How to hire an office support specialist

How to hire an office support specialist, step by step

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

What does an office support specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The office support 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?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an office support 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 an office support specialist that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of office support specialists and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Office Support Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Office Support Specialist	General office clerks perform a variety of clerical tasks, including answering telephones, typing documents, and filing records.	$13-21
   Administrative Support	Administrative support specialists provide different types of governmental assistance. They carry out varied clerical duties in almost all industries... Show more	$12-25
   Office Clerk	Office clerks are administrative employees who handle clerical activities for the organization. They are in charge of managing company records, organizing and storing documents, filing and sorting hard copies of documents, and liaising with other departments or external partners... Show more	$12-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Data Entry
   • Phone Calls
   • Office Equipment
   • Human Resources
   • Word Processing
   • Office Procedures
   • Front Desk
   • Payroll
   • PowerPoint
   • Proofreading
   • Meeting Minutes
   • Schedule Appointments
   • Clerical Support

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and maintain patients' medical records by utilizing computer applications management database processing system to ensure county compliance.
   • Create PowerPoint presentations to train employees on new software.
   • Add new documents and update calendars to the SharePoint website for team collaboration.
   • Conduct payroll accountability & evaluate for accuracy.
   • Process bi-weekly payroll for part-time civil service personnel.
   • Update SharePoint website regularly with new employee information.

   More office support specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the office support specialist job description is a good way to get more applicants. An office support specialist salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an office support specialist in South Carolina may be lower than in Massachusetts, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level office support specialist. Additionally, an office support specialist with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average office support specialist salary

   $36,549yearly

   $17.57 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level office support specialist salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average office support specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$46,574	$22
   2	New York	$43,774	$21
   3	Washington	$42,264	$20
   4	Oregon	$41,901	$20
   5	Wyoming	$40,938	$20
   6	Minnesota	$40,895	$20
   7	Colorado	$40,010	$19
   8	New Jersey	$37,553	$18
   9	Connecticut	$36,516	$18
   10	Maryland	$36,424	$18
   11	Wisconsin	$36,280	$17
   12	Illinois	$35,630	$17
   13	Texas	$34,509	$17
   14	Nebraska	$34,306	$16
   15	North Carolina	$32,792	$16
   16	Florida	$32,154	$15
   17	Oklahoma	$29,147	$14
   18	Kansas	$28,283	$14

   Average office support specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Anne Arundel County Public Schools	$43,123	$20.73	5
   2	Central Lakes College	$41,677	$20.04
   3	Lakeland Electric	$40,924	$19.68
   4	COLSA	$40,817	$19.62	1
   5	Bob's Discount Furniture	$40,612	$19.52	9
   6	Minnesota State Fair	$40,540	$19.49	11
   7	Apex Capital Holdings	$40,356	$19.40
   8	LifeWorks	$40,071	$19.26	1
   9	Great American Insurance	$39,982	$19.22
   10	City of Baltimore	$39,803	$19.14	12
   11	Lennox International	$39,348	$18.92	4
   12	Oxford Global Resources	$39,010	$18.75
   13	Ricoh	$39,006	$18.75	71
   14	Metro Nashville	$38,927	$18.71
   15	University Of Minnesota Physicians	$38,836	$18.67	2
   16	Coconino Community College	$38,758	$18.63	2
   17	Henry Ford Health System	$38,272	$18.40
   18	TopBuild	$37,761	$18.15
   19	My Florida Regional Mls	$37,666	$18.11
   20	Geo Reentry Inc	$37,659	$18.11

4. Writing an office support specialist job description

   A job description for an office support specialist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an office support specialist job description:

   Office support specialist job description example

   J oin our team as an Office Support Specialist at our Furniture Mart USA Corporate Office in Sioux Falls, SD! This is an exciting opportunity to showcase your top-notch customer service and administrative skills. Be a part of our customers’ journey by supporting all aspects of the buying experience after the sale. Grow with our dynamic team in a collaborative, family-like environment!
   Full-Time (40 hrs/wk): Monday-Friday, varied shifts between 9:00AM-9:00PM + Alternating Weekends Provide superior service to our customers through financing assistance, customer service, delivery, and sales support for our retail stores Assist our Finance & Accounting department with various tasks including the following: Enter finance and credit card transactions into Storis software Review of previous day’s sales orders and transactions for accuracy Reconciliation of previous day’s transactions (cash, credit card, financing, etc.) Collection and follow-up on any uncollected accounts receivable Resolve customer concerns in a polite, professional, and timely manner Resolve finance process and funding issues with multiple finance companies Review and determine required action to resolve any issues with customer tickets Support sales and office staff at all retail locations
   WHAT DO WE OFFER?
   $ Competitive Wages $ Growth Opportunities - With our promote-from-within-first philosophy , our employees can grow with us as they develop their strengths, expand in their roles, and consider other promotional opportunities within the company! Excellent Benefits Package including Medical/Dental/Vision/Life/Disability/Flexible Spending Plan/Health Savings Account/Paid Time Off/Employee Assistance Program/Referral Bonus/Profit Sharing 401(k) Plan with Employer MATCH! Great Employee & Family Discounts on our beautiful furniture, mattresses, and accessories!
   
   REQUIREMENTS/QUALIFICATIONS:
   
   Associate degree or equivalent from two-year college or technical school; OR six months to one-year related experience and/or training; OR equivalent combination of education and experience Upon job offer, must be able to pass a background check prior to starting employment Strong customer service skills, including friendly, courteous and outgoing demeanor Telephone and computer proficiency including technical aptitude with the ability to use Microsoft products Demonstrate excellent communication skills (written, verbal, and listening) Superior time management skills, multitasking skills, and the ability to prioritize tasks with minimal supervision Possess good judgment, ability to accept responsibility and handle confidential information
   
   Furniture Mart USA is an Equal Opportunity Employer
   
   #hc55626

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right office support specialist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with office support specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit office support specialists who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your office support specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit office support specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit office support specialists, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 office support specialist

   Once you've decided on a perfect office support 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.

   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.

   To prepare for the new office support specialist first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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 an office support specialist?