How to hire a software support manager

How to hire a software support manager, step by step

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

What does a software support manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your software support 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 software support 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

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   Hiring the perfect software support manager also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of software support manager salaries for various roles:

   Type of Software Support Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Software Support 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.	$36-67
   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 Software Development	A director of software development is primarily in charge of overseeing the workflow and the workforce involved in the entire software development process. Their responsibilities also include creating strategies for optimal performance, coordinating with different teams and departments to identify strengths and weaknesses, implementing training and workshop programs, and liaising with external agencies, including key clients... Show more	$52-109

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Software Support
   • Software Development
   • Technical Support
   • Customer Support
   • Database
   • SQL Server
   • Linux
   • Configuration Management
   • Management System
   • Unix
   • Software Products
   • Product Management
   • PC
   • C

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage Linux client problem reports and engineering responses.
   • Manage programmers in the design, development, testing and debugging of sophisticate computer graphics applications.
   • Develop and run SQL and PL/SQL scripts as a workaround to resolve critical billing issues.
   • Focuse in the areas of Linux BSP, network protocol stacks data, control and management plane software.
   • Monitor JIRA tickets to ensure completeness and accuracy both before development begins and throughout the ticket's development lifecycle.
   • Used SQL, PL/SQL, data dictionaries, configuration and performance tuning utilities and operating system level scripting extensively.

   More software support manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your software support manager job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A software support manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a software support manager in Oklahoma may be lower than in California, and an entry-level software support manager usually earns less than a senior-level software support manager. Additionally, a software support manager with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average software support manager salary

   $104,045yearly

   $50.02 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level software support manager salary

   $76,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average software support manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$140,957	$68
   2	Washington	$121,846	$59
   3	New Jersey	$111,273	$54
   4	Massachusetts	$109,418	$53
   5	New York	$105,624	$51
   6	Wisconsin	$102,500	$49
   7	Missouri	$101,986	$49
   8	Texas	$101,583	$49
   9	Arizona	$100,220	$48
   10	Delaware	$99,021	$48
   11	Oregon	$94,664	$46
   12	District of Columbia	$94,194	$45
   13	Colorado	$93,740	$45
   14	Illinois	$93,344	$45
   15	Minnesota	$92,221	$44
   16	Montana	$92,119	$44
   17	Georgia	$91,633	$44
   18	Indiana	$87,786	$42
   19	Ohio	$84,044	$40
   20	Florida	$82,630	$40

   Average software support manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	NVIDIA	$149,678	$71.96	20
   2	Amazon	$147,652	$70.99	428
   3	Synaptics	$142,550	$68.53
   4	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$134,316	$64.58	663
   5	Lam Research	$133,872	$64.36	2
   6	Magnitude	$126,627	$60.88
   7	Hitachi Vantara	$125,930	$60.54	1
   8	Baxter International	$122,843	$59.06	13
   9	Virtusa	$122,067	$58.69	5
   10	Workiva	$121,665	$58.49
   11	Amdocs	$118,013	$56.74	3
   12	American Family Insurance	$117,960	$56.71
   13	Verisk Analytics	$117,646	$56.56	7
   14	Transatlantic Holdings, Inc.	$114,982	$55.28
   15	NCR	$109,944	$52.86	2
   16	Munich Reinsurance America, Inc.	$104,304	$50.15	2
   17	Comcast	$102,268	$49.17	56
   18	RealManage	$101,056	$48.58
   19	Cognizant	$101,032	$48.57	47
   20	Synechron	$99,246	$47.71	2

4. Writing a software support manager job description

   A software support manager 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. Below, you can find an example of a software support manager job description:

   Software support manager job description example

   Troubleshoot and resolve software issues ensuring customer satisfaction with every interaction while leading a team of Tier II team members to do the same. Our goal is to accurately close cases as expeditiously as possible, while providing future documentation and step by step instructions for other Tier team members to ensure they can consistently support and close future instances of similar cases. Tier 3 Support will work with engineering teams, implementation teams, customer service representatives, and customers on an extensive basis. The ideal candidate will have customer service experience combined with a strong technical capability.
   Responsibilities include:
   • Primary responsibility to troubleshoot and resolve software issues. Act as primary escalation for issues escalating to engineering. Case resolution must be accurate, timely, and ensure customer satisfaction.
   • Act as liaison for application and database issues between customers and developers. Apply existing knowledge of programming, databases, and operating systems to research and provide direction and/or resolution for application, database or technical problems as identified in a case.
   • Work with level 3 product support to acquire product patches and new standard versions for delivery to customers.
   • Software Installation and Maintenance bug fixes and upgrades for Customer Hosted locations. Many of these requirements will be provided onsite at our Customer’s location.
   • Provide courteous assistance and technical support to Customers via phone/email/web, to resolve issues related to the installation, functionality, and usage of our Products.
   • Maintain an accurate record of activities using CRM software, ensuring detailed and accurate entries.
   • Meets established efficiency and effectiveness standards regarding customer service factors
   • Participate and lead in 7 X 24 on call rotation for SEV 1 issues and outages.
   
   Requirements:
   • BS Computer Science and 5-10 years of relevant experience
   • The ideal candidate will have a strong customer service background with the ability to present information effectively; possess a professional and friendly phone manner.
   • Ability to communicate effectively with customers who may have a limited knowledge of computer systems operations and equipment.
   • All applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States.
   
   Demonstrable proficiency in each of the following:
   • Microsoft SQL Server
   • MSSQL (Stored Procedures, Ad Hoc queries using ISQL, EM)
   • TCP/IP (DNS, UDP/TCP, ARP)
   • VM Ware or VirtualPC
   • Remote Connection Software (Checkpoint, Cisco, PC-Anywhere)
   • Salesforce.com or equivalent CRM

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right software support manager 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 software support manager job on Zippia to find and recruit software support manager 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 software support managers, 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 software support manager

   Once you've decided on a perfect software support manager 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 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 software support manager 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 a software support manager?