How to hire a support manager

How to hire a support manager, step by step

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

What does a support manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The support manager hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a support manager to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a support manager that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of support managers.

   Type of Support Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Support Manager		$27-67
   Managing Supervisor	A managing supervisor is a professional who is responsible for managing staff members and providing reports about their progress and development in the organization. Managing supervisors must represent the company to the external parties and should exhibit excellent leadership... Show more	$25-56
   Customer Service/Operations Manager	A customer service/operations manager is primarily in charge of spearheading and overseeing the efforts of a customer service team, ensuring efficiency and client satisfaction. Their responsibilities include setting goals and objectives, establishing guidelines and schedules, managing the employees, creating new programs for customers, and developing strategies to optimize customer service operations... Show more	$23-47

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • Technical Support
   • PowerPoint
   • Windows
   • Logistics
   • Support Services
   • Process Improvement
   • Customer Support
   • HR
   • SQL
   • Management System
   • Direct Reports
   • Front End
   • Payroll

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead the team to a successful ISO audit with commendation for processes and documentation.
   • Utilize AutoTask for managing tickets, field technicians, and scheduling POS installs with store owners or managers.
   • Manage dependencies for the build out, maintenance, and ongoing support of QA environments during the CME/NYMEX and CME/CBOT mergers.
   • Manage eight AS/400 and Unix lab technicians, responsible troubleshooting and maintaining the AS400 & UNIX systems that support customer functionality.
   • Manage payroll issues, authore and perform performance appraisals and disciplinary actions.
   • Develop and implement strategic merchandising plans to achieve revenue objectives and reduce expenditures while ensuring payroll remains within budget.

   More support manager duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average support manager salary

   $90,297yearly

   $43.41 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level support manager salary

   $58,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average support manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$125,823	$60
   2	California	$123,739	$59
   3	New York	$121,963	$59
   4	New Jersey	$115,199	$55
   5	Washington	$111,699	$54
   6	Massachusetts	$109,441	$53
   7	Pennsylvania	$106,191	$51
   8	Virginia	$99,990	$48
   9	Ohio	$97,030	$47
   10	Illinois	$95,616	$46
   11	Michigan	$94,480	$45
   12	Minnesota	$88,951	$43
   13	North Carolina	$86,057	$41
   14	Texas	$84,797	$41
   15	Maryland	$83,887	$40
   16	South Carolina	$78,875	$38
   17	Arizona	$78,480	$38
   18	New Mexico	$78,179	$38
   19	West Virginia	$76,769	$37
   20	Colorado	$76,091	$37

   Average support manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$159,248	$76.56	72
   2	VMware	$148,008	$71.16
   3	Google	$147,068	$70.71	20
   4	Apple	$146,094	$70.24	9
   5	Bimbo Bakeries	$141,773	$68.16
   6	PayPal	$141,059	$67.82	2
   7	SAP	$141,018	$67.80	5
   8	KLA	$140,914	$67.75	6
   9	Amd	$139,091	$66.87	6
   10	Microsoft	$136,039	$65.40	25
   11	Applied Materials	$135,940	$65.36	11
   12	Anaplan	$135,013	$64.91	1
   13	Metropolitan Utilities District	$134,763	$64.79
   14	Nutanix	$134,638	$64.73	5
   15	The Walt Disney Company	$134,002	$64.42	16
   16	Parsons	$133,553	$64.21	20
   17	Amazon	$131,908	$63.42	389
   18	BGC Partners	$131,564	$63.25
   19	Ernst & Young	$131,303	$63.13	51
   20	Citi	$131,183	$63.07	19

4. Writing a support manager job description

   A 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 support manager job description:

   Support manager job description example

   Provides expertise in the application and management of integrated logistics activities supporting the installation and fielding of systems. Assists projects to comply with acquisition logistics management and life cycle support requirements detailed in NSA/CSS Policy 10-4, "Deployment Management Process".
   Required Education, Experience, & Skills
   Eight (8) years directly related experience in preparation of various Acquisition Logistic Support documents, of which five (5) years experience with deployment management processes for access, collection and/or exploitation systems and resolution of identified acquisition logistic issues and concerns. Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in any technical field is required. Four (4) years of additional related technical experience may be substituted for a Bachelor's Degree.
   
   Knowledge of NSA/CSS Policy 10-4, "Deployment Management Process"
   Provide CONUS/OCONUS deployment support including knowledge of system support document creation and management
   Manage and administer Acquisition Logistics Support (ALS) activities for systems development programs
   Identify acquisition logistic issues and concerns
   Provide CONUS/OCONUS deployment support including knowledge of system support document creation and management
   Identify acquisition logistic issues and concerns
   Knowledge of NSA/CSS Policy 10-4, "Deployment Management Process"
   Manage and administer Acquisition Logistics Support (ALS) activities for systems development programs
   Write Acquisition Logistics Support Management (ALSM) documentation to detail field and life cycle support logistic requirements
   
   About BAE Systems Intelligence & Security
   BAE Systems Intelligence & Security, based in McLean, Virginia, designs and delivers advanced defense, intelligence, and security solutions that support the important missions of our customers. Our pride and dedication shows in everything we do-from intelligence analysis, cyber operations and IT expertise to systems development, systems integration, and operations and maintenance services. Knowing that our work enables the U.S. military and government to recognize, manage and defeat threats inspires us to push ourselves and our technologies to new levels. That's BAE Systems. That's Inspired Work. Equal Opportunity Employer/Females/Minorities/Veterans/Disabled/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/Gender Expression. To see Inspired Work in action, visit www.baesystems.com and follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/baesystemsintel.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right support manager for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with support managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit support managers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit support 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 support manager

   Once you have selected a candidate for the support manager position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new support manager. 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.)

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How much does it cost to hire a support manager?