How to hire a network security consultant

How to hire a network security consultant, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The network security consultant 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 security consultant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, network security consultants 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.

   This list presents network security consultant salaries for various positions.

   Type of Network Security Consultant	Description	Hourly rate
   Network Security Consultant	Information security analysts plan and carry out security measures to protect an organization’s computer networks and systems. Their responsibilities are continually expanding as the number of cyberattacks increases.	$32-60
   Information Assurance Engineer	Information assurance engineers are responsible for protecting an organization's data. They act as a team of security specialists that use their skill in securely operating and keeping data to protect the organization's most essential asset... Show more	$32-56
   Information Systems Security Officer	An information systems security officer's role is to perform preventive measures to protect a company's data and systems from hackers or cyber-attacks. Their responsibilities revolve around assessing the existing security measures to identify any vulnerabilities or inconsistencies, recommending and implementing changes to improve security systems, and developing new strategies and programs for data protection... Show more	$32-57

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Network Infrastructure
   • Switches
   • Routers
   • Windows
   • NMAP
   • Linux
   • Emerging Technologies
   • Wireshark
   • Vulnerability Assessments
   • PCI
   • TCP/IP
   • Cisco Asa
   • Juniper
   • IDS

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage multiple network suppliers in a global environment in determining a proper choice for the SIEM.
   • Design and manage information systems security policy, implementation, and management for a globally distribute MPLS infrastructure.
   • Work on documenting and finding UNIX security holes within Harris' network.
   • Act as liaison between network team and Protiviti for their ongoing PCI compliance certification process
   • Act as an escalation point for alerts generate by a SIEM and other relate tools.
   • Complete system maintenance and upgrades during establish off-hour maintenance windows, and in the event emergency repairs or network upgrades.

   More network security consultant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your network security consultant job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A network security consultant salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, network security consultants' average salary in tennessee is 42% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level network security consultants earn 46% less than senior-level network security consultants.
   • Certifications. A network security consultant with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a network security consultant's salary.

   Average network security consultant salary

   $92,993yearly

   $44.71 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level network security consultant salary

   $68,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average network security consultant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$105,443	$51
   2	Utah	$104,139	$50
   3	North Carolina	$101,497	$49
   4	Massachusetts	$93,667	$45
   5	Illinois	$90,920	$44
   6	Florida	$88,924	$43
   7	Minnesota	$88,142	$42
   8	New Jersey	$87,601	$42
   9	Michigan	$85,521	$41
   10	District of Columbia	$82,260	$40
   11	Ohio	$79,713	$38
   12	Georgia	$72,913	$35

   Average network security consultant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Palo Alto Networks	$132,902	$63.90	7
   2	Populus Group	$124,152	$59.69
   3	Randstad North America, Inc.	$117,084	$56.29	8
   4	Quantum Integrators	$102,118	$49.10
   5	Q.E.D. Systems	$96,886	$46.58	5
   6	Ceres	$91,957	$44.21
   7	e-Business International, Inc.	$91,842	$44.15
   8	The News-Review	$91,586	$44.03
   9	Rockwell Automation	$89,226	$42.90	5
   10	Microland Electronics	$88,204	$42.41
   11	Akibia	$87,304	$41.97
   12	General Dynamics	$87,169	$41.91	132
   13	Verizon Services Corp.	$83,910	$40.34
   14	ACP CreativIT	$77,273	$37.15

4. Writing a network security consultant job description

   A network security consultant 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a network security consultant job description:

   Network security consultant job description example

   Full-time, exempt, W2, with full benefits.
   
   Since our inception in 1998, RKON has been focused on providing cutting-edge IT services to clients across the US. Through thought leadership and consistent client successes, the RKON team has become an established and prominent force in the IT industry, delivering innovative solutions for modern IT problems.
   
   Recognized by Okta's Core Value Awards as having the best company culture in the industry, and by Computerworld as one of the 100 Best Places to Work in IT, Rapid7's 2022 North American MSSP partner of the year, RKON takes pride in our cohesive and creative work environment. From the beginning we've attentively built our company culture, fostering an environment that promotes collaboration, ingenuity, and imagination, working with the knowledge that our products are only as good as our team.
   Sr. Network Security Consultant
   
   The RKON Network Security Consultant is responsible for the support and maintenance of a multi-Tenant environment, both cloud-based and on-premises, requiring cooperative support from both our clients and members of the Professional Services team. As a high-level Security Engineer, you will be required to have experience and extensive knowledge of varying Network technologies, including, but not limited to Palo Alto, Check Point, Fortinet, Next-Generation Firewalls, Pulse Secure, Meraki, and Juniper. A clear understanding of network security and best practices.
   
   Your primary responsibilities will be to provide onboarding/project support to our clients, perform build and release, as well as, applying requested changes and modifications to the existing environment.
   
   Education/Experience
   Expert level of Check Point troubleshooting and debugging High level knowledge of Check Point Security blades including IPS, App Control and URL Filtering, Anti Bot, Sandblast threat prevention and Endpoint Security High level understanding of Network Security architecture High level understanding of TCP/IP and networking Solid understanding of virtual router redundancy protocol (vrrp), Cluster XL technology and IP clustering for high availability and Cluster Control Protocol (CCP) Site-to-Site VPN & Client to Site VPN troubleshooting Other Firewall knowledge a plus (Cisco/Juniper/Fortinet/Palo Alto) Working experience performing Security Assessments a plus Multiple security certifications a plus Check Point CCSA and CCSE certifications preferred
   Roles and Responsibilities
   Perform technical assessments for our clients, and build out the recommended changes to their environment. Having familiarity with a wide range of network security products (F5, Check Point, Palo Alto, Meraki, Juniper, Cisco). Support and upgrade appliances, open servers, and infrastructure Support Check Point VSX firewall virtualization Support and build Site-to-Site VPNs & Client Site VPNs Support and build Check Point Software Blade Technologies Maintain an expert understanding and knowledge of the GAIA operating system Support and implement Firewall security policies as needed. Design and perform seamless upgrades of existing Management & Firewall infrastructure remotely and onsite Operate in a team environment as well as self-directed Collaborates with other team members as necessary to ensure customer service levels agreements (SLA's) are met Execute defined Enterprise System strategies to support corporate initiatives Some travel required (25%) Mentoring other support engineers on your team.
   Expectations
   Ability to speak to and work with individuals of all skill levels from users up to "C" level executives Strong ability to articulate details without losing sight of the audience you're communicating with Strong ability to multitask Strong troubleshooting skills Candidate must not be narrow-focused but consider all angles when providing guidance or recommendations
   What RKON Offers
   Competitive pay Flexible hours Flexible working option Vacation/Sick/Personal time Training programs A team of highly skilled peers available to help

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find network security consultants 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 security consultant job on Zippia to find and attract quality network security consultant candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting network security consultants requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with a network security consultant 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 security consultant

   Once you've decided on a perfect network security consultant 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 security consultant. 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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