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How to hire a support specialist/trainer

Support specialist/trainer hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring support specialist/trainers in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a support specialist/trainer is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new support specialist/trainer to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a support specialist/trainer, step by step

To hire a support specialist/trainer, consider the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Follow these steps to hire a support specialist/trainer:

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

What does a support specialist/trainer do?

A support specialist/trainer is in charge of developing training and support programs for employees in a company. Among their responsibilities include gathering and analyzing data, coordinating with the human resources department, and developing strategies to improve the skills of new and current employees. There are also instances where they must liaise with clients to address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently. Furthermore, a support specialist/trainer must enforce the company's policies and regulations, including its vision and mission.

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

    Before you start hiring a support specialist/trainer, 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?

    Hiring the perfect support specialist/trainer 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 support specialist/trainers.

    Type of Support Specialist/TrainerDescriptionHourly rate
    Support Specialist/TrainerComputer 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$13-34
    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
    Software TrainerSoftware Trainers are training specialists who teach computer programs and applications like desktop publishing programs, computer network systems software, and spreadsheets. They effectively explain the technical complexities of computer software... Show more$27-38
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Training Programs
    • Training Materials
    • PowerPoint
    • Training Sessions
    • CPR
    • Technical Support
    • Windows
    • Training Classes
    • Customer Support
    • Go-Live Support
    • SharePoint
    • Front Desk
    • Training Events
    • Training Courses
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Maintain the program SharePoint site and create and distribute program wide communications.
    • Conduct the configuration, maintenance, and development and expansion of Microsoft SharePoint server 2010 & 2012 farm infrastructure.
    • Provide study tools and PowerPoint presentations.
    • Analyze operational and logistics requirements, and adapt, formulate and implement logistic policies and procedures to ensure mission accomplishment.
    • Secure patient information and maintain administration and patient confidence by completing and safeguarding medical records per company and HIPPA regulations.
    More support specialist/trainer duties
  3. Make a budget

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

    • Location. For example, support specialist/trainers' average salary in alaska is 48% less than in new york.
    • Seniority. Entry-level support specialist/trainers 59% less than senior-level support specialist/trainers.
    • Certifications. A support specialist/trainer 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 specialist/trainer's salary.

    Average support specialist/trainer salary

    $45,677yearly

    $21.96 hourly rate

    Entry-level support specialist/trainer salary
    $29,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 17, 2025

    Average support specialist/trainer salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1New York$62,943$30
    2Hawaii$61,955$30
    3Connecticut$61,706$30
    4Virginia$60,738$29
    5Illinois$54,133$26
    6California$52,343$25
    7North Carolina$50,152$24
    8Colorado$49,140$24
    9Maryland$49,080$24
    10Arizona$47,382$23
    11North Dakota$46,441$22
    12Massachusetts$45,431$22
    13Georgia$45,359$22
    14Maine$43,617$21
    15Oregon$42,359$20
    16Texas$42,285$20
    17Kansas$42,280$20
    18Ohio$41,775$20
    19Wisconsin$39,594$19
    20Washington$39,144$19

    Average support specialist/trainer salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1ServiceNow$79,418$38.187
    2Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice$77,423$37.22
    3Sonalysts$74,253$35.70
    4Planned Systems International$73,340$35.2659
    5New Jersey Institute of Technology$72,773$34.991
    6Johnson & Johnson$70,790$34.0310
    7Twilio$64,973$31.24
    8North Shore Healthcare$64,045$30.79
    9Saratoga Hospital$56,825$27.324
    10University of Maryland, Baltimore$52,063$25.0310
    11General Dynamics$49,517$23.8184
    12Daimler Trucks North America$49,324$23.713
    13Titan Machinery$48,252$23.20
    14Phelps Health Foundation$48,252$23.20
    15Chubb$47,723$22.9416
    16Software.com$47,316$22.758
    17The Kennedy Center Inc.$46,910$22.55
    18KBR$45,795$22.0226
    19Partners Healthcare Solutions Inc$44,528$21.41
    20Colorado State Express$44,528$21.41
  4. Writing a support specialist/trainer job description

    A good support specialist/trainer job description should include a few things:

    • Summary of the role
    • List of responsibilities
    • Required skills and experience

    Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a support specialist/trainer job description:

    Support specialist/trainer job description example

    Responsibilities:
    • Assist with planning, development execution and assessment of training and exercises related to objectives of the DoDD 2060.02
    • Assist in the implementation and maintenance of individual augmentation readiness systems required to comply with theater specific training requirements.
    • Accesses and reviews Joint Training System (JTS) doctrine, and its associated systems including the Universal Joint Task List Development Tool (UTDT), Joint Training Information Management System (JTIMS); and Joint Lessons Learned Information System (JLLIS).
    • Monitor, and maintain personnel training requirements in the Learning Management System (LMS) and schedule and manage collective, classroom required training and CBRNE training.
    • Assist in maintaining the individual deployment readiness data within the DTRA Readiness Tracking System and manage the ISOPREP program using the Personal Recovery Mission Software (PRMS) for all USSOCOM J10 – (NCR) personnel.
    • Develop and maintain an electronic resource, to include key points of contact, to be used for mission continuity that may be accessed by all stakeholders.
    • Exercise expertise support includes supporting all tasks required to plan, develop, execute and assess activities called for within the Joint Event Life Cycle (JELC) for an exercise.

    • Build, sustain, and improve collaborative working relationships with internal and external DoD/IA stakeholders.

    Requirements:
    • 3 years’ experience supporting doctrine development utilizing the Joint Training System (JTS), Universal Joint Task List Development Tool (UTDT), Joint Training Information Management System (JTIMS); and Joint Lessons Learned Information System (JLLIS).
    • 6 years CWMD planning experience in a DoD Joint organization –OR– 6 years CWMD planning in Inter-Agency equivalent (CIA, FBI, DoS, DHS) (within the last 10 years)
    • High degree of organizational accumen.
    • Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain professional business relationships with external agency partners.
    • TS/SCI
  5. Post your job

    There are various strategies that you can use to find the right support specialist/trainer 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 specialist/trainer job on Zippia to find and attract quality support specialist/trainer candidates.
    • Use niche 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 specialist/trainers, 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.

    While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with a support specialist/trainer 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 specialist/trainer

    Once you've decided on a perfect support specialist/trainer 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.

    After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new support specialist/trainer. 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 specialist/trainer?

Before you start to hire support specialist/trainers, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire support specialist/trainers pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

Support specialist/trainers earn a median yearly salary is $45,677 a year in the US. However, if you're looking to find support specialist/trainers for hire on a contract or per-project basis, hourly rates typically range between $13 and $34.

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