How to hire a systems application specialist

How to hire a systems application specialist, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a systems application 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a systems application specialist 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 systems application specialist that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of systems application specialists.

   Type of Systems Application Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Systems Application 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	$23-54
   Systems Engineer	Systems engineers are responsible for creating and overseeing systems related to the overall operations of the organization. They are in charge of assessing the organization's needs in terms of systems and creating plans to address these needs... Show more	$29-52
   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:

   • Technical Support
   • Troubleshoot
   • Java
   • Epic
   • Unix
   • Linux
   • Problem Resolution
   • User Training
   • Customer Service
   • EMR
   • Harvest
   • User Support
   • JavaScript
   • Business Processes

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Prepare and manage technical documents for production support team utilizing SharePoint.
   • Manage multiple imaging-relate projects across both radiology and cardiology service lines, both inpatient and outpatient, to completion.
   • Help troubleshoot issues relate to updates.
   • Install and administer UNIX operating system on VAX hardware.
   • Investigate problems, run tests, and resolve issues in Linux.
   • Administer and troubleshoot CMS platforms to include custom reporting issues, user profile administration, service levels, etc.

   More systems application specialist duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average systems application specialist salary

   $74,370yearly

   $35.75 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level systems application specialist salary

   $48,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average systems application specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$93,125	$45
   2	New York	$87,573	$42
   3	California	$86,909	$42
   4	New Jersey	$86,345	$42
   5	New Hampshire	$84,532	$41
   6	Washington	$78,392	$38
   7	Oregon	$76,622	$37
   8	Michigan	$75,814	$36
   9	Texas	$75,678	$36
   10	North Carolina	$75,664	$36
   11	Illinois	$75,281	$36
   12	Florida	$72,326	$35
   13	Tennessee	$72,055	$35
   14	District of Columbia	$70,530	$34
   15	Iowa	$70,084	$34
   16	Indiana	$67,523	$32
   17	Nebraska	$63,235	$30
   18	Oklahoma	$63,039	$30
   19	Utah	$61,739	$30

   Average systems application specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Salesforce	$109,335	$52.56	5
   2	Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group	$109,097	$52.45
   3	Community Health Systems	$107,962	$51.90	27
   4	John Wiley & Sons	$102,674	$49.36
   5	Oracle	$99,501	$47.84	974
   6	Analog Devices	$97,149	$46.71	31
   7	Agfa	$96,793	$46.54
   8	UT Health East Texas	$95,530	$45.93
   9	Siemens	$89,444	$43.00	30
   10	Magna International	$88,855	$42.72	12
   11	Beacon Health Options	$88,344	$42.47	7
   12	UMass Memorial Health	$88,002	$42.31	2
   13	BERKLEY TECHNOLOGY SERVICES	$86,943	$41.80	7
   14	University of California	$86,212	$41.45	11
   15	ZF Group	$85,608	$41.16
   16	Dover	$84,838	$40.79	5
   17	ALDI USA	$80,290	$38.60
   18	Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority	$80,271	$38.59
   19	Heil Of Texas	$80,158	$38.54
   20	Milestone	$79,375	$38.16	7

4. Writing a systems application specialist job description

   A good systems application specialist 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 systems application specialist job description:

   Systems application specialist job description example

   We are constantly looking to add to our core talent. If you are seeking a career that is challenging and rewarding, a work environment that is diverse and dynamic, look no further - Haemonetics is your employer of choice.
   Job Details
   The System Application Specialist provides technical expertise for plasma software implementations, upgrades or other projects of varying size, scope, and complexity. Responsibility includes on-site and remote software application/interface setup, configuration, testing / validation, and training.
   Works closely with Project Manager, customer and technical teams to execute all activities as outlined in the project plan.Consults/assists in the formulation of solution design and procedures and best practices for users of Haemonetics software.Provides technical support to customer during planning and software installation, application setup and interface testing.Works with customer to create, update, validate and test interfaces to labs, payment systems, internal applications/systems, etc.Creates, updates and tests reports.Provides services such as remote or on-site software and configuration, product support, and trouble- shooting of Haemonetics applications, interfaces and equipment.Provides training for Haemonetics software and interfaces.Provides customer implementation and go-live support as needed.Coordinates and tracks day-to-day activities required to ensure project tasks are completed on time.Communicates progress and outcomes against goals to Project Manager and other internal and external stakeholders.Attends regular status meetings with project team.Demonstrates effective communication and engagement with customer.Utilizes time, project and support tracking tools.Resolves and/or escalates issues in a timely manner.Adheres to and follows Haemonetics policies and procedures.Extensive overnight travel as required.
   QUALIFICATIONS
   MINIMUM REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
   Bachelor's Degree - In Computer Science, Computer Engineering or a related discipline - Preferred5 years of experience in software industry - RequiredExperience with design and development of enterprise level web applications is highly desired Programming experience: Lua preferred but JavaScript acceptable SQL Server or Oracle database experience Experience with Java development is an asset IT and/or software implementation experience - Required
   KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
   Plasma or medical industry experience - PreferredDemonstrated written communication skills Strong verbal communication and listening skills Works independently with minimal supervision coupled with ability to work in a collaborative environment with cross-functional teams Quickly troubleshoots and resolves problems Demonstrated analytical and time management skill
   
   EEO Policy Statement
   
   Conditions of Employment: Haemonetics' policy requires COVID-19 vaccination for all U.S. employees, unless approved for a medical, religious or business exemption. While we recognize employees have their own individual beliefs and perspectives regarding vaccination, we believe it is an important step as part of our obligation to protect our colleagues, our customers and our communities as we continue to make health and safety our top priority.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right systems application 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 systems application specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit systems application specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit systems application specialists, 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   If your interviews with systems application 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 systems application specialist

   Once you've found the systems application specialist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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 systems application 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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