How to hire a network architect

How to hire a network architect, step by step

Here's a step-by-step network architect hiring guide:

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

What does a network architect do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a network architect, 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a network architect 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 a network architect that fits the bill.

   This list presents network architect salaries for various positions.

   Type of Network Architect	Description	Hourly rate
   Network Architect	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.	$36-70
   Administrator	Administrators are administrative professionals who oversee the whole office or department. They manage office activities and supervise administrative functions in the office... Show more	$22-54
   Systems Administrator	Systems administrators are employees who oversee information technology infrastructures in the office. They are skilled information technology professionals who are knowledgeable about the company's network systems and other technology-related infrastructures... Show more	$28-48

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Architecture
   • BGP
   • Network Infrastructure
   • Firewall
   • Switches
   • Emerging Technologies
   • OSPF
   • Lan Wan
   • MPLS
   • Routers
   • Network Design
   • Azure
   • Network Security
   • EIGRP

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Design, manage and troubleshoot EIGRP and BGP routing environment.
   • Manage Linux base systems in private cloud with emphasis on LinuxHA, and security.
   • Manage and maintain servers running various flavors of Linux including RHEL, CentOS, and Ubuntu.
   • Design the OU hierarchy, manage DNS naming schemes, and create forests' for efficient domain management.
   • Manage several projects including a 300 person PC move complete over one weekend with a staff of five persons.
   • Excele at managing major network-wide upgrades; improve speed and predictability of multicast and order-routing data.

   More network architect duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, network architects' average salary in florida is 40% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level network architects 49% less than senior-level network architects.
   • Certifications. A network architect 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 a network architect's salary.

   Average network architect salary

   $105,375yearly

   $50.66 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level network architect salary

   $75,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 19, 2026

   Average network architect salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$137,249	$66
   2	Massachusetts	$115,884	$56
   3	Washington	$112,006	$54
   4	New York	$102,714	$49
   5	Pennsylvania	$101,814	$49
   6	District of Columbia	$99,737	$48
   7	New Jersey	$99,386	$48
   8	Virginia	$99,319	$48
   9	Arizona	$98,249	$47
   10	Texas	$97,369	$47
   11	Nebraska	$93,633	$45
   12	Connecticut	$92,271	$44
   13	Michigan	$92,239	$44
   14	Illinois	$90,201	$43
   15	North Carolina	$89,462	$43
   16	Colorado	$88,510	$43
   17	Georgia	$87,957	$42
   18	Missouri	$87,271	$42
   19	Indiana	$80,158	$39
   20	Florida	$76,678	$37

   Average network architect salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Anaplan	$168,976	$81.24	9
   2	Apple	$155,581	$74.80	105
   3	RapidSOS	$147,183	$70.76	1
   4	Microsoft	$146,952	$70.65	129
   5	BP America Inc	$145,692	$70.04
   6	Bill.com	$144,701	$69.57	3
   7	MySpace NYC	$142,186	$68.36
   8	BNY Mellon	$139,404	$67.02	16
   9	Amazon	$139,089	$66.87	511
   10	Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group	$139,075	$66.86
   11	Cisco	$137,363	$66.04	90
   12	Koch Industries	$137,304	$66.01	1
   13	Riverbed Holdings, Inc.	$135,432	$65.11	1
   14	Continental Resources	$134,969	$64.89
   15	MUFG EMEA	$134,632	$64.73
   16	Invesco	$132,969	$63.93	6
   17	Brookhaven National Laboratory	$132,206	$63.56
   18	Corning Incorporated	$130,008	$62.50	13
   19	Citrix	$129,390	$62.21
   20	Dickstein Shapiro	$127,767	$61.43

4. Writing a network architect job description

   A network architect 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 network architect job description:

   Network architect job description example

   As the largest state university in the United States and Most Innovative University 8 years running, as rated by US News and World Report, Arizona State University is committed to maintaining the most dynamic and productive learning experience in all of higher education. ASU's Enterprise Technology (ET) is at the forefront of developing IT platforms and tools that add value to the student experience and drive our innovation initiative. As part of ET's new, growing SDN/Network Engineering team, the Senior Network Engineer will enable a next-generation network infrastructure that will support Student Success Initiatives, Universal Learners, Smart Campus and many more.
   
   You will be responsible for designing and deploying an automated, scalable, resilient network infrastructure for our Campus, Research, Core and WAN environments. This new infrastructure will not only serve to provide increased bandwidth and throughput, but will also transform the way we deploy and manage the infrastructure by leveraging Infrastructure-as-Code methodologies.
   
   Incorporated with this opportunity, ET offers a diverse, fast-paced, energetic, technically rich environment with many opportunities for advancement. ASU encourages autonomy, creativity, and care, so a successful candidate will exemplify a self-starting, self-motivated work ethic that puts a focus on both being empowered and empowering others to succeed. We are looking for not just technical talent & experience, but people who operate and interact in a way that is consistent with our culture; at ASU ET, we believe in deep trust in our teams, self-starting and a flattened structure that emboldens contribution.
   
   As with everyone in the Enterprise Technology (ET) family, our intentional focus on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging as well as culture and communications are core responsibilities in this role. With an increased emphasis on authenticity, compassion, and inclusivity, this position strives to embody and advance our ET Positive Core.
   
   ASU offers a total compensation package that includes valuable employee benefits. Click here to explore options.
   Minimum Qualifications
   
   Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Information Systems, or related field AND five years' of related experience, which includes three years of supervisory experience; OR, Any equivalent combination of experience and/or education from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right network architect 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 network architect job on Zippia to find and recruit network architect 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

   Your first interview with network architect candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   If your interviews with network architect 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 network architect

   Once you've selected the best network architect candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the 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 network architect. 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 network architect?