How to hire a help desk representative

How to hire a help desk representative, step by step

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

What does a help desk representative do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The help desk representative hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A help desk representative's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, help desk representatives 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 help desk representatives and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Help Desk Representative	Description	Hourly rate
   Help Desk Representative	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	$13-23
   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
   Information Technology Technician	An information technology technician, also known as an IT technician, is responsible for ensuring that all computer systems in a company or organization are running smoothly and efficiently. Their duties primarily revolve around installing and maintaining systems, including software and hardware, and resolving any issues... Show more	$13-39

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Troubleshoot
   • Technical Support
   • Phone Calls
   • Patients
   • Help Desk
   • Customer Support
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Problem Resolution
   • Help-Desk Support
   • Inbound Calls
   • Troubleshooting Assistance
   • POS
   • Customer Calls

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and troubleshooting of VOIP systems, setup of new IP phones and configuring PBX.
   • Collaborate with appropriate technology/policy department to troubleshoot end user problems.
   • Assist showrooms as part of support team with conversion from old POS PC system and registers to new ones.
   • Inspect kiosk software to investigate and troubleshoot machine that includes motor, sensors, controller boards, and moving parts.
   • Support technical POS terminals remotely.
   • Administer Production/Testing mainframe environments and run operational tasks.

   More help desk representative duties

3. Make a budget

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

   $37,449yearly

   $18.00 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level help desk representative salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average help desk representative salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Ohio	$42,895	$21
   2	Virginia	$42,502	$20
   3	Connecticut	$41,715	$20
   4	Maryland	$40,635	$20
   5	North Carolina	$40,516	$19
   6	California	$40,417	$19
   7	New York	$40,353	$19
   8	Georgia	$40,327	$19
   9	North Dakota	$39,209	$19
   10	Massachusetts	$38,894	$19
   11	Texas	$38,270	$18
   12	Missouri	$38,213	$18
   13	Nevada	$37,917	$18
   14	Arizona	$37,619	$18
   15	Pennsylvania	$37,258	$18
   16	Florida	$36,596	$18
   17	Oklahoma	$35,790	$17
   18	Minnesota	$35,745	$17
   19	Wisconsin	$35,516	$17
   20	Colorado	$35,301	$17

   Average help desk representative salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	City of Jacksonville	$53,626	$25.78
   2	Sundt Construction	$49,253	$23.68	2
   3	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	$48,656	$23.39
   4	KPMG LLP	$46,043	$22.14	1
   5	Endeavor Energy Resources	$41,613	$20.01
   6	Clario	$40,915	$19.67	1
   7	Minnesota State Fair	$40,855	$19.64	3
   8	Federal Reserve Bank	$40,547	$19.49
   9	Education Affiliates	$40,389	$19.42
   10	Precise Software Solutions	$39,580	$19.03
   11	NC.gov	$38,670	$18.59	3
   12	Cambridge Health Alliance	$38,199	$18.36	4
   13	Dallas College	$37,986	$18.26
   14	Horicon Bank	$36,950	$17.76
   15	Neogen	$36,948	$17.76
   16	Spectraforce Technologies	$36,842	$17.71
   17	Sharecare	$36,627	$17.61	2
   18	Service Corporation International	$36,569	$17.58
   19	Swedish Hospital	$36,501	$17.55
   20	Jebbit	$36,072	$17.34

4. Writing a help desk representative job description

   A good help desk representative 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 representative job description:

   Help desk representative job description example

   Headquartered in Plano, TX, Cinemark Holdings, Inc. is a leader in the motion picture exhibition industry with 500+ theatres in the U.S. and Latin America.
   Join Our Team!
   
   Do you enjoy working together as a team to accomplish major goals? Join Cinemark to utilize and expand your skills! We are dedicated to making the movie experience memorable, "One Guest at a time." Our world class talent creates a warm and friendly culture through shared values.
   
   As a Help Desk Representative you will be providing technical support via phone and email to all Cinemark domestic theatres. This role will be in a call center environment.
   
   A Day in the Life of a Help Desk Representative :
   Primary responsibility of this role is to provide support by accurately detailing symptoms and resolving issues using various internal tools. You will be provided adequate training to ensure you are successful in your role. We are looking for leaders and team players who encourage, drive and motivate!
   
   What You Will Need To Have:
   1-2 years in a call center environment Knowledge of Microsoft Office Have the ability to successfully work in both individual and team environments Be willing to work during the T.O.P. Center hours of operation (The Call Center is open 20 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year) Availability to work flexible schedules including evenings, holidays & weekends Theatre operations is a plus Ability to work well in a team environment Must be willing to work flexible schedule including evenings, holidays and weekends
   
   DISCLAIMER:
   This job description is intended only as a general guideline of your duties and
   responsibilities at Cinemark and is not a legally binding contract. Cinemark reserves the right to amend, change or terminate the job description, as it deems appropriate. Any change amendments, or modifications may be implemented even though they have not been communicated, reprinted or substituted in this job description.
   
   All Cinemark locations are designated smoke-free workplaces. This includes vapor, electronic, conventional, cigars, etc.
   
   Cinemark USA, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right help desk representative for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   To find help desk representative 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

   Recruiting help desk representatives 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.

   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.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with a help desk representative applicant. In those cases, having candidates complete a test project can go a long way in figuring out who's the most likely to succeed in the role. If you aren't a technical person and 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 representative

   Once you've selected the best help desk representative 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new help desk representative. 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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How much does it cost to hire a help desk representative?