we encourage you to apply. As part of our ongoing commitment to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace, we're invested in building teams with a wide variety of backgrounds, identities, and experiences.
   
   Benefits & Perks:
   Alteryx has amazing benefits for all Associates which can be viewed here.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find customer support engineers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any customer support engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level customer support engineers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   To find customer support engineer candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit customer support engineers, 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 to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   Sometimes, it's not enough to interview customer support engineer 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 customer support engineer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the customer support engineer position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the 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 customer support engineer. 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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