How to hire an escalation engineer

How to hire an escalation engineer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step escalation engineer hiring guide:

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

What does an escalation engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

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

   This list shows salaries for various types of escalation engineers.

   Type of Escalation Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Escalation Engineer	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.	$38-71
   Network Technician	A network technician is responsible for system malfunction diagnosis and troubleshooting operations. Network technicians duties' include repairing damaged system components, analyzing computer systems and blueprints, installing network connections, and upgrading accessories for efficient operations... Show more	$24-44
   Network/Server Administrator	A Network Administrator ensures an organizations' network is operational and up to date. They solve problems that arise within computer networks, maintaining computer networks, interacting with clients, and consulting with them to determine their system requirements... Show more	$27-51

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Cloud
   • Azure
   • Linux
   • Java
   • Troubleshoot
   • Analyze Problems
   • Customer Support
   • PowerShell
   • Technical Issues
   • Debugging
   • DNS
   • Infrastructure
   • OS
   • Microsoft Teams

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Create Powershell and PowerCli scripts to automate tasks for maintaining and troubleshooting the ESXi hosts.
   • Manage VDI environment, configure XD (pervasive desktop) vs XA (non-pervasive laptop) environments.
   • Maintain, monitor, manage and right size the VM environment using industry virtualization tools on a daily basis.
   • Deploy DDC and provisioning services, as well as deployed VDI.
   • Maintain department's FTP site.
   • Reset user roaming profiles on windows 2008 R2.

   More escalation engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your escalation engineer job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An escalation engineer can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, escalation engineers' average salary in north dakota is 32% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level escalation engineers 46% less than senior-level escalation engineers.
   • Certifications. An escalation engineer with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an escalation engineer's salary.

   Average escalation engineer salary

   $109,368yearly

   $52.58 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level escalation engineer salary

   $80,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average escalation engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$124,736	$60
   2	Washington	$121,395	$58
   3	Utah	$103,039	$50
   4	Pennsylvania	$100,536	$48
   5	Texas	$98,946	$48
   6	Georgia	$98,634	$47
   7	New York	$97,531	$47
   8	North Carolina	$95,174	$46
   9	Arizona	$93,170	$45
   10	District of Columbia	$91,635	$44
   11	Florida	$90,996	$44
   12	Massachusetts	$90,150	$43
   13	Virginia	$90,099	$43
   14	Maryland	$89,820	$43
   15	Colorado	$89,607	$43
   16	Illinois	$84,991	$41
   17	Indiana	$84,885	$41
   18	Minnesota	$84,203	$40
   19	Michigan	$82,651	$40
   20	North Dakota	$81,754	$39

   Average escalation engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$136,801	$65.77	413
   2	Palo Alto Networks	$128,052	$61.56	29
   3	Okta	$124,614	$59.91	5
   4	J. Morrissey & Company	$124,045	$59.64
   5	Pure Storage	$120,823	$58.09	2
   6	Hitachi U.S.A.	$120,597	$57.98	5
   7	Cisco	$120,096	$57.74	228
   8	NetApp	$116,070	$55.80	7
   9	Amazon	$115,992	$55.77	343
   10	Zscaler	$115,403	$55.48	1
   11	Motion Recruitment	$113,350	$54.50	7
   12	Fortinet	$112,566	$54.12	5
   13	ServiceNow	$110,621	$53.18	7
   14	Revenera	$108,658	$52.24
   15	CyberCoders	$108,467	$52.15
   16	Microsoft	$108,173	$52.01	48
   17	Citrix	$108,094	$51.97
   18	Hewlett Packard Enterprise	$107,572	$51.72	28
   19	OTIS POLSKA	$107,368	$51.62
   20	Nutanix	$107,322	$51.60	7

4. Writing an escalation engineer job description

   A good escalation engineer 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 escalation engineer job description:

   Escalation engineer job description example

   USD70,000-USD75,000
   
   * Serve as escalation point for tickets requiring extensive analysis, troubleshooting, and escalation for resolution
   
   * Identify, propose, and enforce escalation process improvements
   
   * Provide warm, knowledgeable customer support and service for applications, desktops, servers, and network devices.
   
   * Diagnose and troubleshoot problems, advising on appropriate actions, and resolving issues.
   
   * Handle service tickets for technical assistance via phone and email.
   
   * Follow, update, and maintain TNB Help Desk procedures and contribute to the knowledge bank.
   
   * Respond to incoming cases of client services department as backup during peak times
   
   * Participate in on-call rotation for nights and weekends (approximately once every 6 weeks)
   
   _MPI does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, or based on an individual's status in any group or class protected by applicable federal, state or local law. MPI encourages applications from minorities, women, the disabled, protected veterans and all other qualified applicants._
   
   * 2+ years of experience as Tier III support professional acting as the escalation point; previous experience working at an MSP is a plus
   
   * Direct experience as a good problem solver, willing to research via Google, CRM, Knowledge Base, and other resources to solve common and uncommon break-fix issues
   
   * In-depth knowledge of Windows 10 End-Point Administration
   
   * Extensive experience with Windows Server 2012 - 2019
   
   * Demonstrated ability to manage network devices and familiarity with server roles (including Active Directory)
   
   * Knowledge of PowerShell and administration of Windows 10 and Microsoft 365 environments
   
   * Advanced PC/desktop expertise
   
   * Experience with ConnectWise and/or Kaseya is a plus
   
   * Aptitude for balancing technical proficiencies with customer service skills to de-escalate a situation
   
   * Industry certifications such as Network+, MCSA, MCSE, or an Associate's degree, and/or Bachelor's degree a plus
   
   Our client is a 27 year old professional services company with the focus to serve technology needs of their clients in the Greater Boston area. They work with nonprofit organizations and mission-driven corporations.
   
   + Competitive base salary
   
   + Annual bonus
   
   + Benefits

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find escalation engineers 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 escalation engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level escalation engineers 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 escalation engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit escalation engineer 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

   To successfully recruit escalation engineers, 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. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   If your interviews with escalation engineer 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 escalation engineer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the escalation engineer position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the 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.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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 an escalation engineer?