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How to hire a student support specialist

Student support specialist hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring student support specialists in the United States:

  • HR departments typically spend 15% of their expenses on recruitment.
  • It usually takes about 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • It typically takes 36-42 days to fill a job opening.
  • The median cost to hire a student support specialist is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend an average of $1,105 per student support specialist on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • There are currently 5,121 student support specialists in the US and 104,264 job openings.
  • Baltimore, MD, has the highest demand for student support specialists, with 5 job openings.
  • Tempe, AZ has the highest concentration of student support specialists.

How to hire a student support specialist, step by step

To hire a student support specialist, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a student support specialist:

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

What does a student support specialist do?

A student support specialist provides ample counsel and advice for students in an educational institution. Student support's responsibility is to help students adjust, adapt, and advance through their learning life in school or university and provide care and support for them to grow. The student support specialist also connects students to relevant benefits, government educational benefits, and other help and benefits provided by the educational institution and its faculty. The student support specialist aims to help students in their studies and see them achieve their goals.

Learn more about the specifics of what a student support specialist does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your student support 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 student support 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?

    A student support specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, student support 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 presents student support specialist salaries for various positions.

    Type of Student Support SpecialistDescriptionHourly rate
    Student Support SpecialistSocial and human service assistants provide client services, including support for families, in a wide variety of fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, and social work. They assist other workers, such as social workers, and they help clients find benefits or community services.$13-31
    SupportA support employee is responsible for assisting the business operations and responding to customers' inquiries and concerns regarding its goods and services. Support logs all customers' interaction and escalates potential complaints to the appropriate department... Show more$11-25
    Student AdvisorA student advisor is responsible for supporting the students' personal growth and development by guiding them on their learning processes and educational goals. Student advisors provide regular counseling for the students to analyze their career aspirations, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and strategize learning plans to address those difficulties... Show more$14-25
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Student Support
    • Social Work
    • Support Services
    • Professional Development
    • Behavioral Issues
    • Technical Support
    • Financial Aid
    • Mathematics
    • Student Retention
    • Student Enrollment
    • Academic Support
    • Community Resources
    • Inbound Calls
    • Crisis Intervention
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage SharePoint inventory repository and assign access levels to new hires as needed.
    • Train staff with methods to meet IEP goals, mandate reporting and effective communication in the classroom.
    • Monitor student behavior -assist with student IEP and report student activity
    • Provide individual academic assistance to students having difficulty with college-level mathematics
    • Provide various services as a liaison between students and administration obtain certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation
    • Provide individual academic assistance to students having difficulty with college-level mathematics
    More student support specialist duties
  3. Make a budget

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

    Average student support specialist salary

    $43,449yearly

    $20.89 hourly rate

    Entry-level student support specialist salary
    $28,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 17, 2025

    Average student support specialist salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1California$55,085$26
    2New York$54,130$26
    3Connecticut$53,567$26
    4Maryland$52,572$25
    5Washington$47,117$23
    6Illinois$47,111$23
    7Iowa$46,139$22
    8Texas$44,880$22
    9Virginia$43,070$21
    10Massachusetts$41,883$20
    11Ohio$41,819$20
    12Oregon$41,599$20
    13Pennsylvania$40,763$20
    14Arkansas$40,371$19
    15Missouri$39,976$19
    16Colorado$39,044$19
    17Arizona$37,998$18
    18North Carolina$36,416$18
    19West Virginia$35,900$17
    20Kentucky$35,707$17

    Average student support specialist salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Boston Public Schools$59,987$28.843
    2Hartwick College$57,196$27.50
    3Bellevue Jr/Sr High School$56,103$26.97
    4Saint Xavier University$54,570$26.249
    5PSEA$53,485$25.7118
    6International Rescue Committee$52,588$25.28
    7Chicago Public Schools$51,689$24.8515
    8Houston Baptist University$51,612$24.81
    9University of California$51,449$24.747
    10University of California-Berkeley$50,891$24.47
    11Northern Illinois University$50,395$24.231
    12Dartmouth$50,220$24.145
    13Research Foundation of The City University of New York$49,651$23.87
    14The City University of New York$49,626$23.8616
    15University of Colorado Boulder$49,512$23.803
    16Syracuse University$49,152$23.633
    17Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES$47,864$23.01
    18Bethel University$47,117$22.653
    19Arroyo Seco Junior High$47,045$22.62
    20Kellogg$47,023$22.611
  4. Writing a student support specialist job description

    A student support specialist 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a student support specialist job description:

    Student support specialist job description example

    We're the College Internship Program (CIP), and we've been helping young adults on the autism spectrum and with learning differences find success in college, employment, and independent living in our centers across the US since 1984. CIP's programs are specially designed to help young adults make successful transitions from adolescence to independence. Our vision is to challenge the norms of what people with learning differences can achieve.

    Our CIP Long Beach Center is seeking a Part-Time Student Support Specialist to assist our young adult population to realize their full potential.

    The Student Support Specialist position coaches students primarily in the areas of Independent Living Skills, Social Skills, and Academics. This unique role is an active, hands-on role that supports students individually within CIP’s student housing, the center, and within the community.

    The ideal candidate has a background and experience working with adolescents and young adults on the autism spectrum, with ADHD, and with other learning differences yet is interested in building their knowledge and capacity in the field of special education. This individual has a passion for working within a dynamic team at a well-established organization and brings enthusiasm and intellect into their work mentoring and guiding a unique and amazing population of young adults.

    Candidates for this position must be available in the evenings and weekends.

    Objectives

    • Assist students in building independent living skills and other activities of daily living
    • Engage students in productively exploring and connecting within the CIP and external community
    • Track and report student goal progress

    Standard Activities

    • Collaborate and work cross-functionally with a talented and fun team of staff to provide a range of services as dictated by student need (e.g., academic, career, social, etc.)
    • Assist students in the transition and adjustment to independent living through the delivery of Life Skills, Social Skills, and Academic curriculum
    • Help ensure that students successfully manage and maintain their participation in the program
    • Administrative duties associated with the position include but are not limited to writing or updating student reports and attendance, and supporting students with schedule planning and goal-setting
    • Other duties as assigned

    Skills, Education, and Requirements

    • Bachelor’s Degree or greater from an accredited institution in a related field
    • At least two years related experience and/or training with autism, learning disabilities, or related differences
    • Proficient with computer software for office tasks and in learning new company computer software programs
    • Minimal to no travel required
  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find student support specialists 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 student support specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit student 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 student 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.

    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 student support specialist

    Once you've decided on a perfect student 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 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 student 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 student support specialist?

Hiring a student support specialist comes with both the one-time cost per hire and ongoing costs. The cost of recruiting student support specialists involves promoting the job and spending time conducting interviews. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider the cost of student support specialist recruiting as well the ongoing costs of maintaining the new employee.

You can expect to pay around $43,449 per year for a student support specialist, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for student support specialists in the US typically range between $13 and $31 an hour.

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