How to hire a desktop engineer

How to hire a desktop engineer, step by step

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

What does a desktop engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a desktop 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 desktop engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, desktop 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.

   This list presents desktop engineer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Desktop Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Desktop 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	$37-65
   Computer Support Technician	A computer support technician is responsible for diagnosing and resolving computer and network issues, identifying the source of malfunctions, and improving infrastructure to avoid downtimes and operational delays. Computer support technicians manage the efficiency of all equipment and peripherals for the computers, assist in installing components, and keeping adequate resources or alternatives for defective items... Show more	$16-24
   Desktop Support Analyst	A desktop support analyst's role is to develop strategies and systems to improve and coordinate desktop support efforts. Their responsibilities revolve around testing and modifying existing networks and systems, providing corrective measures on issues and concerns, performing regular inspections, troubleshooting, and maintaining inventories on software, hardware, and other applications... Show more	$17-31

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • SCCM
   • Troubleshoot
   • PowerShell
   • OS
   • Technical Support
   • PC
   • Desktop Support
   • Mac
   • Citrix
   • VMware
   • Microsoft Windows
   • Remote Desktop
   • VDI

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Assign and manage extensions, voicemail accounts using AVAYA phone system.
   • Partner with Microsoft, Symantec and other vendors to manage applications on all corporate desktops.
   • Work on installing, configuring and managing multiple LAN/WAN network technologies (Cisco switches, routers and firewalls).
   • Manage software deployments using SCCM and oversee monitoring of complex applications.
   • Install and troubleshoot LAN connectivity email configurations on end-user workstations.
   • Advance knowledge of LAN's including administration, security and physical cabling.

   More desktop engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the desktop engineer job description is a good way to get more applicants. A desktop engineer 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 desktop engineer in Oklahoma may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level desktop engineer. Additionally, a desktop engineer with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average desktop engineer salary

   $102,893yearly

   $49.47 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level desktop engineer salary

   $77,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average desktop engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$137,082	$66
   2	New Jersey	$118,388	$57
   3	Pennsylvania	$116,902	$56
   4	Oregon	$111,757	$54
   5	Virginia	$111,290	$54
   6	Michigan	$103,623	$50
   7	Missouri	$103,479	$50
   8	Minnesota	$103,029	$50
   9	Massachusetts	$100,118	$48
   10	Georgia	$99,746	$48
   11	Illinois	$97,996	$47
   12	New York	$97,375	$47
   13	Connecticut	$96,711	$47
   14	Wisconsin	$96,356	$46
   15	District of Columbia	$95,477	$46
   16	Texas	$89,473	$43
   17	Nebraska	$85,009	$41
   18	Ohio	$83,115	$40
   19	Colorado	$82,549	$40
   20	Florida	$73,449	$35

   Average desktop engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Ropes & Gray	$142,391	$68.46	6
   2	Lord Abbett	$131,630	$63.28
   3	Two Sigma	$127,144	$61.13
   4	GMO	$119,146	$57.28	1
   5	Barclays	$117,573	$56.53	2
   6	Enphase Energy	$117,456	$56.47	1
   7	BNP Paribas	$117,311	$56.40
   8	AT&T	$115,189	$55.38	33
   9	BNY Mellon	$114,305	$54.95	17
   10	Bank of the West	$113,377	$54.51
   11	Southwest Key Programs	$112,717	$54.19
   12	TD Securities	$111,587	$53.65
   13	Five Nines	$111,304	$53.51	1
   14	A+E Networks	$110,986	$53.36
   15	Randstad North America, Inc.	$110,928	$53.33	12
   16	Red Wing Shoes	$108,786	$52.30
   17	Summit Health Oregon	$107,872	$51.86
   18	Encore Capital Group	$107,698	$51.78
   19	BMO Capital Markets	$106,569	$51.24
   20	Charles Schwab	$106,548	$51.23	5

4. Writing a desktop engineer job description

   A good desktop engineer 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 desktop engineer job description:

   Desktop engineer job description example

   As an engineer on the desktop support team , you'll work in a dynamic environment supporting our clients. You'll have the opportunity to utilize technical skills and continue to learn new ones.
   
   What you'll do at Insight:
   Provide day to day support for a desktop support team, complete operations tasks, and provide level 3 technical support. Support the implementation and ongoing operations of 6,000+ desktops, Citrix environment and basic network tasks. Work collaboratively across a variety of business units to implement new technology and support existing technologies. Build and configure solutions in the development, test, and production environment; including documenting the processes, infrastructure, and design. Manage problems, maintain vendor relationships, and assist with vendor escalation and issue resolution. Facilitate device imaging and the refresh of desktop devices as needed. What you'll need to join Insight:
   Experience with: PowerShell for automation Windows 7/10 support Microsoft Office 2013, 2016, and O365 support Remote desktop support Ticket tracking systems Troubleshooting and data retrieval on various systems Capacity to learn to support a large number of the customer's in-house, proprietary programs from installation to troubleshooting. Capable of researching problems, determining solutions, and creating procedures to prevent repeat of issues. Ability to develop reports for organization management, regulatory agencies, and audit firms on a recurring and as-needed basis. Willingness to occasionally work outside of normal business hours. Ability to multitask with strong organization and time management skills. Must be able to respond effectively to inquiries or complaints within a timely fashion. Ensure strict adherence with all departmental Standard Operating Procedures and processes including escalation of concerns to peers and management.
   
   Other Pertinent Information:
   
   The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a teammate encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
   Moderate noise (i.e. business office with computers, phone, and printers, light traffic). Ability to work in a confined area. Ability to sit at a computer terminal for an extended period of time. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a teammate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
   While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to: stand, sit; talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard, reach, stoop and kneel. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and ability to adjust focus due to computer work. Moderate lifting is required. Insight is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by law.
   
   Posting Notes: Memphis || Tennessee (US-TN) || United States (US) || IT Infrastructure & Support || None || US - Memphis, TN; Remote ||
   
   Nearest Major Market: Memphis
   Job Segment: Technical Support, Engineer, Technology, Engineering

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right desktop engineer 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 desktop engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit desktop engineers 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 desktop engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit desktop engineer 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

   During your first interview to recruit desktop 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   If your interviews with desktop engineer applicants aren't enough to make a decision, you should also consider including a test project. These are often the best, most straightforward, and least bias-prone ways of determining who will likely succeed in the role. If you 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 desktop engineer

   Once you've found the desktop engineer 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.

   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.

   To prepare for the new desktop engineer 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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