How to hire an ms sql developer

How to hire an ms sql developer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step ms sql developer hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The ms sql developer 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an ms sql developer to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an ms sql developer that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of ms sql developer salaries for various roles:

   Type of MS SQL Developer	Description	Hourly rate
   MS SQL Developer	Software developers are the creative minds behind computer programs. Some develop the applications that allow people to do specific tasks on a computer or another device... Show more	$36-58
   Database Developer/Database Administrator	A database developer/database administrator specializes in designing and developing database programs and systems, maintaining and updating them regularly. They are in charge of understanding project needs and guidelines, establishing and implementing test systems to identify potential risks and issues, fixing and upgrading components, and storing data according to protocols... Show more	$29-58
   Business Intelligence Developer	A business intelligence developer is primarily responsible for organizing and developing systems that will inform the company of essential data and solutions as a basis for decision-making. They are also responsible for coordinating with stakeholders and other high-ranking personnel to determine specific goals, develop models, conduct research and analysis, and gather data through various processes, ensuring accuracy and productivity... Show more	$33-58

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Database Objects
   • SSRS
   • Ssis Packages
   • SQL Server Analysis
   • T-SQL
   • ETL
   • Windows Server
   • Data Warehouse
   • SSAS
   • XML
   • Drill-Down
   • HTML
   • Management Studio
   • SharePoint

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Design dynamic DTS packages to transfer data between servers, load data into database and achieve data file from different DBMS.
   • Create reports using SSRS from OLTP and OLAP data sources and deploy on report server.
   • Create reports from OLAP, sub reports, bar charts and matrix reports using SSRS.
   • Used ProClarity for accessing and analyzing cubes and dimensions, and also work on integration of SharePoint with SSRS.
   • Extract, clean, and validate data from XML file into database using XML source.
   • Post HTML files to server and update database and return the response back to ASP.NET.

   More ms sql developer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your ms sql developer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An ms sql developer 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 an ms sql developer in Illinois may be lower than in Oregon, and an entry-level ms sql developer usually earns less than a senior-level ms sql developer. Additionally, an ms sql developer 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 ms sql developer salary

   $96,570yearly

   $46.43 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level ms sql developer salary

   $76,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

   Average ms sql developer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$121,334	$58
   2	New York	$113,243	$54
   3	District of Columbia	$104,919	$50
   4	Massachusetts	$101,592	$49
   5	Florida	$100,199	$48
   6	Texas	$96,647	$46
   7	Maryland	$95,599	$46
   8	Virginia	$95,432	$46
   9	New Jersey	$92,923	$45
   10	South Carolina	$91,523	$44
   11	North Carolina	$91,310	$44
   12	Arizona	$90,846	$44
   13	Colorado	$87,934	$42
   14	Michigan	$85,440	$41
   15	Minnesota	$83,898	$40
   16	Ohio	$83,823	$40
   17	Iowa	$83,268	$40
   18	Missouri	$83,127	$40
   19	Alabama	$82,915	$40
   20	Georgia	$81,976	$39

   Average ms sql developer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Chewy	$125,938	$60.55	2
   2	Benefit Cosmetics	$113,329	$54.49
   3	CyberCoders	$109,757	$52.77
   4	Ashley HomeStore	$106,537	$51.22	3
   5	Randstad North America, Inc.	$105,984	$50.95	52
   6	Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings	$103,302	$49.66	2
   7	Q.E.D. Systems	$101,339	$48.72	4
   8	DIVERSANT	$100,930	$48.52
   9	Robert Half	$98,987	$47.59	96
   10	Direct Transport Services	$98,538	$47.37
   11	Datrose	$97,473	$46.86
   12	CAI	$96,869	$46.57	103
   13	Integration Innovation	$94,595	$45.48	7
   14	Contract Professionals	$94,294	$45.33
   15	Public Consulting Group	$93,868	$45.13	4
   16	Conduent	$92,950	$44.69	4
   17	Sapiens	$92,948	$44.69
   18	Amerit Fleet Solutions	$92,911	$44.67	1
   19	VLS Systems	$91,102	$43.80	1
   20	Solugenix	$90,362	$43.44	1

4. Writing an ms sql developer job description

   A job description for an ms sql developer 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 ms sql developer job description:

   Ms sql developer job description example

   The Challenge:
   
   We're looking for you, a MS PowerApps Developer who will use equal parts skill and vision to build an experience that delivers functionality and efficiency to our clients. We need a MS PowerApps Developer who will drive the design, development, and deployment of highly scalable, durable, and secure low code no code applications and services. This is an opportunity to work with development teams that apply advanced consulting skills and extensive technical expertise to solve problems and develop innovative solutions to complex problems with user centric design for Department of Defense clients. You'll develop front-end solutions, dashboards, and applications using the Microsoft Power Platform, out-of-the-box SharePoint features, workflow tools, or SharePoint Designer created applications. With mentoring, positive code reviews, and opportunities to learn new tools and skills, we focus on growing as a team to make the best solutions for our clients.
   
   You Have:
   
   * 2+ years of experience with configuration, deployment, and testing of web-based applications using the MS Power Platform
   
   * 2+ years of experience building integrations between MS Power Platform and external applications
   
   * 2+ years of experience working in Agile or DevOps environment
   
   * Ability to deliver frequent product deployments based on iterative, collaborative, and fast-paced development
   
   * Secret clearance
   
   * Bachelor's degree
   
   Nice If You Have:
   
   * Experience supporting DoD or Air Force organizations
   
   * Experience developing templates or scripts to automate developer or operations functions
   
   * Experience with business process analysis, user needs development and documentation, software development life cycle, and end user training and communications
   
   * Experience with creating user guides, operations manuals, and process maps, including swim-lane
   
   * Experience with creating test cases, test plans, and facilitating and executing acceptance testing based on needs
   
   * Experience in working with product owners, analysts, testers, and other developers to define user stories and acceptance criteria
   
   * Knowledge of Cloud, security, infrastructure, databases, and networking
   
   Clearance:
   
   Applicants selected will be subject to a security investigation and may need to meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information; Secret clearance is required.
   
   Build Your Career:
   
   A challenging and dynamic work environment isn't all we have to offer. When you join Booz Allen, you'll have access to:
   
   * Experts in virtually every field
   
   * A culture that focuses on supporting our employees
   
   * Opportunities that provide stability while offering variety
   
   You'll also be exposed to a wealth of training resources through our Digital University, an online learning portal featuring more than 5000 functional and technical courses, certifications, and books. Build your technical skills through hands-on training on the latest tools and tech from our in-house experts. Pursuing certifications that directly impact your role? You may be able to take advantage of our tuition assistance, on-site bootcamps, certification training, academic programs, vendor relationships, and a network of professionals who can give you helpful tips. We'll help you develop the career you want as you chart your own course for success.
   
   We're an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer that empowers our people to fearlessly drive change - no matter their race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, or related medical conditions), national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, veteran status, military or uniformed service member status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, local, or international law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right ms sql developer 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.

   To find ms sql developer candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting ms sql developers 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.

   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.

   If your interviews with ms sql developer 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 ms sql developer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the ms sql developer 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 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 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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