How to hire a network associate engineer

How to hire a network associate engineer, step by step

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

Post a network associate engineer job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The network associate 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

   Hiring the perfect network associate engineer 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 network associate engineer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Network Associate Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Network Associate 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.	$25-40
   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:

   • Switches
   • Lan Wan
   • Linux
   • Troubleshoot
   • Network Infrastructure
   • Technical Support
   • Lan
   • Network Devices
   • OSPF
   • Windows Server
   • Juniper
   • Network Performance
   • Network Issues
   • VPN

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage all domain registrations, SSL certificate management.
   • Create route-maps to redistribute static routes into EIGRP.
   • Work on troubleshooting of DNS, DHCP and other IP conflict problems.
   • Establish connectivity between remote sites and troubleshoot network problems.
   • Configure and support TCP/IP networks.
   • Install a VOIP phone system for customers.

   More network associate engineer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, network associate engineers' average salary in montana is 29% less than in rhode island.
   • Seniority. Entry-level network associate engineers 36% less than senior-level network associate engineers.
   • Certifications. A network associate 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 a network associate engineer's salary.

   Average network associate engineer salary

   $67,746yearly

   $32.57 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level network associate engineer salary

   $54,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average network associate engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$81,665	$39
   2	New York	$76,553	$37
   3	Washington	$73,491	$35
   4	Arizona	$72,056	$35
   5	Nevada	$71,670	$34
   6	Maryland	$69,973	$34
   7	Wisconsin	$69,249	$33
   8	Pennsylvania	$69,221	$33
   9	Illinois	$68,630	$33
   10	Florida	$68,343	$33
   11	Virginia	$68,102	$33
   12	Massachusetts	$66,689	$32
   13	North Carolina	$66,037	$32
   14	Missouri	$65,317	$31
   15	Texas	$65,151	$31
   16	Michigan	$62,723	$30
   17	Colorado	$62,171	$30
   18	Georgia	$61,749	$30
   19	District of Columbia	$59,966	$29
   20	Tennessee	$59,950	$29

   Average network associate engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Google	$115,157	$55.36	122
   2	Citrix	$94,605	$45.48
   3	Yahoo	$92,616	$44.53
   4	Dell	$86,117	$41.40
   5	World Wide Technology	$75,875	$36.48	6
   6	Bridgewater Associates	$75,575	$36.33	1
   7	CableLabs	$73,719	$35.44	1
   8	The MIL Corporation	$71,953	$34.59	3
   9	Susquehanna International Group	$69,415	$33.37	10
   10	Logan Health	$69,291	$33.31
   11	Iron Mountain	$69,289	$33.31	18
   12	Conn's	$68,974	$33.16
   13	Swift Denim Services Inc	$68,843	$33.10	1
   14	DrFirst.com, Inc.	$68,825	$33.09
   15	Captrust Corp	$68,823	$33.09
   16	Lotame	$68,819	$33.09
   17	CoStar Group	$68,772	$33.06	6
   18	MobileNet Services	$68,724	$33.04
   19	SnapAV	$68,614	$32.99
   20	Glow Networks	$68,573	$32.97

4. Writing a network associate engineer job description

   A job description for a network associate 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 a network associate engineer job description:

   Network associate engineer job description example

   The Associate Network Engineer (VOIP) is an entry level position working for Steward's telecom department. The Associate Network Engineer (VoIP) will be responsible for managing 2nd level Help Desk tickets to resolve end user issues related to the UC environment. This positon will also be responsible for assisting in maintaining the Steward Cisco IP Telephony infrastructure. This includes analysis, and maintaining Unified Communications hardware and Unified Communications hardware configurations; supporting/troubleshooting network/system problems; coordinating with vendors for maintenance and installation of UC hardware and software, and device implementations.
   
   The Associate Network Engineer (VoIP will workwith other Network and Security Engineers, System Administrators, Systems Analysts, IS Help Desk staff, Technicians, Vendors, and Users relating to applications associated with a production-UC environment.
   KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
   2nd level support to provide User assistance through use of Footprints ticketing system. Assist with installing and maintaining Unified Communications hardware and UC server configurations; supporting/troubleshooting UC problems; coordinating with vendors for installation of UC hardware and software, and assisting with project implementations. Follows all Steward Standards and Protocols including escalation procedure, documenting and change management guidelines. Keeps abreast of vendor best practices, industry trends and changes in network software and hardware technologies to improve current service levels. Off hours' availability for emergencies and change windows is required. Performs regular on-call duties as scheduled.
   REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
   Basic understanding in network and telephony design, Layer 3 switching/routing, VoIP protocols, and QoS with focus on highly availability, security, resiliency, low latency, and business continuity. Basic experience in telecommunication and integration with Data/Telephony system from other vendors. Excellent troubleshooting skills and ability to take direction. Excellent teamwork skills. Knowledge of network and VoIP troubleshooting techniques. Knowledge of Survivable Remote Site Telephony (SRST) architecture and best practices. Ability to prioritize daily work-flow. Ability to communicate effectively to Steward personnel, including Management and IS staff, using written and oral formats. Ability to plan and be proactive in approach, must possess the ability to solve problems creatively. Ability to read, analyze, and interpret applicable technical documentation, system reports, software licenses and contracts. Travel between the various Steward Hospitals, in Massachusetts and across the country. All other duties as assigned.
   EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/LICENSURE/TECHNICAL/OTHER
   Education: 2-year college program certificate, or equivalent work experience Experience: 2 years' experience in a customer service focused environment, Healthcare IT preferred Certification/Licensure: None required;Preferred industry certifications include: CCNA, CCNP, CCIE or other Cisco certification. Software/Hardware: Experience with Cisco network and VOIP products is recommended.Proficiency in a scripting for UCCX is desirable.Experience with Unix (especially Linux) is desirable.
   
   The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant.However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal ability to furnish information. 41 CFR 630-1.35.
   
   This position is subject to the COVID-19 Vaccination Policy for Steward Health Care Workforce.Employees in this position will be required to provide adequate proof of vaccination for COVID-19 by an FDA-approved vaccine prior to starting work.Steward will consider requests for exemptions from this vaccine requirement on the basis of medical condition or sincerely held religious belief in accordance with applicable Federal laws.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find network associate 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 network associate engineer job on Zippia to find and attract quality network associate engineer candidates.
   • Use niche 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 associate engineer 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.

   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 network associate 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 network associate engineer

   Once you've decided on a perfect network associate engineer 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 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 associate engineer. 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a network associate engineer?