How to hire a product specialist

How to hire a product specialist, step by step

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

What does a product specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your product specialist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a product specialist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A product specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, product 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.

   This list shows salaries for various types of product specialists.

   Type of Product Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Product Specialist	Market research analysts study market conditions to examine potential sales of a product or service. They help companies understand what products people want, who will buy them, and at what price.	$26-62
   Product Consultant	A product consultant is a professional who collaborates with client managers and project managers to analyze client requirements and provide optimal products. Product consultants are required to leverage industry and product knowledge to answer customer inquiries and provide customer consultations... Show more	$32-62
   Product Technician	Product technicians are skilled professionals who are responsible for evaluating manufactured goods to ensure quality and functionality before they are marketed to the general public. These technicians are required to perform equipment setup and adjustments while conducting minor preventative maintenance tasks to test for safety and productivity before they are put into production... Show more	$17-59

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Product Knowledge
   • Sales Floor
   • Patients
   • Excellent Interpersonal
   • Windows
   • Project Management
   • Product Management
   • Work Ethic
   • PowerPoint
   • Technical Support
   • Product Line
   • CRM
   • Product Support

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Create and manage RFP responses for potential customers and develop product quotes base on customer requirements.
   • Manage projects and priorities list of ongoing engineering plans base on ROI and business needs, and relay to operations regularly.
   • Perform weekly review and update of lead list against opportunities manage in Salesforce.com.
   • Manage telephone relationships with senior management of client companies to troubleshoot and develop product.
   • Participate in CAPA activities as required.
   • Develop generic UI's that includes re-branding & re-skinning of product.

   More product specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the product specialist job description is a good way to get more applicants. A product 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 a product specialist in Tennessee may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level product specialist. Additionally, a product specialist with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average product specialist salary

   $85,932yearly

   $41.31 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level product specialist salary

   $56,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average product specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$118,648	$57
   2	Washington	$104,478	$50
   3	New York	$94,572	$45
   4	New Jersey	$92,281	$44
   5	Texas	$85,219	$41
   6	Arizona	$84,970	$41
   7	District of Columbia	$79,742	$38
   8	Oregon	$79,422	$38
   9	Pennsylvania	$75,761	$36
   10	North Carolina	$75,091	$36
   11	Massachusetts	$74,370	$36
   12	Maine	$73,033	$35
   13	Virginia	$70,148	$34
   14	Minnesota	$69,818	$34
   15	Colorado	$67,493	$32
   16	Georgia	$64,919	$31
   17	Illinois	$61,555	$30
   18	Indiana	$60,569	$29
   19	Florida	$59,952	$29
   20	Wisconsin	$59,229	$28

   Average product specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	ByteDance	$150,047	$72.14	2
   2	PayPal	$146,918	$70.63	25
   3	Bloomberg	$144,204	$69.33	19
   4	McKinsey & Company Inc	$144,128	$69.29	29
   5	Flexport	$137,209	$65.97	3
   6	Meta	$137,004	$65.87	264
   7	Cloudflare	$134,349	$64.59	4
   8	Google	$131,956	$63.44	60
   9	Uber Technologies	$131,422	$63.18
   10	Cloudera	$129,386	$62.20	1
   11	ZS	$128,926	$61.98
   12	Waymo	$128,371	$61.72
   13	Battelle	$126,675	$60.90	12
   14	Wealthfront	$126,193	$60.67
   15	Citi	$125,704	$60.43	12
   16	Thoughtworks	$125,435	$60.31
   17	VMware	$124,406	$59.81
   18	Calypso Technology	$123,495	$59.37
   19	Pinterest	$123,341	$59.30
   20	SAP	$123,222	$59.24	25

4. Writing a product specialist job description

   A good product 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 product specialist job description:

   Product specialist job description example

   This role is an ideal opportunity for an associate that is interested in learning about JPM's International capabilities, wants to be in a client facing role to manage their own portfolio of clients on the Network IPS team. An International TS curriculum will be provided, and select IPS teams members will provide 1-on-1 instruction to help the candidate get up the curve on our International offering. The candidate will report to the Network IPS manager, but will work closely with the broader IPS team and will also interact heavily with our International Coverage Executives (in-country colleagues)
   Day to day activities will include (but not limited to):
   
   • Development of new business either through organic growth / prospect conversions
   
   • Disciplined pipeline management
   
   • Design / produce detailed relationship review and analysis
   
   • Liaise with client / US Banking & TMO partners to resolve issues
   
   • Monitor portfolio profitability & RAMP
   
   • Uncover / scope new revenue streams, and ensure the highest standards of Client Obsession are being met.
   
   JPMorgan Chase & Co., one of the oldest financial institutions, offers innovative financial solutions to millions of consumers, small businesses and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under the J.P. Morgan and Chase brands. Our history spans over 200 years and today we are a leader in investment banking, consumer and small business banking, commercial banking, financial transaction processing and asset management.
   
   We recognize that our people are our strength and the diverse talents they bring to our global workforce are directly linked to our success. We are an equal opportunity employer and place a high value on diversity and inclusion at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute, including race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital or veteran status, pregnancy or disability, or any other basis protected under applicable law. In accordance with applicable law, we make reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as any mental health or physical disability needs.
   
   The health and safety of our colleagues, candidates, clients and communities has been a top priority in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. JPMorgan Chase was awarded the "WELL Health-Safety Rating" for all of our 6,200 locations globally based on our operational policies, maintenance protocols, stakeholder engagement and emergency plans to address a post-COVID-19 environment.
   
   As a part of our commitment to health and safety, we have implemented various COVID-related health and safety requirements for our workforce. Employees are expected to follow the Firm's current COVID-19 or other infectious disease health and safety requirements, including local requirements. Requirements include sharing information including your vaccine card in the firm's vaccine record tool, and may include mask wearing. Requirements may change in the future with the evolving public health landscape. JPMorgan Chase will consider accommodation requests as required by applicable law.
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veterans

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right product 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.

   To find product specialist 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 swipe files, exit five, marketinghire, american marketing association.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with product 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.

   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 product specialist

   Once you've selected the best product specialist 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 equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been 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.)

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How much does it cost to hire a product specialist?