How to hire a field support specialist

How to hire a field support specialist, step by step

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

What does a field support specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a field support specialist, 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 field support specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, field support specialists 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 field support specialist salaries for various positions.

   Type of Field Support Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Field 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	$12-31
   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
   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:

   • Technical Support
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Customer Service
   • PowerPoint
   • Customer Support
   • Troubleshoot
   • Problem Resolution
   • Customer Sites
   • Technical Issues
   • Switches
   • Teleconferencing
   • Ethernet
   • Customer Issues
   • Onsite

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage UNIX OS technical documentation and marketing materials.
   • Provide quick response and maintenance through the use of SMS and TCP/IP while maintaining SLA's.
   • Configure and install Cisco switches and routers.
   • Voice over IP (VOIP) system installations.
   • Uphold all EPA standards and MSHA environmental laws.
   • Coordinate migration of users to new AVAYA VOIP phones.

   More field support specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your field support specialist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A field support specialist 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 field support specialist in Wyoming may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level field support specialist usually earns less than a senior-level field support specialist. Additionally, a field support specialist 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 field support specialist salary

   $42,023yearly

   $20.20 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level field support specialist salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average field support specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$67,077	$32
   2	New Jersey	$66,840	$32
   3	Massachusetts	$63,777	$31
   4	New Hampshire	$57,623	$28
   5	District of Columbia	$56,827	$27
   6	Maryland	$55,238	$27
   7	Michigan	$54,586	$26
   8	North Carolina	$52,304	$25
   9	California	$51,016	$25
   10	Maine	$49,900	$24
   11	Nevada	$45,755	$22
   12	Washington	$43,867	$21
   13	Hawaii	$43,847	$21
   14	Iowa	$43,320	$21
   15	Texas	$42,768	$21
   16	Colorado	$42,588	$20
   17	Minnesota	$42,588	$20
   18	South Carolina	$41,700	$20
   19	Florida	$41,487	$20
   20	Oregon	$40,487	$19

   Average field support specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Continental Resources	$88,103	$42.36	3
   2	Bechtel Corporation	$69,349	$33.34	83
   3	Corning Incorporated	$69,286	$33.31	20
   4	Oracle	$65,109	$31.30	630
   5	North Country Business Products	$60,982	$29.32	10
   6	Enterprise Products Partners	$60,008	$28.85
   7	PSI Pax	$59,412	$28.56	4
   8	United States Conference of Mayors	$58,659	$28.20
   9	EMC	$57,034	$27.42	1
   10	The PNC Financial Services Group	$55,577	$26.72	42
   11	PACCAR	$53,875	$25.90
   12	Carrier	$53,491	$25.72	61
   13	RadNet	$51,299	$24.66	4
   14	General Dynamics	$50,668	$24.36	112
   15	Trupanion	$50,349	$24.21
   16	Wells Fargo	$47,336	$22.76	33
   17	Software.com	$46,229	$22.23	9
   18	Maid Right	$45,674	$21.96
   19	AT&T	$45,671	$21.96	314
   20	Apex Systems	$45,551	$21.90	2

4. Writing a field support specialist job description

   A field 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a field support specialist job description:

   Field support specialist job description example

   Nova Biomedical is looking for a Field Support Specialist to be based in Boston, MA or surrounding area. Nova Biomedical is a world leader in the development and manufacturing of state-of-the-art, whole blood, point-of-care and critical care analyzers, and is one of the fastest growing in vitro diagnostic companies in the world. For over 40 years, Nova continues to grow as a privately held company.
   
   Responsible for overall onsite customer satisfaction with Nova Biomedical products in assigned geographical territory.
   
   Provides both reactive and proactive consultative support to customers and is responsible for managing all field support requirements within assigned customer territory.
   
   Exercises independent judgement to manage all local customer support requirements within assigned territory.
   
   Drives key performance indicators (KPI’s) locally to ensure a high level of customer satisfaction including On-site Response Time, On-time PM’s, Second Days, Recalls and Primary Representative Utilization.
   
   Responsible for making independent, daily business decisions on customer call prioritization, local calendar scheduling, inventory management, unscheduled customer satisfaction (Ambassador) calls, and for determining appropriate length and duration of onsite customer activities.
   
   Performs on-site new product installations, corrective maintenance, preventive maintenance and associated customer training with laboratory staff at all levels including laboratory management.
   
   Responsible for properly completing and returning service documentation and regulatory paperwork (electronic and hard copy) to satisfy U.S. FDA requirements.
   
   Performs clinical and biotechnology application activities (IQ/OQ) such as correlation, linearity, and precision to assist customers with instrument validation requirements to satisfy local accreditation requirements.
   Territory includes Boston, MA and surrounding area. Some overnight travel required (25%-50%) Other Essential Responsibilities and Accountabilities: Responsible for maintaining acceptable productivity levels, customer satisfaction levels, KPI’s and other peer comparisons as determined to be appropriate by the local Regional Support Manager. May require attendance and assistance at trade shows, customer seminars and similar marketing events. Responsible for maintaining service level agreements, properly billing customers for service performed and parts used, and reviewing onsite customer spares inventory of Nova products that are used with their instruments (e.g. Nova controls) to ensure maximum product uptime.. Responsible for identifying new sales opportunities through day-to-day customer interaction and for forwarding sales leads to the Nova Sales department. Exercises good, fiscal awareness to control expenses through proper inventory management, exercises good judgment with all Nova property (i.e.: company car, inventory, credit card) with strong attention to cost in normal duties of the position. Proper use of the Nova Travel Office. Maintains proper home office space for Nova assets (computer, inventory, etc) Competencies and Qualifications: Clinical lab knowledge and/or experience is ideal for this position. A Medical Technologist, Nursing, or Respiratory Therapy degree and/or Electronics background is preferred. Requires above average verbal communication skills, above average teaching skills and above average interpersonal skills. Minimum of 1-3 years diagnostics industry related experience. Requires a person who will travel within or outside the assigned territory. Ability to work independently with little daily supervision. Since this position will have access to sensitive information/documentation (HIPPA, Corporate Intellectual Property) from the manufacturer, individuals must possess a mature and professional ability to use proper judgment and discretion with this information when interacting with customers and other professionals. Requires a driver’s license in home state and a good driving record; and a nationally accepted credit card with an acceptable credit limit for use during job responsibilities.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find field 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 field support specialist job on Zippia to find and attract quality field 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

   To successfully recruit field support specialists, 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.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

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

   Once you've found the field support specialist 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new field 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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