How to hire a service desk manager

How to hire a service desk manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step service desk manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a service desk manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new service desk manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a service desk manager do?

Post a service desk manager job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your service desk manager 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 service desk manager 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 service desk manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, service desk managers 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 presents service desk manager salaries for various positions.

   Type of Service Desk Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Service Desk Manager	Computer and information systems managers, often called information technology (IT) managers or IT project managers, plan, coordinate, and direct computer-related activities in an organization. They help determine the information technology goals of an organization and are responsible for implementing computer systems to meet those goals.	$34-67
   Information Technology Director	An information technology (IT) Director is a professional responsible for the management, strategy, and execution of an organization's IT infrastructure. He/She supervises a team of workers while working with the organization's management and external vendors and advisors... Show more	$46-94
   Director Of Managed Services	A director of managed services is in charge of overseeing the business processes in an organization, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Their responsibilities typically revolve around setting goals and objectives, managing the workforce, spearheading projects and campaigns, devising strategies to optimize services, and coordinating with analysts to identify new business opportunities... Show more	$38-87

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • ITIL
   • ITSM
   • Infrastructure
   • Technical Support
   • Service Delivery
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Slas
   • Level Agreements
   • Incident Management
   • Service Management
   • Process Improvement
   • Continuous Improvement
   • Remedy

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage key financial relationships, working with VIP reps in various institutions.
   • Ensure efficient allocation of resources and skills to achieve contractual KPIs within financial constraints.
   • Deploy and manage environmental controls, backup strategies, ITSM software, and monitoring systems.
   • Manage staff and activities necessary to effectively coordinate the service request fulfillment life-cycle of base on ITSM best practices.
   • Manage all incident and service requests and oversee all change management, configuration management, and release management ITIL processes.
   • Manage LAN software/hardware installation and upgrade efforts.

   More service desk manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your service desk manager job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A service desk manager salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, service desk managers' average salary in wyoming is 32% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level service desk managers earn 49% less than senior-level service desk managers.
   • Certifications. A service desk manager 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 service desk manager's salary.

   Average service desk manager salary

   $101,229yearly

   $48.67 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level service desk manager salary

   $72,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average service desk manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Nevada	$108,912	$52
   2	District of Columbia	$104,370	$50
   3	Pennsylvania	$103,744	$50
   4	Massachusetts	$102,190	$49
   5	Maryland	$101,761	$49
   6	Alabama	$101,115	$49
   7	New York	$101,066	$49
   8	Virginia	$97,000	$47
   9	North Carolina	$96,994	$47
   10	Florida	$96,060	$46
   11	Michigan	$94,586	$45
   12	Connecticut	$94,579	$45
   13	Texas	$93,958	$45
   14	Illinois	$93,258	$45
   15	Mississippi	$91,631	$44
   16	Indiana	$90,985	$44
   17	New Mexico	$90,646	$44
   18	New Hampshire	$90,175	$43
   19	Delaware	$89,297	$43
   20	North Dakota	$88,966	$43

   Average service desk manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	CLEAResult	$123,702	$59.47
   2	Fisher Investments	$123,114	$59.19
   3	ICF	$121,401	$58.37	5
   4	Ernst & Young	$116,604	$56.06	818
   5	GLG	$116,190	$55.86
   6	Booz Allen Hamilton	$114,928	$55.25	9
   7	SAIC	$110,001	$52.89	23
   8	NCI	$106,842	$51.37
   9	Gunderson Dettmer	$106,646	$51.27	1
   10	Pelican Products	$105,701	$50.82
   11	QuintilesIMS	$103,935	$49.97
   12	Netfor	$101,890	$48.99
   13	SailPoint	$101,832	$48.96
   14	nLIGHT	$100,518	$48.33
   15	Arhaus	$99,715	$47.94
   16	CACI International	$99,077	$47.63	17
   17	ThreeBridge	$98,665	$47.44
   18	ManTech	$97,801	$47.02
   19	Zenetex	$97,155	$46.71
   20	Chesapeake Utilities	$97,152	$46.71	3

4. Writing a service desk manager job description

   A good service desk manager 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 service desk manager job description:

   Service desk manager job description example

   The world of investing is fascinating yet complex. While hundreds of first -time investors are turning to the markets to help pay for their homes, send their children to college and secure their futures the mission of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is becoming all the more vital. GDIT is excited to support the SEC in as it seeks to protect investors, maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitate capital formation.
   
   The SEC ISS program is a comprehensive IT program charged with operating, managing, and advancing the SEC's IT infrastructure. Our dynamic program team of IT leaders and large and small business partners is seeking bright, energetic and talented individuals to join us as we bring our innovative IT Service Delivery solutions to SEC.
   
   GDIT is seeking an **Enterprise Service Desk Program Manager** in **Washington, DC** supporting a customer contract **.** The selected candidate must be a US Citizen (without dual citizenship) and eligible to obtain a Public Trust clearance.
   To qualify, you must meet these requirements:
   
   + At least 8 years of related management experience with an emphasis on Service Desk and End User Computing programs and/or projects, including mission critical programs, IT systems implementation and solution development
   
   + At least 5 years of proven experience managing a program with at least 50 personnel delivering Enterprise Operations Support Services to at least 6000 end users across multiple locations
   
   + At least 3 years of experience interfacing and presenting to C-level executives
   
   + Bachelor's degree. May be substituted with 6 additional years of related experience
   
   It would be great if you also had:
   
   + ITILv3 certification
   
   + PMI's PMP certification preferred
   
   Other qualifications include:
   
   + Excellent communication skills.
   
   + Strong analytical and problem solving skills to troubleshoot and resolve issues relevant to business operations.
   
   + Ability to balance and prioritize work
   
   + Self-starter
   
   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.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find service desk managers 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 service desk manager job on Zippia to find and recruit service desk manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit service desk managers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up 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 service desk manager

   Once you've found the service desk manager candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a service desk manager?