How to hire a support associate

How to hire a support associate, step by step

Here's a step-by-step support associate hiring guide:

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

What does a support associate do?

Post a support associate job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the support associate you need to hire. Certain support associate roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

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

   Type of Support Associate	Description	Hourly rate
   Support Associate	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	$12-39
   Administrative Support	Administrative support specialists provide different types of governmental assistance. They carry out varied clerical duties in almost all industries... Show more	$12-25
   Systems Support	A systems support agent is responsible for resolving system applications and network issues, performing technical configuration, and upgrading systems infrastructure. A systems support representative conducts regular maintenance and diagnostic tests on the computer applications to ensure its optimal performance and efficiency to support business operations and avoid delays in deliverables... Show more	$21-42

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Sales Floor
   • Computer System
   • POS
   • Cleanliness
   • Stockroom Organization
   • Customer Inquiries
   • Ladders
   • Patients
   • Excellent Organizational
   • Data Entry
   • Math
   • Basic Math
   • Merchandise Handling
   • Stock Room

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Work involve managing departmental computer support for approximately 400 PC/MAC workstations and 8 servers, and to 80 faculty/staff.
   • Manage department flow by facilitating transportation of all patients to ancillary departments for testing.
   • Answer eligibility and coverage questions from insurance agents pertaining to Medicare advantage plans and prescription drug plans.
   • Provide personal care, treatment, and rehabilitation to individuals diagnose with mental retardation and/or developmental disabilities.
   • Provide tech support for apple phones.
   • Light Unix systems support and monthly data organization.

   More support associate duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your support associate job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A support associate can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, support associates' average salary in hawaii is 51% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level support associates 69% less than senior-level support associates.
   • Certifications. A support associate with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a support associate's salary.

   Average support associate salary

   $47,039yearly

   $22.61 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level support associate salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

   Average support associate salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$63,451	$31
   2	Delaware	$61,170	$29
   3	New York	$60,059	$29
   4	Oregon	$59,940	$29
   5	Virginia	$57,837	$28
   6	Washington	$57,018	$27
   7	Texas	$55,314	$27
   8	Ohio	$53,750	$26
   9	California	$52,680	$25
   10	Massachusetts	$52,370	$25
   11	Pennsylvania	$45,803	$22
   12	Nevada	$44,758	$22
   13	Arizona	$44,635	$21
   14	District of Columbia	$44,453	$21
   15	North Carolina	$43,157	$21
   16	Missouri	$40,603	$20
   17	Nebraska	$40,509	$19
   18	Georgia	$40,182	$19
   19	Illinois	$39,126	$19
   20	Florida	$38,788	$19

   Average support associate salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apollo Global Management	$130,870	$62.92
   2	Cambridge Associates	$128,071	$61.57
   3	Citi	$120,575	$57.97	13
   4	State Street	$110,809	$53.27	4
   5	Goldman Sachs	$110,723	$53.23	5
   6	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$107,937	$51.89	117
   7	Bloomberg	$107,504	$51.68	8
   8	Novartis	$106,953	$51.42	2
   9	BNY Mellon	$106,265	$51.09	17
   10	Santander Bank	$105,530	$50.74
   11	Lazard	$105,373	$50.66	1
   12	Ernst & Young	$103,458	$49.74	15
   13	Bridgewater Associates	$103,282	$49.65
   14	Morgan Stanley	$102,133	$49.10	19
   15	MongoDB	$101,473	$48.79
   16	Moody's	$95,534	$45.93	3
   17	Visa	$89,855	$43.20	15
   18	Cypress	$87,483	$42.06
   19	Deutsche Bank	$86,954	$41.80	12
   20	Merrill Lynch	$86,560	$41.62

4. Writing a support associate job description

   A support associate 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 support associate job description:

   Support associate job description example

   Lead Support Associate - (22005837) Description Performs general store operational duties including cashiering, customer service, truck unloading, stocking, merchandise recovery, and light cleaning or maintenance as assigned. Serves as Manager on Duty (MOD) only during gaps created by store leadership vacations and/or lunch periods. Associates in this position are not responsible for opening or closing the store. When serving as MOD, leads and provides direction to store associates performing cashiering, customer service, recovery, and furniture-related activities on the sales floor. Works collaboratively with store leadership to drive overall store performance.
   
   1. Greets and assists customers as needed in order to maintain the highest level of customer service.
   2. Maintains and operates point-of-sale systems efficiently and accurately.
   3. Drives customer loyalty program participation, including sign ups and rewards processing at check-out.
   4. Participates in the freight flow process including truck unloading, stocking, merchandise presentation and recovery.
   5. Participates in furniture department operations including carry-outs and display assembly as needed.
   6. Maintains appearance of the store's interior and exterior to company standards including light maintenance duties and cleaning.
   7. Performs daily front-end maintenance including check stand cleanliness, replenishment of merchandise and supplies and floor safety.
   8. Performs other tasks as assigned by Store Leadership, such as cart retrieval, shrink control and safety-related tasks.
   9. Serves in the Manager on Duty role as needed. When serving in this role, provides leadership and direction to floor associates and ensures that store, merchandising, and customer service standards are continuously met, including merchandise presentation, signage, recovery, and cleanliness. Drives the customer experience and ensures resolution of customer issues.
   
   Qualifications 1. Must be at least 18 years of age.
   2. Prior retail leadership experience preferred.
   3. Demonstrated decision-making, problem resolution, and interpersonal skills required.
   4. Ability to lift, carry, push, and pull a minimum of 50 pounds required. Ability to unload freight, to move product on and off store shelves, to walk, stand, bend, stoop, or kneel for long periods of time, and to move freely throughout store on a continual basis required.
   5. Ability to work a flexible work schedule including nights, weekends and holidays required.
   6. Basic English literacy, math, and PC skills required.
   
   We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws.
   Primary Location: US-FL-INVERNESSWork Locations: STORE~512_INVERNESS,FL 445 HIGHLAND BLVD., #300 HIGHLAND SQUARE S/C INVERNESS 34450Job: Store AssociatesSchedule: RegularShift: StandardJob Type: Part-time VariableJob Posting: May 9, 2022, 2:29:23 PMEmployee Referral Bonus: US Dollar (USD) Refer a friend for this job Refer a friend

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right support associate 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 support associate job on Zippia to find and recruit support associate candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit support associates, 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.

   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.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with a support associate applicant. In those cases, having candidates complete a test project can go a long way in figuring out who's the most likely to succeed in the role. If you aren't a technical person and 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 support associate

   Once you've decided on a perfect support associate 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new support associate. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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 support associate?