How to hire a help desk administrator

How to hire a help desk administrator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step help desk administrator hiring guide:

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

What does a help desk administrator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the help desk administrator you need to hire. Certain help desk administrator 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?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a help desk administrator 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 help desk administrator that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of help desk administrators.

   Type of Help Desk Administrator	Description	Hourly rate
   Help Desk Administrator	Computer networks are critical parts of almost every organization. Network and computer systems administrators are responsible for the day-to-day operation of these networks.	$16-34
   Administrative Technical Support	Administrative technical support maintains every technical set-up used in a company. Their primary responsibility is to inspect a company's systems, evaluate for issues, and repair any problems immediately... Show more	$13-36
   Information Technology Administrator	An Information Technology (IT) administrator is a professional responsible for managing the day-to-day operation of an organization's IT systems and ensuring that the systems are running effectively. IT administrators must conduct consistent analyses of the computer system and install updates when needed... Show more	$24-50

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Desk Support
   • Troubleshoot
   • Technical Support
   • Phone Calls
   • Remote Desktop
   • Computer System
   • Network Printers
   • User Accounts
   • OS
   • Mac
   • Email Accounts
   • User Support
   • VPN

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Create, deploy and manage VMWare virtual desktops as well as configured customize pools for specific operational needs.
   • Manage the PC refresh program transferring all user data remotely and installing require software applications.
   • Configure, establish and manage local area network (LAN) connectivity and remote access per customer configuration requirements.
   • Administer DNS / DHCP servers, work with network administer to make sure the tables are updating correctly.
   • Administer IP address allocation through DHCP management.
   • Assist in the deployment of new POS applications and hardware.

   More help desk administrator duties

3. Make a budget

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

   $49,798yearly

   $23.94 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level help desk administrator salary

   $34,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

   Average help desk administrator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$60,398	$29
   2	Michigan	$59,870	$29
   3	California	$58,094	$28
   4	Illinois	$56,450	$27
   5	New York	$56,043	$27
   6	Wisconsin	$53,025	$25
   7	Washington	$51,653	$25
   8	Virginia	$50,889	$24
   9	North Carolina	$50,613	$24
   10	Maryland	$50,491	$24
   11	Massachusetts	$49,937	$24
   12	Arizona	$46,480	$22
   13	Indiana	$45,411	$22
   14	Iowa	$45,256	$22
   15	Nebraska	$44,531	$21
   16	Texas	$44,441	$21
   17	Kansas	$43,760	$21
   18	Colorado	$43,308	$21
   19	Missouri	$42,580	$20
   20	Minnesota	$42,565	$20

   Average help desk administrator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Houlihan Lokey	$75,215	$36.16
   2	Deloitte	$69,012	$33.18	147
   3	Booz Allen Hamilton	$68,049	$32.72	82
   4	FleetCor Technologies	$64,932	$31.22
   5	Nebraska Methodist Health System	$64,745	$31.13	1
   6	Alert Logic	$60,518	$29.10
   7	ProSphere	$57,712	$27.75
   8	Parsons	$57,030	$27.42	66
   9	Wipro Limited	$56,682	$27.25	42
   10	Swedish Hospital	$55,693	$26.78
   11	Minnesota State Fair	$55,505	$26.69	9
   12	Analysts	$55,149	$26.51
   13	MetroStar	$54,422	$26.16	4
   14	Kforce	$53,442	$25.69	53
   15	Central States Mfg	$53,121	$25.54
   16	WestRock	$50,756	$24.40	3
   17	Paladin Consulting	$49,858	$23.97
   18	Sharp	$49,783	$23.93	14
   19	EMCOR Group	$48,696	$23.41	23
   20	Teleflex	$48,379	$23.26

4. Writing a help desk administrator job description

   A good help desk administrator 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 help desk administrator job description:

   Help desk administrator job description example

   Adaptive Solutions Group is a premier provider of information technology personnel. We provide a variety of technical professionals available for contract, contract to hire, or direct placement positions to companies in and around the Kansas City and St. Louis areas.
   We are currently looking for a Desktop Support to join our team.
   
   Responsibilities
   Respond to escalated service requests from Help Desk associates and other team specialists, working to identify, troubleshoot and resolve routine operator problems and make or coordinate repairs. Escalate the most complex issues to third-tier team members or other appropriate teams within IT. Responsible for first and second level support and appropriate follow up on IT systems including PC’s, printers, servers, and related IT hardware and software. Clearly document and effectively prioritize client requests into ServiceNow. Clearly identify, isolate, document, and define problems; resolve them in a timely manner when able and escalate them to the appropriate team/owner according to SLA processes. Complete required project activities. Install software, desktop/laptops systems and peripherals. Update documentation as needed. Maintain high customer satisfaction by representing IT courteously, professionally, and effectively. Maintain and organize inventories. Manage and organize support information knowledge base. Proactively identify areas of improvement to management, and lead/participate in solution design. Off hours contact for any IT related issues including disaster recovery. Follow standard operating procedures, policies & directions.
   
   
   Required Qualifications
   Post-Secondary Education graduate or relevant experience 4+ years of technology/desktop support experience Fluent English Language skills both spoken and written Extensive knowledge of Windows desktop environment and MACs Knowledge of Windows Server environment administration (AD, Exchange) Proficient with Windows desktop environment (Win 10 & Microsoft Office) and MACs Excellent communication & organizational skills Strong telephone and customer service skills Strong analytical and problem-solving skills Availability to work overtime, as required
   
   Preferred Qualifications
   A+, Network & Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician Proficient with: Basic TCP/IP networking VoIP Telephony Windows Terminal Server end user support Mobile device support - iPhone Printer technologies Video conference & meeting room technology Dell workstation hardware
   
   Adaptive Solutions Group offers a competitive compensation and benefits package that includes medical, dental, STD/LTD, life insurance coverage, 401k, paid vacation and holidays.
   
   Adaptive Solutions Group is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, and veteran or disability status.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find help desk administrators 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 help desk administrator job on Zippia to find and attract quality help desk administrator candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with help desk administrator candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of 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.

   If your interviews with help desk administrator 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 help desk administrator

   Once you've decided on a perfect help desk administrator 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.

   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 help desk administrator. 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 help desk administrator?