How to hire a data center manager

How to hire a data center manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step data center manager hiring guide:

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

What does a data center manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your data center manager 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 data center manager 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?

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   Hiring the perfect data center manager 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 presents data center manager salaries for various positions.

   Type of Data Center Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Data Center Manager	Computer and information systems managers, often called information technology (IT) managers or IT project managers, plan, coordinate, and direct computer-related activities in an organization. They help determine the information technology goals of an organization and are responsible for implementing computer systems to meet those goals.	$42-93
   Information Technology Director	An information technology (IT) Director is a professional responsible for the management, strategy, and execution of an organization's IT infrastructure. He/She supervises a team of workers while working with the organization's management and external vendors and advisors... Show more	$46-94
   Manager, Systems Engineering	A systems engineering manager is responsible for monitoring the efficiency of the company's technology systems and network infrastructure. System engineering managers inspect the output deliverables of computer systems, identifying process improvement techniques to improve optimal performance and maintain high-quality results... Show more	$46-84

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • Data Centers
   • Cloud
   • Client Facing
   • HVAC
   • Customer Service
   • Slas
   • Infrastructure Management
   • Linux
   • Structured Cabling
   • Network Infrastructure
   • SAN
   • Develop Team
   • Disaster Recovery

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and monitor various Microsoft and Linux servers.
   • Utilize Visio to properly configure equipment in racks and to manage proper inventory control.
   • Manage team that install all program changes and upgrades while nightly batch processing run.
   • Manage the design and implementation of virtualization, network, storage and server infrastructure landscapes.
   • Lead team's SOX audits in the management of policies and procedures for governance and compliance.
   • Manage daily package builds, data refresh request as well as CNC administration including user provisioning and security workbench.

   More data center manager duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, data center managers' average salary in wyoming is 37% less than in massachusetts.
   • Seniority. Entry-level data center managers earn 54% less than senior-level data center managers.
   • Certifications. A data center manager 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 data center manager's salary.

   Average data center manager salary

   $132,102yearly

   $63.51 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level data center manager salary

   $89,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average data center manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$153,068	$74
   2	Connecticut	$149,666	$72
   3	New York	$148,173	$71
   4	California	$144,183	$69
   5	Nevada	$143,878	$69
   6	Illinois	$141,269	$68
   7	Michigan	$140,088	$67
   8	Washington	$139,210	$67
   9	Ohio	$135,928	$65
   10	North Carolina	$133,687	$64
   11	Alabama	$133,018	$64
   12	Arizona	$130,141	$63
   13	South Carolina	$129,116	$62
   14	New Hampshire	$128,901	$62
   15	Pennsylvania	$127,490	$61
   16	Maryland	$125,780	$60
   17	Alaska	$125,468	$60
   18	Georgia	$123,557	$59
   19	District of Columbia	$119,638	$58
   20	Virginia	$118,810	$57

   Average data center manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apple	$167,533	$80.54	99
   2	Meta	$166,810	$80.20	491
   3	NVIDIA	$161,634	$77.71	23
   4	Google	$161,475	$77.63	346
   5	Two Sigma	$155,957	$74.98
   6	Stanford Health Care	$155,750	$74.88	25
   7	Xilinx	$152,850	$73.49
   8	Chewy	$144,285	$69.37	2
   9	Amd	$143,338	$68.91	12
   10	Yoh	$142,861	$68.68	1
   11	Citi	$142,385	$68.45	24
   12	CrowdStrike	$141,340	$67.95	2
   13	General Motors	$140,898	$67.74	28
   14	Microsoft	$139,158	$66.90	187
   15	Bristol-Myers Squibb	$138,777	$66.72	51
   16	Arista Networks	$138,669	$66.67
   17	Amazon	$137,909	$66.30	829
   18	Arup	$136,738	$65.74	4
   19	NTT Data International L.L.C.	$132,836	$63.86	78
   20	Veeva Systems	$132,604	$63.75	33

4. Writing a data center manager job description

   A data center manager 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 data center manager job description:

   Data center manager job description example

   LaSalle Network is partnered with an expert technology adviser and managed service provider. We are helping them find a
   Data Center Project Manager to join their team. This is a 6-12 month contract opportunity and will be fully remote.
   
   Data Center Project Manager Responsibilities:
   Plan and coordinate all aspects of technical projects from initiation through delivery Manage delivery schedule to customer Ensure service delivery success and customer satisfaction through effective project management Lead projects and provide overall strategy/direction for successful delivery of data and infrastructure projects Responsible for execution and implementation projects, managing risk and effective management of resources Work well with regional/global stakeholders to maps out lists, consult on stakeholder requirements and pro-actively manage stakeholders needs with feedback to determine escalation level Track costs to plan and manage changes to plans Work with clients to define estate (date center, network, storage, etc.) Define migration plans
   
   Data Center Project Manager Requirements:
   Experience with multiple data center migrations Experience dealing with network migration Experience leading these migrations from beginning to end
   
   If you have the experience listed above, possess a great attitude and are looking for an opportunity with a stable and established employer, this is the role for you! If you are interested in learning more, please apply today!
   
   Thank you,
   
   Riley Tear
   
   Technology Services
   
   LaSalle Network
   
   Keywords and Related Terms: Data center , Project Manager , Migration #LI-CTTS
   
   LaSalle Network is an Equal Opportunity Employer m/f/d/v.
   
   LaSalle Network is the leading provider of professional staffing and recruiting services. LaSalle has worked with more than 10,000 companies, ranging from Fortune 500s to start ups. With units specializing in accounting and finance, administrative, marketing, executive search, technology, supply chain, healthcare revenue cycle, call center, and human resources, LaSalle serves companies of all sizes and across all industries.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find data center managers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any data center managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level data center managers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your data center manager job on Zippia to find and recruit data center manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting data center managers 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. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 data center manager

   Once you've decided on a perfect data center manager 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 data center manager. 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 data center manager?