How to hire a network operation technician

How to hire a network operation technician, step by step

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

What does a network operation technician do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your network operation technician 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 operation technician 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 operation technician 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 shows salaries for various types of network operation technicians.

   Type of Network Operation Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Network Operation Technician	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.	$19-47
   Technician Support Tier	A technician support tier focuses on providing technical support to clients or employees within a company. Typically working in a team setting, a technician support tier addresses technical problems and troubleshoots to identify the root of the issues and perform necessary corrective measures or repairs... Show more	$18-37
   Network Engineer	A network engineer is responsible for managing a network system, monitoring its performance, and upgrading its features to optimize performance and boost efficiency. Network engineers also create new systems, designing them based on clients' specifications and business needs... Show more	$29-53

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Troubleshoot
   • Network Operations
   • Customer Service
   • NOC
   • Switches
   • Technical Support
   • Routers
   • Trouble Tickets
   • Linux
   • RF
   • TCP/IP
   • Network Issues
   • Juniper
   • Remedy

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Control and manage digital, voice and data circuits with DMS, SNMP and X.400-500 protocols.
   • Manage, install, and setup network interface devices (NIDS) via VPN and private IP.
   • Manage the F5 BigIP GTM/LTM appliances to include writing iRules, SSL offload and everyday task of creating WIP and VIPs.
   • Perform basic network routing troubleshooting via BGP, OSPF.
   • Update and maintain DNS records for stores, call centers and vendors in a Unix environment.
   • Process configuration changes on Cisco routers, switches and monitor Aruba wireless controllers.

   More network operation technician duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average network operation technician salary

   $64,272yearly

   $30.90 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level network operation technician salary

   $41,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average network operation technician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$89,033	$43
   2	Virginia	$76,332	$37
   3	Texas	$74,300	$36
   4	South Carolina	$72,533	$35
   5	Maryland	$71,021	$34
   6	New York	$67,916	$33
   7	Washington	$66,067	$32
   8	New Jersey	$66,036	$32
   9	Florida	$63,524	$31
   10	Georgia	$61,860	$30
   11	Ohio	$61,708	$30
   12	Michigan	$60,725	$29
   13	Illinois	$58,976	$28
   14	Oklahoma	$57,977	$28
   15	Colorado	$57,876	$28
   16	West Virginia	$56,888	$27
   17	Wisconsin	$55,167	$27
   18	Minnesota	$54,438	$26
   19	Missouri	$53,274	$26
   20	Utah	$52,607	$25

   Average network operation technician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Bloomberg	$98,277	$47.25	3
   2	Google	$96,282	$46.29	267
   3	Commerce Bank	$86,390	$41.53	1
   4	SBA Communications	$82,979	$39.89
   5	Tesla	$81,495	$39.18	5
   6	Comtech Telecommunications	$79,919	$38.42
   7	Argo AI	$78,847	$37.91
   8	Verizon Communications	$78,601	$37.79
   9	AT&T	$76,558	$36.81	69
   10	Mobilitie	$76,027	$36.55
   11	C Spire	$75,850	$36.47
   12	Crown Castle International	$75,440	$36.27	7
   13	Tci Technology Consulting Inc	$75,018	$36.07
   14	Programmer Resources Intl	$73,536	$35.35
   15	T-Mobile	$73,421	$35.30	1
   16	Accenture	$73,104	$35.15	92
   17	BHP	$72,866	$35.03
   18	Bungie	$72,628	$34.92
   19	Canadian Pacific Railway	$70,455	$33.87
   20	HonorHealth	$69,474	$33.40

4. Writing a network operation technician job description

   A network operation technician 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 operation technician job description:

   Network operation technician job description example

   Summit Broadband Inc. is a cutting edge, fiber-based broadband provider delivering best in class residential, commercial, and hospitality technology solutions. This growing, dynamic high-tech company headquartered in sunny Central Florida, is seeking a Network Operations Technician - Tier 1 to join our NOC team and grow with us. The new Summit Broadband is poised for an incredible future fueled by team members dedicated to being the best.
   Job Title: NOC Technician I
   Department: Network Operations Center
   Job Family: Engineering
   Reports to: Senior Manager, NOC
   
   Summary
   The NOC Technician Level I primary functions include monitoring Summit Broadband network infrastructure and investigating alarms down to root cause for repair or dispatch. Receiving incoming calls from and providing support to all SLA and Cell site customers. Creating trouble tickets for tracking purposes, handling after-hours callouts and escalations, implementing outage restoration procedures and assist in tracking of scheduled network maintenance.
   
   Duties and Responsibilities:
   Essential duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to those listed below. Maintain surveillance of network at all times Correlates and troubleshoots alarms collected by NOC monitoring tools. Identify root cause of trouble and resolve, dispatch or escalate as required Maintain integrity of Network Monitoring Systems by referring erroneous alarms to responsible parties Troubleshoots issues that are reported by Cell Site Backhaul customers, Carriers and SLA customers. Assists field operations with troubleshooting and resolving customer/network related issues. Provide support for the Care Center escalations Provide additional technical support for other internal organizations Answer phones promptly Create tickets for all network troubles Assists in completion of scheduled network maintenance Track and communicate outages via Incident Management application Case in a timely and effective manner Work non-traditional work schedules covering 7 x 24 x 365 operations Perform after-hours callouts and escalations Ability to work independently and as a team member Performs other duties as assigned to ensure the proper operation of the NOC Qualifications
   To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative to the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
   2-3 years of Telecommunications or related industry experience 1 year previous work on a telecom surveillance system preferred 1 year previous work in customer facing role preferred Knowledge and experience in troubleshooting high speed data services Knowledge and experience in troubleshooting 3 or more of the following: Metro-Ethernet devices and circuitry VLAN operations TCP/IP, PPPoE and cable modems Small office & home networking PC network configurations Routing and sub-netting Email delivery VoIP IP and RF video distribution architectures. TDM, WDM, DWDM, SONET ATM, DSL, ADSL DOCSIS Proven ability to manage multiple tasks/projects as well as lead small, directed projects Strong oral and written communication skills are essential. Moderate proficiency with Microsoft Office products preferred Ability to obtain Juniper JNCIA certification within 1 year of employment Working knowledge of Juniper Routers and Switches Working knowledge of HFC, Fiber and Copper plant Other Duties: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
   Summit Broadband is an Equal Opportunity Employer and participates in the E-Verify program.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find network operation technicians for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any network operation technicians they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level network operation technicians with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your network operation technician job on Zippia to find and recruit network operation technician candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit network operation technicians, 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.

   If your interviews with network operation technician 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 operation technician

   Once you've decided on a perfect network operation technician 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new network operation technician first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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 operation technician?