How to hire a software support specialist

How to hire a software support specialist, step by step

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

What does a software support specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a software support 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

   Hiring the perfect software support specialist 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.

   This list shows salaries for various types of software support specialists.

   Type of Software Support Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Software Support Specialist	Computer support specialists provide help and advice to people and organizations using computer software or equipment. Some, called computer network support specialists, support information technology (IT) employees within their organization... Show more	$20-43
   Administrative Technical Support	Administrative technical support maintains every technical set-up used in a company. Their primary responsibility is to inspect a company's systems, evaluate for issues, and repair any problems immediately... Show more	$13-36
   Technical Support Agent	A technical support agent specializes in providing computer and system support through calls and correspondence, ensuring optimal customer satisfaction. They are primarily responsible for assisting customers in troubleshooting and evaluating systems to figure out the cause of technical issues and talk them through its corresponding solution... Show more	$11-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Software Support
   • Database
   • Troubleshoot
   • Technical Support
   • Software Issues
   • HTML
   • Client Issues
   • Phone Calls
   • CRM
   • Customer Support
   • Hardware Support
   • XML
   • Payroll

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Provide second level desktop support, manage printers, and process SharePoint requests.
   • Research and troubleshot client technical issues; documented/tracked problems in JDS CRM system.
   • Possess fundamental knowledge of, and experience in, Java and HTML programming languages.
   • Work with XML and SQL coding.
   • Experience working with Java programming language.
   • Log and document all cases using SalesForce.

   More software support specialist duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average software support specialist salary

   $62,663yearly

   $30.13 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level software support specialist salary

   $43,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average software support specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$79,843	$38
   2	New Jersey	$75,401	$36
   3	Illinois	$68,555	$33
   4	Virginia	$68,103	$33
   5	Texas	$68,016	$33
   6	Missouri	$65,427	$31
   7	North Dakota	$65,028	$31
   8	Washington	$59,293	$29
   9	New York	$59,036	$28
   10	Colorado	$57,290	$28
   11	Maine	$57,205	$28
   12	North Carolina	$55,834	$27
   13	Georgia	$55,748	$27
   14	Iowa	$55,330	$27
   15	Kansas	$54,756	$26
   16	Arkansas	$54,519	$26
   17	Ohio	$53,261	$26
   18	Montana	$53,231	$26
   19	Florida	$51,530	$25

   Average software support specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Amdocs	$93,015	$44.72	3
   2	Salsa Labs	$85,770	$41.24
   3	CyberCoders	$82,573	$39.70
   4	Acronis	$80,399	$38.65
   5	IBM	$78,143	$37.57	102
   6	Baker Hughes	$76,975	$37.01	2
   7	Kao Brands	$76,791	$36.92
   8	SmartCOP	$70,858	$34.07
   9	Kforce	$69,340	$33.34	67
   10	Journal Technologies	$68,546	$32.95	1
   11	eTeam	$67,268	$32.34	2
   12	Tyler Technologies	$66,910	$32.17	11
   13	Cobb Technologies	$66,908	$32.17
   14	Aegis Software	$65,254	$31.37
   15	Rediker Software	$65,252	$31.37
   16	NCR	$64,407	$30.96	2
   17	CAE	$63,458	$30.51	15
   18	Particle Measuring	$60,743	$29.20	2
   19	IPS-Integrated Project Services	$59,447	$28.58
   20	EverCommerce	$59,447	$28.58	5

4. Writing a software support specialist job description

   A job description for a software 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 a software support specialist job description:

   Software support specialist job description example

   This front-line support role will focus on identifying, troubleshooting, and resolving client issues using a collaborative approach. This position will interact directly with clients and is charged with providing courteous and timely support to our end-user community.
   .
   
   Principal Duties & Responsibilities:
   
   Provide phone and ticket support for incoming queries and issues related to software for legal case management and electronic billing Identify, prioritize, resolve, document and communicate technical and operational issues Estimate problem resolution times through detailed collaboration with other team members Interact with clients and law firms, over the phone or via email, to provide support, prioritize appropriately and ensure resolutions Comfortably engage with clients and firms in a highly professional and helpful manner Maintain high levels of client satisfaction through successful and timely resolution of technical and operational issues Provide regular status updates and reports to supervisor Work on special projects and other duties as assigned by management
   
   Qualifications & Skills:
   
   
   
   To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential function.
   
   Education and Experience: Any combination of education, experience, and training which provides the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:
   1-2 years related experience Client Services experience preferred Strong analytical, organizational, written, and verbal communication skills Quick learner with the ability to effectively multi-task in occasionally stressful situations Ability to work with autonomy and take direction as needed Highly motivated with a willingness to take initiative and complete assignments
   
   Preferred Skills:
   Proficient in Microsoft Office Good time management skills Fluent in English Fluency in a second language, other than English, is preferred but not required

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with software support 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.

   If your interviews with software support specialist applicants aren't enough to make a decision, you should also consider including a test project. These are often the best, most straightforward, and least bias-prone ways of determining who will likely succeed in the role. If you don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   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 specialist

   Once you've selected the best software support 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 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 software 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 a software support specialist?