How to hire a network associate

How to hire a network associate, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your network associate job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a network associate for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   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 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of network associates and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Network Associate	Description	Hourly rate
   Network Associate	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.	$21-49
   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:

   • Troubleshoot
   • Switches
   • Network Devices
   • Technical Support
   • Lan
   • OSPF
   • Windows Server
   • Series Routers
   • BGP
   • Trouble Tickets
   • Network Issues
   • EIGRP
   • Network Problems
   • Network Equipment

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage site to site as well as remote access VPN solutions.
   • Manage remote host through by accessing it through VPN to manage the network remotely.
   • Create locally manage and centrally manage gateways on checkpoint firewall.
   • Work with network technologies: WAN/LAN, TCP/IP, VLAN, VTP, HSRP and NAT.
   • Work on different networking concept and routing protocols like BGP, EIGRP, OSPF and other technologies.
   • Experience in routing protocols like OSPF, BGP, and standby protocols like HSRP and VRRP application in the routers0.

   More network associate duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the network associate job description is a good way to get more applicants. A network associate 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 a network associate in Montana may be lower than in Oregon, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level network associate. Additionally, a network associate with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average network associate salary

   $67,481yearly

   $32.44 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level network associate salary

   $44,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average network associate salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$95,834	$46
   2	Texas	$81,984	$39
   3	New York	$75,904	$36
   4	Virginia	$75,719	$36
   5	Tennessee	$75,362	$36
   6	Connecticut	$74,153	$36
   7	Rhode Island	$72,032	$35
   8	Georgia	$71,311	$34
   9	Massachusetts	$69,722	$34
   10	Ohio	$67,446	$32
   11	Iowa	$67,323	$32
   12	South Carolina	$67,095	$32
   13	Michigan	$65,845	$32
   14	Illinois	$59,717	$29

   Average network associate salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	J.P. Morgan	$91,339	$43.91
   2	Gilead Sciences	$87,200	$41.92
   3	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$83,966	$40.37	6
   4	Pwc	$82,770	$39.79	48
   5	NTT Data International L.L.C.	$76,653	$36.85	74
   6	First Book	$76,270	$36.67
   7	HCSC	$76,091	$36.58	5
   8	DFS Corporate Services LLC	$73,877	$35.52
   9	CorVel	$70,171	$33.74	2
   10	Samsung Electronics Device Solutions (Semiconductor & Display)	$68,686	$33.02	4
   11	Blue Cross & Blue Shield	$66,321	$31.89	1
   12	Susquehanna International Group	$66,130	$31.79	3
   13	PGA Tour Holdings Inc	$65,939	$31.70
   14	Episource	$64,656	$31.08
   15	Microland Electronics	$63,782	$30.66
   16	Cigna	$63,603	$30.58	1
   17	Carousel Industries	$60,133	$28.91
   18	Safelite AutoGlass	$56,893	$27.35	1
   19	UnitedHealth Group	$55,193	$26.54	15
   20	Children's Home & Aid	$54,592	$26.25

4. Writing a network associate job description

   A job description for a network associate 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 job description:

   Network associate job description example

   Network Associate
   Location(s): Downtown Washington DC-Must be Vaccinated
   Timeframe: Immediate
   Will be on site at Client's Client 5 days a week
   
   About the role: Network Associates at our Client's customers act as an integral role to their success and are at the true core of our service offerings. You will get the opportunity to provide face to face support to clients and work on a large variety of technical issues, which will keep you on your toes and expose you to learning the latest and greatest technologies all day every day.
   
   What You'll Do:
   
   Take ownership of our Client's customer incidents by providing onsite, telephone, and email support to our Client's clients.
   Troubleshoot and resolve various technical issues related to computer hardware and software problems.
   Configure and troubleshoot issues related to the following technologies (and many more): Windows Server, DNS, DHCP, VPN Clients, Group Policy, Folder Permissions, Firewalls, VMWare servers, Printers on Terminal/Citrix servers, Printer Servers, Office 365, Mac's, workstation and network connectivity issues, Exchange Server, and Microsoft Office Applications.
   Collaborate with a great team to identify solutions to our Client's customer support requests and escalate to more senior team members or external resources as needed.
   Learn a ton, be faced with new challenges every day, and gain exposure to cutting-edge technologies while working with VIP/C-Level executives.
   
   What Skills & Experience You'll Need:
   
   A few years of related experience, ideally working face to face with external clients in the Managed Services or IT Services industry.
   Strong technical aptitude and hands-on experience with the following technologies: Windows Server, Exchange Server, Active Directory, Firewalls, DNS, DHCP, VMWare, Office 365, Microsoft Office Application and Microsoft Office. It would also be helpful to have Citrix, Macs, and Small Business Server experience.
   Stellar communication and the ability to speak clearly and explain just about anything to anyone over the phone and/or in writing.
   A true passion and drive for creating an unmatched customer service experience.
   The ability to deliver excellence independently and as a team and excel in a fast-paced environment.
   A strong desire to learn and focus to ensure we are helping our clients win with IT.
   The availability to work flexible hours and onsite at customer locations.
   A Bachelor's Degree in a related field.
   Industry certifications such as A+, Network+, MTA, MCSA, CCENT

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right network associate 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 associate job on Zippia to find and recruit network associate candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit network associates, 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 to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   Sometimes, it's not enough to interview network associate 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 network associate

   Once you've selected the best network associate 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 also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new network associate. 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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