How to hire a knowledge management specialist

How to hire a knowledge management specialist, step by step

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

What does a knowledge management specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a knowledge management 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 knowledge management specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, knowledge management 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.

   Here's a comparison of knowledge management specialist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Knowledge Management Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Knowledge Management Specialist	Registered nurses (RNs) provide and coordinate patient care, educate patients and the public about various health conditions, and provide advice and emotional support to patients and their family members.	$21-48
   Management Analyst	A management analyst is responsible for monitoring the efficiency and effectiveness of management operations, providing strategic advice and procedures to improve its services, and building excellent relationships with customers and business partners. Management analysts identify business opportunities that would help the business generate more revenues and meet long-term profitability goals... Show more	$23-47

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Patients
   • Project Management
   • PowerPoint
   • Knowledge Management
   • Logistics
   • HR
   • Management System
   • SharePoint
   • Data Analysis
   • Data Entry
   • Strong Analytical
   • Process Improvement
   • DOD

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage release of medical records for physician practices per HIPAA policies.
   • Manage portfolio of sub-prime foreclosure accounts for multiple investors.
   • Set meters to account in CMS program.
   • Serve as a customer agency advocate and first GSA point of contact.
   • Receive and enter electric service installations, service orders and remove meters sets in CMS.
   • Conduct weekly audits of mark-downs, windows and displays, revenue, spending, and shipments.

   More knowledge management specialist duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, knowledge management specialists' average salary in south dakota is 48% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level knowledge management specialists 55% less than senior-level knowledge management specialists.
   • Certifications. A knowledge management 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 knowledge management specialist's salary.

   Average knowledge management specialist salary

   $67,217yearly

   $32.32 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level knowledge management specialist salary

   $45,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

   Average knowledge management specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$88,648	$43
   2	New York	$87,266	$42
   3	California	$86,966	$42
   4	Virginia	$76,477	$37
   5	Washington	$74,601	$36
   6	District of Columbia	$73,767	$35
   7	North Carolina	$73,204	$35
   8	New Hampshire	$72,728	$35
   9	Illinois	$67,669	$33
   10	New Mexico	$66,943	$32
   11	Minnesota	$63,896	$31
   12	Georgia	$63,353	$30
   13	Delaware	$63,248	$30
   14	Texas	$62,164	$30
   15	Colorado	$61,315	$29
   16	Maryland	$60,910	$29
   17	Oklahoma	$59,275	$29
   18	Indiana	$58,552	$28
   19	Missouri	$57,422	$28
   20	Ohio	$53,678	$26

   Average knowledge management specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	McKinsey & Company Inc	$141,922	$68.23
   2	Meta	$137,494	$66.10	106
   3	Point B	$114,143	$54.88
   4	Bain & Company	$111,844	$53.77	4
   5	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$108,908	$52.36	1,030
   6	Bunge	$105,469	$50.71
   7	AlixPartners	$101,135	$48.62	4
   8	Cisco	$100,514	$48.32	53
   9	Centene	$99,115	$47.65
   10	Asure Software	$97,969	$47.10
   11	Q2ebanking	$95,608	$45.97
   12	Forum Extended Care Services	$92,944	$44.68
   13	Chemonics	$92,776	$44.60
   14	CAI	$89,152	$42.86
   15	Deloitte	$89,055	$42.81	751
   16	Duke Energy	$87,089	$41.87	7
   17	Gap Inc.	$85,707	$41.21
   18	Bank of America	$84,315	$40.54	132
   19	Erie Insurance	$83,958	$40.36	2
   20	Selective Insurance	$83,000	$39.90	13

4. Writing a knowledge management specialist job description

   A knowledge management 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 knowledge management specialist job description:

   Knowledge management specialist job description example

   The ECS is seeking an experienced knowledge management specialist to assist in the design, development, and implementation of Knowledge Management (KM) strategies. Apply expertise in KM tools and deploy information management and content management strategies and experience. Comprehend and recognize key barriers to KM behavioral change and develop effective change management programs. Analyze business processes, interview stakeholders, and evaluate strategic and IT plans to develop KM programs. Develop KM governance structures and processes for implementing KM programs and systems and provide consulting thought leadership on current best practices in KM, portal design, and intellectual capital and content management.
   
   The successful candidate will have a successful track record of performance in their field of expertise while being a self-starter. This position will provide technical support and advisory services for transformational mission projects that require a mindset shift toward customer experience and service. This includes, but is not limited to, researching and compiling information and developing materials to be used for enterprise and project planning and decision making. Familiarity with business requirement development and prioritization, customer experience, human-centered design and industry standard change management methodologies are required. Familiarity with SharePoint Online and Agile project management is highly desired. Work assignments for this task order shall focus on the design and implementation of an enterprise change management program and knowledge management structure that enable best-in-class delivery of new services to the customers. Will provide support across organizational divisions.
   
   Assist with developing and implementing new models of engagement and service delivery, with an eye to the enterprise knowledge and change management structures needed for exceptional customer experiences. The contractor shall make design, functionality, and process improvement recommendations for consideration by management. In addition, the contractor shall assist with preparing project-related artifacts, documenting requirements, developing knowledge and change management models in response to prioritized requirements, and supporting the implementation of approved models.
   
   The work process for obtaining requirements shall be collaborative based on interviews and documents gathered from team and other applicable groups. Work products will cover a range of content management, knowledge portal, and change management needs and include both externally and internally facing documentation supporting real-time leadership decisions.
   
   In addition to gathering requirements, the contractor shall provide advice and recommendations in all areas of the business intelligence and analytics which may include, but not limited to, the following:
   
   Participate in stakeholder discovery sessions to gather, define, validate, and prioritize requirements for organizational performance dashboards and related decision-making tools.
   
   Research available, current knowledge architecture to develop a recommended knowledge management and content management strategy with a focus on improving information quality, access, availability, and reliability.
   
   Design, test, and modify guidance, documentation, and other administrative tools based on user requirements. Includes demonstrating prototypes and leading end user testing to obtain feedback to ensure the design is responsive to needs. May include creating custom knowledge libraries or change management tools not available out of the box - particularly in SharePoint Online.
   
   Assist in fixing issues as they arise, by analyzing the problem, providing written recommendations for resolution that include the impact of the proposed action(s), and taking agreed upon corrective actions.
   Required Skills:
   At least 3-5 years of relevant experience supporting enterprise knowledge management and change management efforts. Experience in consulting with cross-functional teams. Experience with creating knowledge and change frameworks needed to implement and support service delivery. In-depth understanding of HCD design and how to use it in support of knowledge projects. Experience constructing training materials, change management communications, and governance documentation for content, change, and knowledge at an enterprise-level. In-depth understanding of HCD and how to use it in support of documentation requests. Preference given for experience engaging in Agile projects. Desired Skills:
   Preference given for certifications in Knowledge Management and Change Management. Preference given for certifications in UI, UX, CX, and HCD. ECS is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate or allow discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, citizenship, disability, veteran status or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law. ECS promotes affirmative action for minorities, women, disabled persons, and veterans.
   ECS is a leading mid-sized provider of technology services to the United States Federal Government. We are focused on people, values and purpose. Every day, our 3000+ employees focus on providing their technical talent to support the Federal Agencies and Departments of the US Government to serve, protect and defend the American People.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find knowledge management 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 knowledge management specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit knowledge management specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with knowledge management 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   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 knowledge management specialist

   Once you've decided on a perfect knowledge management specialist 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 knowledge management 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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How much does it cost to hire a knowledge management specialist?