How to hire an information assurance engineer

How to hire an information assurance engineer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step information assurance 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 information assurance engineer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new information assurance engineer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an information assurance engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an information assurance engineer, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

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

   Type of Information Assurance Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Information Assurance Engineer	Information security analysts plan and carry out security measures to protect an organization’s computer networks and systems. Their responsibilities are continually expanding as the number of cyberattacks increases.	$32-56
   Security Administrator	A security administrator is in charge of establishing and enforcing security measures over a company's information systems and networks. Their duties typically revolve around installing and maintaining security networks, analyzing existing systems to identify areas needing improvement, conducting regular maintenance checks and upgrades to optimize services and functions, and monitoring overall systems for any suspicious activities or breaches... Show more	$25-55
   Cyber Security Analyst	A cybersecurity analyst is responsible for planning and carrying out security measures to protect a company's computer networks and systems. They constantly keep tabs on threats and monitor their organization's networks for any security breaches... Show more	$31-56

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • RMF
   • DOD
   • IAM
   • Windows
   • ACAS
   • Assurance Support
   • Linux
   • Risk Assessments
   • Security Engineering
   • Vulnerability Assessments
   • Security Posture
   • Network Security
   • Computer System
   • ICD

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Install, configure, and managing ACAS deployments to assess the current vulnerabilities and security posture for classify networks.
   • Implement a manage endpoint encryption solution utilizing TrendMicro MobileArmor to secure university workstations against sensitive data loss.
   • Review system security plans, risk assessments, and compliance with NIST minimal security controls.
   • Assess network against NIST SP 800-53 rev3 security controls.
   • Review of PowerBroker root user logs on SOX UNIX systems.
   • Automate regression scenarios and update existing regression suite (QTP).

   More information assurance engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the information assurance engineer job description is a good way to get more applicants. An information assurance engineer salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an information assurance engineer in Missouri may be lower than in Oregon, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level information assurance engineer. Additionally, an information assurance engineer with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average information assurance engineer salary

   $89,291yearly

   $42.93 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level information assurance engineer salary

   $67,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 22, 2025

   Average information assurance engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$107,489	$52
   2	Massachusetts	$89,951	$43
   3	Texas	$86,844	$42
   4	Hawaii	$85,536	$41
   5	Pennsylvania	$83,575	$40
   6	District of Columbia	$83,516	$40
   7	Colorado	$81,746	$39
   8	New Mexico	$79,843	$38
   9	Ohio	$79,733	$38
   10	Maryland	$78,895	$38
   11	Georgia	$77,839	$37
   12	Illinois	$77,779	$37
   13	Virginia	$76,360	$37
   14	Florida	$75,331	$36
   15	Kansas	$73,080	$35
   16	Utah	$73,061	$35

   Average information assurance engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Parsons	$117,061	$56.28	50
   2	Open Systems Technologies	$110,357	$53.06
   3	AT&T	$105,564	$50.75	33
   4	Technip USA Corporation	$98,777	$47.49
   5	BDO USA	$97,575	$46.91	104
   6	Verizon Data Services Inc	$95,071	$45.71
   7	Enterprise Information Services	$94,703	$45.53
   8	Verizon Communications	$94,314	$45.34
   9	Booz Allen Hamilton	$94,305	$45.34	113
   10	The Computer Merchant	$93,633	$45.02
   11	Saalex Solutions	$92,107	$44.28	4
   12	Trace Systems	$92,042	$44.25
   13	Thales	$91,618	$44.05
   14	Viasat	$91,078	$43.79	2
   15	ABBTECH	$90,929	$43.72	4
   16	SRI Tech Solutions	$90,351	$43.44	3
   17	ICF	$89,774	$43.16	20
   18	Kavaliro	$89,719	$43.13	14
   19	ISYS Technologies	$89,654	$43.10	1
   20	The Aerospace Corporation	$89,599	$43.08	6

4. Writing an information assurance engineer job description

   A job description for an information assurance engineer 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 an information assurance engineer job description:

   Information assurance engineer job description example

   Responsibilities

   OBXtek is currently staffing for an Information Assurance Security Specialist (IASS) - The IASS would be responsible for Assessment and Authorization (A&A) activities for Consular Affairs (CA) information systems for both domestic and oversea deployed systems. CA is currently working on Modernizing legacy applications so there is also a growing need for providing A&A support for Cloud systems (IAAS, SAAS, and PAAS). The IASS would ensure A&A packages are submitted to IRM/CO CR prior to the system's Authorization to Operate (ATO) expiration date. To ensure this happens, the IASS would need to develop (if a new system), update, and maintain (but not limited to) the following security documentation: Security Categorization Form (SCF), Digital Identity Risk Assessment (DIRA), and the System Security Plan. They will also support the Contingency Plan (CP) SME and Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) SME in development (if a new system), updating, and maintaining the Information System Contingency Plan (ISCP) and the Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) respectively. This candidate would need experience with Microsoft Project, Office365, Xacta / ArchAngel, SharePoint, RMF 1-3 processes, and Agile processes.

   Qualifications

   CLEARANCE: Secret

   SKILLS: Experience with Microsoft Project, Office365, Xacta / ArchAngel, SharePoint, RMF 1-3 processes

   EDUCATION: Bachelors Degree in a related field

   Experience: 3-5 years

   CERTIFICATIONS: Security+

   Security Clearance Secret Company Information

   COVID Policy: Prospective and/or new employees will be required to adhere with OBXtek's vaccination policy. Full vaccination will be required and verified before the start of employment unless an accommodation request is approved. Employees working onsite at a customer location must comply with customer vaccination requirements which may include any or all the following: social distancing, masks, mandatory statements regarding one's vaccination status and mandatory testing .

   Headquartered in McLean, Virginia and founded in 2009, OBXtek is a fast-growing leader in the government contracting field. Our mission is Our People…Our Reputation. Our people are trained professionals who enhance our customers' knowledge and innovation using technology, collaboration, and education.

   We offer a robust suite of benefits including comprehensive medical, dental and vision plans, Flexible Spending Accounts, matching 401K, paid time off, tuition reimbursement plans and much more.

   As a prime contractor for 93% of our current work, OBXtek pairs lessons learned across disciplines with industry standard quality practices such as CMMI-Dev Level III, ITIL, 6Sigma, PMI, and ISO. Our rapid growth has been recognized by INC500, the Washington Business Journal, and Washington Technology magazine.

   OBXtek is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, gender identity, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation or any other classification protected by federal, state or local law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find information assurance engineers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your information assurance engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit information assurance 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

   During your first interview to recruit information assurance engineers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   Sometimes, it's not enough to interview information assurance 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 information assurance engineer

   Once you've found the information assurance engineer 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 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 information assurance engineer 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 information assurance engineer?