How to hire a Technical Assistant

How to hire a technical assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step technical assistant hiring guide:

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

What does a Technical Assistant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the technical assistant you need to hire. Certain technical assistant 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 technical assistant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, technical assistants 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 shows salaries for various types of technical assistants.

   Type Of Technical Assistant	Description	Hourly Rate
   Technical Assistant	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	$10-24
   Administrative Technical Support	Administrative technical support maintains every technical set-up used in a company. Their primary responsibility is to inspect a company's systems, evaluate for issues, and repair any problems immediately... Show More	$13-36
   Technical Support Coordinator	A technical support coordinator oversees and coordinates the activities of technical support teams, ensuring clients and staff receive optimal support and service. They typically set objectives and guidelines, establish schedules and action plans, perform audits and assessments, review documentation and client feedback, and conduct research and analysis to develop strategies that will optimize the daily operations of the department... Show More	$13-28

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common Skills:

   • Patients
   • Customer Service
   • Patient Care
   • Technical Assistance
   • Lab Equipment
   • Phlebotomy
   • Surgical Procedures
   • Vital Signs
   • CPR
   • Data Collection
   • PowerPoint
   • IV
   • Preventive Maintenance
   • Computer System

   Check All Skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Create and manage original MARC records from OCLC database including verification, editing and updating of data and shelf list.
   • Manage customer complaints and internal GMP audits for product manufacturing, coordinate FDA audits and recommend corrective actions.
   • Input service reports into AS400 using 10 key.
   • Assist with ambulation, transfer from bed to chair and CPR certify.
   • Work involve development in PHP with back end as MYSQL server database.
   • Operate heat sealers, centrifuges, sterile docking equipment, and irradiation unit.

   More Technical Assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your technical assistant job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A technical assistant salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, technical assistants' average salary in utah is 44% less than in massachusetts.
   • Seniority. Entry-level technical assistants earn 57% less than senior-level technical assistants.
   • Certifications. A technical assistant with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a technical assistant's salary.

   Average technical assistant salary

   $16.42hourly

   $34,159 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level technical assistant salary

   $22,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2025

   Average technical assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate
   1	Massachusetts	$41,735	$20
   2	District of Columbia	$41,103	$20
   3	New Jersey	$40,628	$20
   4	Rhode Island	$39,207	$19
   5	New York	$37,771	$18
   6	Pennsylvania	$36,408	$18
   7	Georgia	$35,177	$17
   8	Maryland	$35,122	$17
   9	Virginia	$34,646	$17
   10	Michigan	$34,410	$17
   11	California	$34,127	$16
   12	Wisconsin	$33,100	$16
   13	Nebraska	$31,417	$15
   14	Minnesota	$31,022	$15
   15	Oregon	$30,712	$15
   16	Washington	$30,622	$15
   17	Ohio	$30,570	$15
   18	North Carolina	$30,481	$15
   19	Illinois	$29,415	$14
   20	Indiana	$29,394	$14

   Average technical assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
   1	The American Musical and Dramatic Academy	$89,894	$43.22
   2	IBM	$69,001	$33.17	42
   3	Google	$68,755	$33.06	33
   4	Pearne & Gordon	$58,224	$27.99
   5	EDC	$57,303	$27.55	2
   6	Comtech Telecommunications	$56,326	$27.08
   7	Boston Public Schools	$55,940	$26.89
   8	Schneider Electric Industrial Services	$55,237	$26.56	23
   9	Brigham and Women's Hospital	$51,811	$24.91	4
   10	University of Massachusetts Boston	$51,710	$24.86	5
   11	Saint Xavier University	$51,413	$24.72	3
   12	Columbia University in the City of New York	$50,803	$24.42	19
   13	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	$49,189	$23.65
   14	AECOM	$47,999	$23.08	30
   15	University of California-Berkeley	$47,652	$22.91
   16	Hughes Supply	$47,107	$22.65
   17	Altec	$46,044	$22.14	1
   18	ICF	$45,147	$21.71	35
   19	Northern Essex Community College	$44,804	$21.54
   20	Lawrence General Hospital	$43,867	$21.09	2

4. Writing a Technical Assistant Job Description

   A job description for a technical assistant role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a technical assistant job description:

   Technical Assistant job description example

   Totten Insurance Group is growing and is looking for a strong Technical Assistant to join their dynamic team in Montreal, Quebec. This is a fast paced and growing environment and requires strong attention to detail and ability to work independently and with our Underwriters. The role is critical in processing on a timely basis on several insurance systems. This is a great opportunity to join a dynamic and growing team and be part of the continuing success of one of the leading Insurance Wholesalers in Canada. The preferred candidate will be self-motivated and well organized, with a proven ability to multi-task in a fast-paced team environment.
   Responsibilities:
   Data entry of insurance policy information into different databases Issuance of new policies and renewals in English and FrenchEnsuring accuracy and data integrity through communicating with underwriters and underwriter assistants Assorted filing, data entry and report production Handling incoming and outgoing courier mail Address incoming client calls and address inquiries ReceptionistOther duties as may be required
   
   Qualifications and Experience:
   1-3 years of experience in a similar processing role or broker support Strong problem-solving abilities.Bilingual in English and French: Strong oral and written skills are required Experience in the Insurance industry desired Experience with TAM and Policy Works Insurance Systems an asset Prior experience working for a Managed General Agent (MGA) an asset Proficiency in MS Office: Word, Excel, and OutlookPrior data entry experience required Strong sense of urgency and results focused Strong attention to detail and time management Excellent organizational, interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills Ability to work effectively in a multi-deadline and fast-paced environment The preferred candidate will be self-motivated and well organized, with a proven ability to multi-task in a fast-paced team environment.
   
   Totten Insurance Group is Canada's leading national MGA provider of niche products and innovative solutions. Totten Group is committed to servicing brokers across the country and is comprised of six divisions: Personal Lines; Commercial Property; Commercial Casualty; Hospitality; Construction and Professional Liability. With offices across Canada, Totten Group's corporate office resides in Toronto ON, and has other locations in Oakville ON, Dartmouth NS, Winnipeg MB, Montreal QC, and Vancouver BC. Learn more at www.tottengroup.com.
   
   Totten is strongly committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. We strive to foster an environment where our employees feel valued, seen, and heard, which enables success for everyone. We endeavor to make the selection process accessible to any and all users. Assistance and/or accommodation are available by request for candidates taking part in the selection process.
   
   Department Office Administration & Clerical
   
   Required Experience: 1-2 years of relevant experience
   
   Required Travel: No Travel Required
   
   Required Education: Diploma

   Copy This Example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right technical assistant 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 technical assistants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit technical assistants 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 technical assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit technical assistant 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

   Recruiting technical assistants requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   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.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with a technical assistant 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 technical assistant

   Once you've selected the best technical assistant candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new technical assistant 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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