How to hire a desktop support specialist

How to hire a desktop support specialist, step by step

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

What does a desktop support specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your desktop support specialist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a desktop support specialist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   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 desktop support specialist 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 desktop support specialist that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of desktop support specialists and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Desktop Support Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Desktop Support Specialist	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	$15-28
   Information Technology/Support Technician	An information technology (IT) support technician is a professional who is responsible for providing support and troubleshoots software and hardware problems faced by customers. As for larger organizations that have their own IT department, technicians must work together internally with their IT staff members... Show more	$14-31
   Systems Support	A systems support agent is responsible for resolving system applications and network issues, performing technical configuration, and upgrading systems infrastructure. A systems support representative conducts regular maintenance and diagnostic tests on the computer applications to ensure its optimal performance and efficiency to support business operations and avoid delays in deliverables... Show more	$21-42

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Desktop Support
   • Troubleshoot
   • PC
   • Technical Support
   • SCCM
   • Remote Desktop
   • Mac
   • Network Printers
   • OS
   • Laptop Computers
   • Computer System
   • User Support
   • VPN

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage computer assets utilizing Symantec Altiris.
   • Manage schedule software/Security patch upgrades via SCCM.
   • Manage backups, replications and disaster recovery plans of company mission critical servers and database files to ensure redundancy.
   • Deploy McAfee anti-virus tools across enterprise.
   • Automate fixes for common errors using Powershell and batch scripting.
   • Document software processes and core conversion software installations for VDI.

   More desktop support specialist duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, desktop support specialists' average salary in south dakota is 39% less than in massachusetts.
   • Seniority. Entry-level desktop support specialists 44% less than senior-level desktop support specialists.
   • Certifications. A desktop support specialist 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 desktop support specialist's salary.

   Average desktop support specialist salary

   $44,962yearly

   $21.62 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level desktop support specialist salary

   $33,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

   Average desktop support specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$56,702	$27
   2	District of Columbia	$55,127	$27
   3	New York	$52,563	$25
   4	California	$52,229	$25
   5	Washington	$49,920	$24
   6	Arizona	$48,660	$23
   7	Michigan	$47,555	$23
   8	Pennsylvania	$47,421	$23
   9	Virginia	$47,305	$23
   10	Georgia	$45,069	$22
   11	Ohio	$44,587	$21
   12	Texas	$43,994	$21
   13	Colorado	$43,961	$21
   14	Connecticut	$43,398	$21
   15	Maryland	$43,193	$21
   16	Illinois	$41,806	$20
   17	North Carolina	$40,535	$19
   18	Minnesota	$39,275	$19
   19	Montana	$37,808	$18
   20	Kansas	$37,506	$18

   Average desktop support specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Cornerstone Research	$95,134	$45.74
   2	Adobe	$75,942	$36.51	1
   3	Intelliswift	$64,201	$30.87	6
   4	HCL Technologies	$62,215	$29.91	5
   5	Western Digital	$60,395	$29.04	3
   6	Mount Sinai Health System	$58,619	$28.18	5
   7	CAI	$58,548	$28.15	9
   8	Allegro MicroSystems	$58,338	$28.05
   9	King County	$58,301	$28.03
   10	Princeton University	$58,034	$27.90
   11	Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital	$56,927	$27.37	2
   12	Take-Two Interactive Software	$55,887	$26.87	2
   13	Electronic Arts	$55,226	$26.55
   14	NETSCOUT	$55,183	$26.53
   15	David Evans and Associates	$53,873	$25.90
   16	Interactive Brokers	$53,223	$25.59	6
   17	FormFactor	$53,136	$25.55
   18	Minnesota State Fair	$52,457	$25.22	5
   19	Bankers Healthcare Group	$52,375	$25.18
   20	IDA	$52,338	$25.16

4. Writing a desktop support specialist job description

   A desktop support specialist 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. Below, you can find an example of a desktop support specialist job description:

   Desktop support specialist job description example

   The Amherst Group of companies comprise of leading real estate investment and advisory firms with a mission to transform the way real estate is owned, financed and managed. Amherst leverages its proprietary data, analytics, technology, and decades of experience to seek solutions for a fragmented, slow-to-evolve real estate ecosystem and to materially improve the experience for residents, buyers, sellers, communities, and investors. Today Amherst has over 1000 employees and $14.1 billion in assets under management.
   
   Over the past decade, Amherst has scaled its platform to become one of the largest operators of single-family assets and has acquired, renovated, and leased more than 46,000 homes across 32 markets in the U.S. The firm delivers customized, stabilized cash-flowing portfolios of assets to its investors, wrapped in all the ongoing services required to manage, own, and finance the asset including property management, portfolio management, and a full capital markets team. In addition to its single-family rental platform, Amherst's debt business pursues two distinct credit strategies in mortgage-backed securities and commercial real estate lending. Over its 25-year history, Amherst has developed a deep bench of research and technology talent, and leverages data and analytics at every stage in the asset lifecycle to improve operations and preserve long-term value for our investors and the more than 188,000 residents the firm has served.
   
   Amherst is looking to hire a Desktop Support Specialist to join our IT department. This individual will be the first point of contact for Amherst employees experiencing any technical support-related issues including but not limited to; software applications, desktop hardware, IP telephony services, and printing.
   Responsibilities:
   Interact with Amherst employees over the phone, slack messaging, in person, or via video conferencing to bring resolution to reported issues Diagnose and research complex issues involving multiple networked systems Provide excellent customer service in demanding situations Escalate issues to systems & network engineering or security as appropriate Manage hardware and software inventory and accurately forecast equipment needs and acquire necessary components to ensure consistent delivery of service to employees Install and configure hardware and software on desktop computers and laptops
   
   Requirements:
   3 - 5 years of desktop support supporting medium to large size businesses In-depth experience with Microsoft Windows 7 and Office 2010/2013 Process-driven with experience utilizing IT ticketing systems Strong time management skills and the ability to prioritize workload Self-motivated with the ability to proactively identify areas of needed improvement Experience with Jabber or Lync and Cisco Call Manager is preferred Enthusiastic team player with excellent written and verbal communication skills
   
   Physical Requirements:
   Ability to lift up to 60 lbs. for equipment installation Ability to crouch beneath desks for workstation installation Ability to work on ladders for wireless system maintenance, etc.
   
   Our full-time employee benefits include:
   A competitive compensation package, annual bonus, 401k match Flexible PTO including 7 paid holidays, 1 floating holiday, and 1 volunteer day Employer-paid benefits (medical, dental, vision, health savings account) Professional career development and reimbursement Up to 16 weeks paid maternity leave; up to 4 weeks of paid parental leave Backup childcare offered through Bright Horizons Relaxed casual environment with virtual office events
   
   Amherst is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information or veteran status, and encourage all applicants to apply.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find desktop support specialists for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your desktop support specialist job on Zippia to find and attract quality desktop support specialist candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting desktop support specialists 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.

   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.

   Sometimes, it's not enough to interview desktop support specialist 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 desktop support specialist

   Once you've selected the best desktop support specialist candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new desktop support specialist. 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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