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How to hire a consulting network engineer

Consulting network engineer hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring consulting network engineers in the United States:

  • HR departments typically spend 15% of their expenses on recruitment.
  • It usually takes about 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • It typically takes 36-42 days to fill a job opening.
  • The median cost to hire a consulting network engineer is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend an average of $1,105 per consulting network engineer on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • There are currently 162,494 consulting network engineers in the US and 54,035 job openings.
  • Costa Mesa, CA, has the highest demand for consulting network engineers, with 2 job openings.
  • Parkton, NC has the highest concentration of consulting network engineers.

How to hire a consulting network engineer, step by step

To hire a consulting network engineer, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a consulting network engineer:

Here's a step-by-step consulting network engineer hiring guide:

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

    Before you post your consulting network engineer job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a consulting network engineer for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    A consulting network engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, consulting network engineers 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.

    The following list breaks down different types of consulting network engineers and their corresponding salaries.

    Type of Consulting Network EngineerDescriptionHourly rate
    Consulting Network EngineerComputer networks are critical parts of almost every organization. Network and computer systems administrators are responsible for the day-to-day operation of these networks.$37-62
    Network Support AnalystNetwork support analysts are professionals who provide technical support as well as maintain various network components for an organization's network system. These analysts are responsible for installing and configuring local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), internet systems, and other components of network systems... Show more$25-61
    Network Operation TechnicianA network operation technician is responsible for providing technical assistance with computer network issues. Network operation technicians repair and troubleshoot networks and routers, identifying the source of defects by listening to the customers and determining step-by-step guidelines for resolution... Show more$19-47
    Show more

  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Switches
    • Network Infrastructure
    • Firewall
    • Troubleshoot
    • BGP
    • OSPF
    • Windows Server
    • VPN
    • Nexus
    • Series Routers
    • Lan
    • VMware
    • Technical Support
    • Network Design
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Lead effort to identify and fix major dhcp snooping bug.
    • Manage all domain registrations, SSL certificate management.
    • Configure remote users to access corporate LAN with VPN connectivity.
    • Analyze and understand the issues relate to DNS, DHCP and other IP conflicts.
    • Aid in the definition and planning of a QoS schema for future plans to converge the network and move to VoIP.
    • Configure and test QOS across the backbone and edge.
    More consulting network engineer duties

  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your consulting network engineer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A consulting network engineer salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

    For example, the average salary for a consulting network engineer in Kansas may be lower than in California, and an entry-level consulting network engineer usually earns less than a senior-level consulting network engineer. Additionally, a consulting network engineer with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

    Average consulting network engineer salary

    $101,038yearly

    $48.58 hourly rate
    Entry-level consulting network engineer salary
    $77,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 15, 2025

    Average consulting network engineer salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1California$128,901$62
    2Washington$119,005$57
    3Massachusetts$105,189$51
    4New Jersey$104,196$50
    5New Hampshire$103,264$50
    6Arizona$101,471$49
    7New York$100,067$48
    8Texas$94,430$45
    9Wisconsin$93,795$45
    10Virginia$91,966$44
    11Florida$91,885$44
    12North Carolina$90,677$44
    13Michigan$88,779$43
    14Georgia$88,303$42
    15Colorado$87,822$42
    16Minnesota$87,319$42
    17Illinois$86,072$41
    18Tennessee$84,455$41
    19Kansas$82,939$40

    Average consulting network engineer salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1The Knot$131,576$63.26
    2BlackLine$115,868$55.71
    3Dell$115,456$55.513
    4CDW$115,171$55.375
    5Cisco$110,093$52.93225
    6Management Recruiters International(MRI)$107,060$51.476
    7Randstad North America, Inc.$106,349$51.1311
    8Verizon Services Corp.$103,726$49.87
    9ASAP Software Express Inc$100,283$48.21
    10MCI Communications Services Inc$99,985$48.07
    11Advanced Technology$99,985$48.0720
    12TSG Consulting$99,735$47.95
    13Infotech Spectrum$99,412$47.792
    14Edgecast Networks$99,206$47.70
    15Alliant Technologies$99,151$47.67
    16Thrupoint$99,017$47.60
    17Glow Networks$98,453$47.33
    18Super Technologies$98,347$47.28
    19HCA Healthcare$98,307$47.2616
    20HealthTrust$98,267$47.241

  4. Writing a consulting network engineer job description

    A consulting network engineer 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 consulting network engineer job description:

    Consulting network engineer job description example


    * BS in a technical field (CS/EE preferred) or equivalent plus 8+ years related experience.


    * Expert level (CCIE preferred) in Route & Switch or Service Provider.


    * Must have solid Network design skills, with strong knowledge of networking fundamentals


    * Hands on experience in deploying and supporting Cisco IOS-XR, IOS-XE and IOS Software.


    * SP Routing Platforms: ASR9K, NCS5K, Cisco 8000 and other Cisco Routing & Switching Platforms


    * Data Center Platforms: Nexus 9K and Nexus Family a plus.


    * IP Routing, Internetworking, MPLS, LAN Switching, MPLS (L2/L3 VPN/VRF-Lite) and MPLS-TE, BGP, ISIS, OSPF, EIGRP, inter-as routing, QoS, Ipv6, IP SLAs, RPVST+, MST, PIM, DMVPN, GETVPN, NetFlow.


    * Working knowledge of YANG models, NETCONF, and gNMI/gNOI


    * Has moderate to advanced knowledge of software programmability, automation, orchestration, virtualization


    * Prior Scripting, Python, and/or Linux experience highly desired.


    * Ability to apply critical thinking to function effectively in ambiguous circumstances.


    * Successfully communicates difficult concepts. Guides, influences and persuades others either internally and externally


    Why Cisco


    At Cisco, each person brings their unique talents to work as a team and make a difference.


    Yes, our technology changes the way the world works, lives, plays and learns, but our edge comes from our people. We are inspiring leaders, tech geeks, pop culture aficionados, and we even have a few purple haired rock stars. We celebrate the creativity and diversity that fuels our innovation. We are dreamers and we are doers. We Are Cisco.


    • We connect everything - people, process, data and things - and we use those connections to change our world for the better.


    • We innovate everywhere - From launching a new era of networking that adapts, learns and protects, to building Cisco Services that accelerate businesses and business results. Our technology powers entertainment, retail, healthcare, education and more - from Smart Cities to your everyday devices.


    • We benefit everyone - We do all of this while striving for a culture that empowers every person to be the difference, at work and in our communities.

    Cisco is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, genetic information, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis.


    Cisco will consider for employment, on a case by case basis, qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.


  5. Post your job

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

  6. Interview candidates

    Recruiting consulting network engineers 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.

    Sometimes, it's not enough to interview consulting network engineer candidates, so you can ask them to do a test project. If you are not a technical person and don't know what a test project should be, you can use these websites:

    • 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 consulting network engineer

    Once you've decided on a perfect consulting network engineer 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 equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new consulting network engineer. 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.)
    Sign up to download full list

How much does it cost to hire a consulting network engineer?

There are different types of costs for hiring consulting network engineers. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new consulting network engineer employee.

Consulting network engineers earn a median yearly salary is $101,038 a year in the US. However, if you're looking to find consulting network engineers for hire on a contract or per-project basis, hourly rates typically range between $37 and $62.

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Updated December 15, 2025

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