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How to hire a help desk specialist

Help desk specialist hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring help desk specialists in the United States:

  • There are a total of 391,517 help desk specialists in the US, and there are currently 75,004 job openings in this field.
  • The median cost to hire a help desk specialist is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per help desk specialist on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • Washington, DC, has the highest demand for help desk specialists, with 31 job openings.

How to hire a help desk specialist, step by step

To hire a help desk specialist, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a help desk specialist:

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

What does a help desk specialist do?

The primary role of help desk specialists is to maintain relationships between the company and its customers. Their duties and responsibilities include responding to guests' queries, providing technical computer support, and maintaining computer systems' performance. Help desk specialists are also responsible for following up with customers to resolve issues and train computer users. There are several requirements to be qualified for this position, which include having relevant customer service experience, problem-solving and analytical skills, and the ability to prioritize vital tasks.

Learn more about the specifics of what a help desk specialist does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    The help desk specialist 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?

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

    This list presents help desk specialist salaries for various positions.

    Type of Help Desk SpecialistDescriptionHourly rate
    Help Desk SpecialistComputer 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$16-35
    Information Technology/Support TechnicianAn 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
    Desktop Support ConsultantThe duties of a desk support consultant vary on their line of work or industry of employment. Most of their responsibilities are likely to revolve around reaching out to clients through calls and correspondence, answering inquiries, troubleshooting, and providing corrective measures, all to attain customer satisfaction... Show more$15-30
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Customer Service
    • Troubleshoot
    • Technical Support
    • Desk Support
    • Phone Calls
    • Client Facing
    • Remote Desktop
    • Help-Desk Support
    • Computer System
    • Mac
    • Network Printers
    • OS
    • Remedy
    • Technical Problems
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage network software deployment, imaging/backup and unattend OS installations
    • Develop, implement, and support customized manage VPN solutions for customers.
    • Work as tier II/III technical support representative helping customers troubleshoot hardware/software problems in high volume call center.
    • Support CITRIX by resolving connectivity issues when problems are reported.
    • Assist clients with Cisco VoIP, or Cisco AnyConnect troubleshooting, and escalation to higher tiers, as necessary.
    • Repair PCs and printers install software supervise interns
    More help desk specialist duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your help desk specialist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A help desk specialist salary can vary based on several factors:
    • Location. For example, help desk specialists' average salary in georgia is 51% less than in alaska.
    • Seniority. Entry-level help desk specialists earn 52% less than senior-level help desk specialists.
    • Certifications. A help desk specialist with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a help desk specialist's salary.

    Average help desk specialist salary

    $51,065yearly

    $24.55 hourly rate

    Entry-level help desk specialist salary
    $35,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 28, 2026

    Average help desk specialist salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1New York$69,219$33
    2District of Columbia$66,254$32
    3California$65,143$31
    4Washington$65,094$31
    5Oregon$63,506$31
    6Massachusetts$59,822$29
    7Maryland$58,312$28
    8Pennsylvania$56,507$27
    9Michigan$56,073$27
    10Minnesota$54,241$26
    11Ohio$53,999$26
    12Illinois$53,952$26
    13Virginia$52,487$25
    14New Mexico$49,297$24
    15Arizona$48,582$23
    16Wisconsin$46,383$22
    17Colorado$46,086$22
    18Indiana$45,237$22
    19North Carolina$44,402$21
    20Iowa$42,812$21

    Average help desk specialist salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Schulte Roth & Zabel$125,341$60.26
    2ServiceNow$104,795$50.38
    3Instinet Incorporated$95,324$45.83
    4Avid$94,201$45.291
    5Proofpoint$88,343$42.47
    6Rocket Software$84,751$40.75
    7City of San Antonio$83,027$39.92
    8Alteryx$82,536$39.68
    9Technology Service$80,455$38.681
    10Capgemini$79,599$38.2717
    11Autodesk$79,426$38.193
    12AppFolio$78,144$37.57
    13Jacobs Engineering Group$77,388$37.21
    14Reed Smith$77,214$37.12
    15Concentra$77,181$37.1112
    16General Dynamics Mission Systems$75,595$36.3410
    17Fifth Third Bank$75,468$36.284
    18Infosys Public Service$74,421$35.7810
    19Idexcel$74,397$35.774
    20Hoffmann-LA Roche Inc$74,260$35.70
  4. Writing a help desk specialist job description

    A good help desk specialist 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 specialist job description:

    Help desk specialist job description example

    · Perform in-person customer service and phone support service to 4,000 end-user community.

    · Perform trouble ticket action to include updates with quality notes, customer communication, and resolution within established service level agreements.

    · Provide VIP support and communication regarding status of incident troubleshooting and resolution.

    · Efficiently handle high volume ticket queue by supporting 50 - 100 tickets daily.

    · Actively participate in all meetings such as, but not limited to weekly staff meetings, weekly training, Weekly Ticket Tag-Up, etc.

    · Preparing accurate documentation to support and maintain a working knowledge base of service desk processes including pertinent guidelines, regulations, compliance issues, and documentation requirements as well as reference only application reference guides.

    · Document, maintain, and store specific information, including as-built diagrams and SOPs/Job Aides.

    · Support focus teams or specialized projects to promote rapid improvement turnaround.

    · Maintains a high-level of customer service focus, exhibiting expertise, courtesy, timeliness, and professionalism while interfacing with users and senior staff members in person, on the phone and/or email.

    · Be part of a team that supports and operates a 24x7x365 Service Desk.

    · Ability to support a fast paced and ITIL transitional environment.

    · Ability to demonstrate excellent communication skills, both verbal and written to support incoming customer support calls and emails.

    · Analytically inclined with attention to detail and accuracy and consistent follow-through to assure problems are resolved with the ability to respond to last minute requests.

    · Ability to identify and articulate key information in an efficient and timely manner.

    · Ability to exercise discretion and independent judgment when handling situational occurrences.

    · Analyzes and recommends alternative solutions to meet customer needs.

    · Builds credibility and trust with customers and team members.

    · Identifies areas of opportunity to improve customer satisfaction.

    · Must have excellent multi-tasking and time management skills.

    · Supports the team process and participates on cross-functional teams.

    · Responsible for handling after-hours on call support (when necessary).

    · Answer phones and respond to emails in a timely manner.

    · Participate in special projects as required

    · Use ticketing system to:

    · Proactively check help desk queue for new emails and create and assign Remedy tickets for those emails.

    · Ensure that tickets are actively being worked on and updated, and that no tickets are unassigned

    · Escalate tickets as needed.

    · Ensure all tickets worked include the problem, the solution, the end user, initiation and completion time, and end user satisfaction.

    · The resolution shall be in sufficient detail to allow another support technician, not familiar with the problem, sufficient information to resolve the same or similar problem without extensively researching the issue again.

    · Notify the team lead of all VIP requests for support that require additional resources which result in a delay of resolution

    · Maintain current knowledge of relevant technologies as assigned

    · May need to lift and carry desktop equipment such as laptops, computers, and monitors

    REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

    Education

    · Requires a High School Diploma

    · Associate's Degree preferred

    Qualifications

    · 3+ years of directly related experience supporting help desk operations or customer service.

    · Experience supporting intermediate level Microsoft Office core applications, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Microsoft SharePoint, Java and Acrobat Adobe

    · Experience with one or more of the following is a plus:

    · Outlook Email Client in an Exchange Server Environment

    · Experience with remote access to users' computers

    · Experience working with networked printers

    · Active Directory

    · Using a ticketing system (BMC Remedy)

    · SharePoint

    · DoD STIGs/IAVMs

    · ACAS

    · Experience working in an SCCM/MECM environment

    · Excellent business analytical and problem-solving/trouble shooting skills.

    · Excellent customer service skills

    · Excellent communication skills

    · Excellent documentation skills

    · Strong organizational and collaborative skills

    · Strong teamwork and engagement as a project team member.

    · Ability to assimilate information rapidly, motivated to self-study new requirements

    · Maintain current industry knowledge of relevant concepts; practices and procedures.

    · Able to multi-task and prioritize

    · Able to work under time constraints

    · Adapt to changes in requirements and new projects

    · Maintain and upgrade certifications

    · Strong written and verbal English language skills.

    · Willing to perform other duties as assigned

    Clearance Requirements:

    · Must have a minimum of a Secret clearance on hire and confirmed.

    Certification Requirements:

    · Active/Current CompTIA Security+ ce certification

    · Computing environment certification (Microsoft Windows Operating System Security)

    · If you start only with a Security+ ce, continued employment will be contingent on receiving the additional Windows certification within 3 months after your start date.

    Work Location:

    · Client Site, Arlington, VA

    · Shift- Sun-Thurs (either 7am-4pm or 6am-3pm)

    · No alternate work schedules

    · Requires on-site support.

    Travel:

    · Availability to travel, but less than 10%. Most team members do not have to travel.

    WHAT GDIT CAN OFFER YOU:

    · 401K with company match

    · Challenging work that makes a real impact on the world around you

    · Diverse, highly collaborative teams

    Scheduled Weekly Hours:

    40

    Travel Required:

    Less than 10%

    Telecommuting Options:

    Onsite

    Work Location:

    USA VA Arlington

    Additional Work Locations:

    COVID-19 Vaccination: GDIT does not have a vaccination mandate applicable to all employees. To protect the health and safety of its employees and to comply with customer requirements, however, GDIT may require employees in certain positions to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Vaccination requirements will depend on the status of the federal contractor mandate and customer site requirements.We are GDIT. The people supporting some of the most complex government, defense, and intelligence projects across the country. We deliver. Bringing the expertise needed to understand and advance critical missions. We transform. Shifting the ways clients invest in, integrate, and innovate technology solutions. We ensure today is safe and tomorrow is smarter. We are there. On the ground, beside our clients, in the lab, and everywhere in between. Offering the technology transformations, strategy, and mission services needed to get the job done.GDIT is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status, or any other protected class.
  5. Post your job

    There are various strategies that you can use to find the right help desk specialist 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.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your help desk specialist job on Zippia to find and attract quality help desk specialist 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 specialist 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.

    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 specialist 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 specialist

    Once you have selected a candidate for the help desk specialist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

    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 employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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.)
    Sign up to download full list

How much does it cost to hire a help desk specialist?

Before you start to hire help desk specialists, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire help desk specialists pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

You can expect to pay around $51,065 per year for a help desk specialist, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for help desk specialists in the US typically range between $16 and $35 an hour.

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