How to hire a network implementation engineer

How to hire a network implementation engineer, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The network implementation 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

   A network implementation engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, network implementation 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.

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

   Type of Network Implementation Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Network Implementation 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.	$32-56
   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:

   • Cisco Ios
   • Switches
   • Network Infrastructure
   • Routers
   • BGP
   • OSPF
   • Firewall
   • MPLS
   • F5
   • Juniper
   • Network Operations
   • IOS
   • TCP/IP
   • Lan

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage VPN requests for existing and new customers ensuring timely delivery of hardware.
   • Manage multiple, simultaneous customer projects of varying complexities while minimizing network impact during change/maintenance windows.
   • Lead escalation point for troubleshooting BGP, OSPF, EIGRP and routing issues.
   • Deploy and configure Man/Core/Distribution/Access routers and switches during new network build outs and refresh projects for NY metro hub locations.
   • Perform IOS code upgrades as required.
   • Tailor OSPF metrics to prevent asymmetric routing.

   More network implementation engineer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average network implementation engineer salary

   $90,320yearly

   $43.42 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level network implementation engineer salary

   $68,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 19, 2026

   Average network implementation engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$120,408	$58
   2	Washington	$112,447	$54
   3	New York	$104,823	$50
   4	Minnesota	$98,089	$47
   5	Utah	$91,378	$44
   6	Texas	$90,876	$44
   7	Oregon	$90,578	$44
   8	Arizona	$88,114	$42
   9	North Carolina	$87,976	$42
   10	Iowa	$80,112	$39
   11	Colorado	$79,403	$38
   12	Missouri	$79,092	$38
   13	Arkansas	$78,770	$38
   14	Kansas	$76,706	$37
   15	North Dakota	$75,493	$36
   16	Montana	$75,346	$36
   17	Florida	$71,774	$35

   Average network implementation engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Google	$117,935	$56.70	82
   2	Thomson Reuters	$105,753	$50.84	2
   3	Oxford Solutions	$100,713	$48.42
   4	Prospance	$87,511	$42.07
   5	CenturyLink	$87,466	$42.05	3
   6	Transaction Network Services	$82,953	$39.88
   7	Spectrum	$80,619	$38.76

4. Writing a network implementation engineer job description

   A good network implementation engineer job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a network implementation engineer job description:

   Network implementation engineer job description example

   You'll Bring These Qualifications:
   •Requires B.S. Degree and 8-12 years of prior relevant experience or Masters with 6 10 years of prior relevant experience (Degree in relevant field preferred with 10+ years of overall related experience).
   -Relevant experience may be considered in lieu of Bachelor's degree (4 additional years of experience may be substituted for a bachelor's degree at the hiring Manager's discretion).
   •8+ years' SMIT/NMCI program support as a Base Network Engineer.
   •Ability to travel up to 80-90%, by car or air including possible OCONUS travel.
   •Must currently possess an active Secret clearance.
   •Must have current IAT Level II Certification: (i.e. Comp TIA Security+, Cisco Certified Network Associate-Security etc…).
   •Must have current Network Vendor Associate Level Certification is required (i.e. Cisco CCNA, Juniper JNCIA, etc…).
   •Ability to be scheduled to work, or be called in to work during off hours and weekends to meet customer mission support requirements.
   •10+ years' experience engineering and troubleshooting networks, including extensive routing and switching experience such as MPLS, VPNs, routing protocols i.e. BGP, OSPF, switching protocols i.e. Spanning Tree Protocol, VLANs, LLDP, VoIP, Multicast protocols and emerging network technologies.
   •10+ years' experience configuring switches, routers, network appliances, WAN acceleration devices.
   •Experience with multiple vendor routing, switching firewall and wireless product lines.
   •Strong understanding and in-depth knowledge of TCP/IP network/subnet addressing.
   •Ability to work independently or in a team environment to resolve technical issues in a dynamic environment.
   •Customer service experience.

   These Qualifications Would be Nice to Have:
   •Top Secret Security Clearance.
   •MPLS experience.
   •DevOps, CI/CD experience.
   •Scripting experience (i.e. Python, etc…).
   •Automation experience (i.e. Ansible, Puppet, Chef, etc…).
   •SDN/SD WAN experience.
   •Professional or Expert level vendor certifications.
   •ITIL certifications.

   Pay Range: Pay Range $81,900.00 - $126,000.00 - $170,100.00

   The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right network implementation engineer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with network implementation engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit network implementation engineers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   To find network implementation engineer 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

   During your first interview to recruit network implementation 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.

   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.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with a network implementation engineer applicant. In those cases, having candidates complete a test project can go a long way in figuring out who's the most likely to succeed in the role. If you aren't a technical person and 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 implementation engineer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the network implementation engineer 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 important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new network implementation engineer. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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