How to hire an associate system administrator

How to hire an associate system administrator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step associate system administrator hiring guide:

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

What does an associate system administrator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The associate system administrator 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

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

   Type of Associate System Administrator	Description	Hourly rate
   Associate System Administrator	Computer networks are critical parts of almost every organization. Network and computer systems administrators are responsible for the day-to-day operation of these networks.	$26-41
   Software Support Technician	A software support technician is responsible for resolving software application issues, diagnosing related system failures, and writing resolution reports for reference. Software support technicians must be highly-familiarized with the system's infrastructure and interface to immediately diagnose malfunctions and identify maintenance techniques to prevent the reoccurrence of downtimes and delays... Show more	$26-54
   Technical Support Engineer	A technical support engineer is responsible for responding to customer issues, providing immediate resolutions to their system issues through remote assistance. Technical support engineers must have strong knowledge of software and hardware applications to diagnose system defects and process troubleshooting... Show more	$29-57

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Infrastructure
   • Linux
   • Troubleshoot
   • Windows Server
   • PowerShell
   • VMware
   • Unix
   • IP
   • Client Facing
   • Windows OS
   • Computer System
   • Tcp Ip
   • SCCM

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage integrated network connectivity, reporting, and troubleshooting including switch, router, and firewall connectivity to increase system stability.
   • Support LAN resources-printers, routers, and switches.
   • Work on LDAP, DNS, SMTP, HTTP, NTP, and FTP.
   • Trouble shooting DNS relate issues on the server/domain registrar.
   • Provide SharePoint evangelism, promotion, and end-user training.
   • Maintain disaster recovery procedures for LAN and relate equipment and software.

   More associate system administrator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your associate system administrator job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An associate system administrator salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, associate system administrators' average salary in alaska is 30% less than in new hampshire.
   • Seniority. Entry-level associate system administrators earn 36% less than senior-level associate system administrators.
   • Certifications. An associate system administrator 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 an associate system administrator's salary.

   Average associate system administrator salary

   $69,086yearly

   $33.21 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level associate system administrator salary

   $55,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average associate system administrator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$83,295	$40
   2	Indiana	$77,673	$37
   3	Washington	$76,963	$37
   4	Delaware	$75,405	$36
   5	Maryland	$74,447	$36
   6	New Jersey	$74,178	$36
   7	District of Columbia	$73,789	$35
   8	Ohio	$71,843	$35
   9	Illinois	$70,267	$34
   10	New York	$70,082	$34
   11	Massachusetts	$69,864	$34
   12	Arizona	$69,110	$33
   13	Michigan	$68,535	$33
   14	North Carolina	$68,415	$33
   15	Virginia	$67,770	$33
   16	Tennessee	$67,609	$33
   17	Texas	$67,007	$32
   18	Georgia	$64,372	$31
   19	Florida	$62,776	$30
   20	Colorado	$60,728	$29

   Average associate system administrator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Schrödinger Inc	$105,795	$50.86
   2	Ross Stores	$101,309	$48.71
   3	Wachovia Securities	$100,190	$48.17
   4	Amgen	$99,290	$47.74	3
   5	Goldman Sachs	$92,686	$44.56	2
   6	Salesforce	$89,700	$43.13	12
   7	Booz Allen Hamilton	$89,528	$43.04	151
   8	Jacobs Engineering Group	$84,211	$40.49
   9	Bungie	$81,091	$38.99	1
   10	UBS	$80,872	$38.88	4
   11	ViacomCBS	$79,962	$38.44
   12	Zynga	$77,993	$37.50
   13	General Dynamics Mission Systems	$77,440	$37.23
   14	E*TRADE	$76,439	$36.75
   15	Nintendo	$75,051	$36.08	2
   16	BlackRock	$74,529	$35.83
   17	Andersen	$74,244	$35.69
   18	Apria Healthcare	$73,594	$35.38
   19	Hilton	$72,993	$35.09	7
   20	SOS International	$72,384	$34.80	10

4. Writing an associate system administrator job description

   A good associate system administrator 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 an associate system administrator job description:

   Associate system administrator job description example

   Work type: Full Time
   School/Department: Department of Computer Science Grade: Grade 11 Categories: Information Technology Job Type: Officer of Administration Bargaining Unit: Regular/Temporary: Regular End Date if Temporary: Hours Per Week: 35 Salary Range: Position Summary
   
   Reporting to the Executive Director of Information Technology in the Computing Research Facilities (CRF) Group, the Associate Systems Administrator provides planning and technical support for the implementation, installation, configuration, security, and maintenance of computer hardware, software, operating systems and networking in a diverse computing environment.
   
   Responsibilities
   (35%) Manages Information Technology resources in a Linux environment that includes installation and maintenance of servers, desktops, laptops and lab machines.Provides end user support and response to daily trouble tickets. (35%) Manages the computing infrastructure for the department, including network storage, grid computing, lab compute servers, backups, VPN, VoIP and infrastructure services such as web servers, DNS and DHCP. (10%) Develops and improves system software written in C, Python, Bash shell, Perl, and other
   
   programming languages. (10%) Assists in monitoring and maintaining network and system security (10%) Performs other tasks, duties, and responsibilities as assigned. Minimum Qualifications
   Bachelor's degree and/or its equivalent in Computer Science or Engineering-related field is required. A minimum of 2 years of previous experience in system administration or related fields. Thorough knowledge of the Linux environment is required Must have knowledge in networking, security, RAID storage, LDAP and ticketing system.Knowledge of scripting and programming. Ability to learn quickly. Must be reliable and meticulous in his/her work. Positive, forward-thinking, mission-oriented attitude and sense of humor a must. Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran
   
   Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.
   
   Applications open: Oct 04 2022Eastern Daylight Time
   Applications close:

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right associate system administrator 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 associate system administrator job on Zippia to find and attract quality associate system administrator candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with associate system administrator candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with an associate system administrator 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 associate system administrator

   Once you've found the associate system administrator 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 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 associate system administrator 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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How much does it cost to hire an associate system administrator?