How to hire a senior infrastructure specialist

How to hire a senior infrastructure specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step senior infrastructure specialist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a senior infrastructure specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new senior infrastructure specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your senior infrastructure specialist 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 senior infrastructure specialist 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

   A senior infrastructure specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, senior infrastructure specialists 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.

   Here's a comparison of senior infrastructure specialist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Senior Infrastructure Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Infrastructure Specialist	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.	$41-62
   Systems Operator	Systems operators often act as the front liners whose primary job is to ensure the reliable delivery of electricity service to consumers and businesses. They are responsible for overseeing and managing the power grid and controlling electricity flow through transmission lines... Show more	$13-24
   Network Technician	A network technician is responsible for system malfunction diagnosis and troubleshooting operations. Network technicians duties' include repairing damaged system components, analyzing computer systems and blueprints, installing network connections, and upgrading accessories for efficient operations... Show more	$24-44

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Java
   • Windows Server
   • Linux
   • Unix
   • Architecture
   • UAT
   • Perl
   • Disaster Recovery
   • OS
   • Virtualization
   • Production Environment
   • Encryption
   • Amazon Web Services
   • Switches

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Configure and install SAN drivers, HBA hardware and utilize LVM to manage dynamic disk space requirements.
   • Create, maintain and manage NFS architecture connecting multiple data collection servers to reporting and code repository servers.
   • Manage Cisco ASA firewalls and Microsoft ISA firewalls in production environment providing secure configurations and monitoring of the firewall logs.
   • Deploy large number of Solaris 9 , 10 and RHEL 3 , 4 servers via Jumpstart and Kickstart OS provisioning.
   • network and switch problems), OS problems.
   • Provide support other UNIX base applications and servers on as needed basis.

   More senior infrastructure specialist duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, senior infrastructure specialists' average salary in oklahoma is 32% less than in rhode island.
   • Seniority. Entry-level senior infrastructure specialists 34% less than senior-level senior infrastructure specialists.
   • Certifications. A senior infrastructure specialist 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 senior infrastructure specialist's salary.

   Average senior infrastructure specialist salary

   $106,258yearly

   $51.09 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior infrastructure specialist salary

   $86,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average senior infrastructure specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$127,311	$61
   2	Connecticut	$123,017	$59
   3	Virginia	$114,263	$55
   4	District of Columbia	$109,909	$53
   5	Washington	$108,256	$52
   6	Massachusetts	$106,135	$51
   7	Nevada	$105,480	$51
   8	Delaware	$105,130	$51
   9	New York	$104,457	$50
   10	Maryland	$103,907	$50
   11	Georgia	$103,353	$50
   12	North Carolina	$102,520	$49
   13	Pennsylvania	$102,307	$49
   14	Indiana	$101,829	$49
   15	Arizona	$101,505	$49
   16	Texas	$100,171	$48
   17	Illinois	$100,041	$48
   18	Ohio	$99,450	$48
   19	Missouri	$98,897	$48
   20	Colorado	$98,142	$47

   Average senior infrastructure specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Randstad North America, Inc.	$119,302	$57.36
   2	General Dynamics Mission Systems	$117,405	$56.44	1
   3	United Guaranty	$111,338	$53.53
   4	Nes Holdings	$108,745	$52.28
   5	Infogix	$106,938	$51.41
   6	DXC Technology	$103,123	$49.58	12
   7	Selective Insurance	$102,337	$49.20
   8	General Dynamics	$101,573	$48.83	41
   9	Deloitte	$100,987	$48.55	2
   10	Vantage Data Centers	$99,545	$47.86	1
   11	Guidehouse	$98,847	$47.52	63
   12	Keste	$93,521	$44.96

4. Writing a senior infrastructure specialist job description

   A senior infrastructure specialist 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 senior infrastructure specialist job description:

   Senior infrastructure specialist job description example

   This position description is subject to change at any time as needed to meet the requirements of the program or company.
   
   The Senior Virtualization Infrastructure SME supports the enterprise virtual infrastructure for the RCC-C to include optimization, administration and writing technical documentation. Candidate will resolve enterprise-level change requests and act as the top-level of support escalation for all enterprise virtualization support issues.
   Responsibilities
   
   Major Job Activities:
   
   + Oversees enterprise-level support for VMware virtualization technologies.
   
   + Conducts daily monitoring of all enterprise virtualization for integrity, reliability, resource utilization and availability.
   
   + Reports on virtual resource capacity and utilization as well as system uptime, performance, and troubleshooting/MTTR.
   
   + Executes configuration and provisioning of virtual machines (VMs), ESXi hosts, and vCenter Server Appliance (VCSAs).
   
   + Leads planning, installation, configuration, and upgrades of the virtual network infrastructure.
   
   + Supports virtualization projects and solutions related to backup, disaster recovery, virtual networking, high availability (HA), performance monitoring, firmware/software upgrades, and system audit tasks.
   
   + Oversees and maintains documentation for Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) for configuring and managing the virtual environment.
   
   + Secures, maintains, updates, and hardens all internal and enterprise managed systems within the RCC-C.
   
   Material & Equipment Directly Used:
   
   • Basic Office Equipment.
   
   Working Enviornment:
   
   • Normal office environment. • May require support during periods of non-traditional working hours including nights or weekends.
   
   Physical Activities:
   
   • Must be able to lift/push/pull 40 lbs. unassisted.
   
   Qualifications
   
   Minimum Qualifications:
   
   Education / Certifications:
   
   + Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree.
   
   + IAT Level II Certification: CCNA Security, CySA+, GICSP, GSEC, Security+ CE, CND, SSCP.
   
   + VMware Certified Advanced Professional.
   
   + MCSE: Core Infrastructure or equivalent Microsoft certification.
   
   + ITIL v4 Foundation certification desired upon hire, required within three months of hiring date.
   
   + U.S. citizenship is required.
   
   + Active Top Secret Clearance.
   
   Experience / Skills:
   
   + Five (5) years applicable experience working with various data (network and system) technologies.
   
   + Candidate must have a working knowledge of server, storage, and desktop virtualization technologies.
   
   + Experience with vSphere client, ESXCLI, and PowerCLI is preferred.
   
   + Must have virtualization configuration and administration experience and understand current VMware technologies.
   
   + Experienced with virtualization capacity planning and reporting.
   
   + VMware, NetApp, Cisco UCS, Microsoft Servers and related virtualization, storage, networking, and monitoring technologies.
   
   Supervisory / Budget Responsiblities:
   
   Acts in a technical based supervisory capacity.
   
   We are committed to an inclusive and diverse workplace that values and supports the contributions of each individual. This commitment along with our common Vision and Values of Integrity, Respect, and Responsibility, allows us to leverage differences, encourage innovation and expand our success in the global marketplace. Vectrus is an Equal Opportunity /Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, protected veteran status or status as an individual with a disability. EOE/Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find senior infrastructure specialists 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 senior infrastructure specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit senior infrastructure specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with senior infrastructure specialist 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.

   Sometimes, it's not enough to interview senior infrastructure specialist 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 senior infrastructure specialist

   Once you've decided on a perfect senior infrastructure specialist 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 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 senior infrastructure specialist. 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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