How to hire a senior systems developer

How to hire a senior systems developer, step by step

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

Post a senior systems developer job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your senior systems developer 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 systems developer 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a senior systems developer to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a senior systems developer that fits the bill.

   This list presents senior systems developer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Senior Systems Developer	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Systems Developer	Software developers are the creative minds behind computer programs. Some develop the applications that allow people to do specific tasks on a computer or another device... Show more	$40-66
   Developer Analyst	A developer analyst is a professional who is responsible for building application requirements and develops database solutions that allow operational efficiency and user-friendly tools. Developer analysts are required to develop a detailed definition of business solutions that can include database design, data flow, and transaction processing requirements... Show more	$30-54
   Team Lead And Developer	A team lead and developer is a person who handles a group of employees in a particular section, geared to accomplish daily specific goals. The team lead and developer ensures that the team works cohesively and efficiently to achieve its goals... Show more	$23-73

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Java
   • C++
   • API
   • Linux
   • Application Development
   • SQL Server
   • Oracle Sql
   • HTML
   • Web Services
   • CSS
   • Debugging
   • Management System
   • Unix
   • Technical Support

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead full SDLC including requirements gathering, training, development, testing, and implementation.
   • Develop database structures and AJAX interfaces for managing users metadata.
   • Configure and manage JGroup multicasting communication for apache tomcat web servers.
   • Provide API documentation and continual customer support for web services.
   • Incorporate signal handler chaining capabilities to the MathLink API reference library to allow incorporation into important environments such as Java.
   • Adhere to GMP 21 CFR 210 and 211 regulations thru SDLC process.

   More senior systems developer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, senior systems developers' average salary in hawaii is 35% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level senior systems developers earn 39% less than senior-level senior systems developers.
   • Certifications. A senior systems developer 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 senior systems developer's salary.

   Average senior systems developer salary

   $109,095yearly

   $52.45 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior systems developer salary

   $85,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average senior systems developer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$138,245	$66
   2	Washington	$132,048	$63
   3	New York	$125,045	$60
   4	Massachusetts	$120,474	$58
   5	New Jersey	$118,126	$57
   6	Minnesota	$110,318	$53
   7	Michigan	$108,962	$52
   8	District of Columbia	$107,205	$52
   9	Texas	$107,037	$51
   10	Colorado	$105,526	$51
   11	Virginia	$104,107	$50
   12	North Carolina	$103,358	$50
   13	Illinois	$103,052	$50
   14	Ohio	$103,008	$50
   15	Maryland	$101,195	$49
   16	Tennessee	$101,068	$49
   17	Mississippi	$98,677	$47
   18	Arizona	$98,372	$47
   19	Pennsylvania	$98,274	$47
   20	Georgia	$94,559	$45

   Average senior systems developer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Mayo Clinic	$145,049	$69.74	26
   2	Apple	$136,432	$65.59	471
   3	PacBio	$136,383	$65.57
   4	KBI Global Investors	$134,089	$64.47
   5	Barclays	$129,734	$62.37	4
   6	Phillips 66	$128,565	$61.81
   7	Amazon	$127,717	$61.40	1,109
   8	Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center	$127,631	$61.36
   9	RingCentral	$126,170	$60.66	2
   10	H-E-B	$125,039	$60.11	8
   11	Bank of the West	$124,673	$59.94
   12	Citrix	$123,897	$59.57
   13	99 Cents Only Stores	$123,499	$59.37
   14	Saks	$123,441	$59.35
   15	Allston Trading	$123,173	$59.22
   16	Kabam	$123,009	$59.14
   17	Qualys	$122,546	$58.92
   18	Salesforce	$122,231	$58.76	112
   19	Guitar Center	$121,631	$58.48	1
   20	Walmart	$121,584	$58.45	414

4. Writing a senior systems developer job description

   A senior systems developer 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 senior systems developer job description:

   Senior systems developer job description example

   Interstates is growing, and we are currently seeking a Senior Control Systems Developer to join our Team. The Senior Control Systems Developer will be responsible for developing and facilitating the relationship with clients for Interstates. The Senior Control Systems Developer will head up significant portions of control systems projects, involved from defining the scope of the project through the final delivery. Interstates seeks ambitious, innovative individuals with the ability to grow and maintain value-added relationships with our Team and external clients.
   
   About us: For over fifty years, we've tackled complex challenges and developed innovative solutions. Yet, the most impressive thing we've built is our Team. At Interstates, we treat each other like family because the foundation of our success is our Team. We've created a collaborative workplace based on trust, integrity, and support. We offer education and career growth opportunities, one of the best safety records in the business, and benefits that put our families first.
   
   At Interstates, our success starts with yours.
   
   Responsibilities
   
   Plan and design significant portions of a control system Work with project team to develop the scope of a project including defining how the control system should work, defining the reports/documentation, defining the screens/graphics, and defining the type of startup support needed Ensure proper testing and documentation of significant portions of a control system Provide configuration, installation and troubleshooting of HMI/PC/PLC hardware and software, and customer networks at customer's site Perform in-house and in-plant customer operator training for the control system Develop programming standards and ensuring team compliance Coach and train other Interstates employees on the team Perform technical design, code reviews, and help in estimating pricing for projects Other duties may be assigned.
   Pay range: $87k to $115k per year
   
   Qualifications
   
   Education and/or Experience:
   2- or 4- year degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science or a related technical field 5+ years of relevant automation experience Or equivalent combination of education and related experience/training Required base knowledge of the areas listed below and expert level in two of the four following PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) Hardware set-up and / or the HMI (Human Machine Interface) PC Configuration Database Management
   Preferred Skills:
   Ignition experience a plus Allen Bradley and Rockwell Automation experience Excellent troubleshooting skills Excellent written and verbal communication
   Travel: Travel will be required up to 35% of the time.
   
   Benefits:
   Health, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance Company-paid Short and long-term disability Paid time off and Holidays Matching 401k program Pay for performance bonuses. HSA contributions Casual dress code Safety focused culture Family-focused culture Community Giveback opportunities
   
   Interstates is an Equal Opportunity/AA Employer and provides a drug-free work environment.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right senior systems developer 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.

   To find senior systems developer 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

   Your first interview with senior systems developer 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 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 senior systems developer 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 systems developer

   Once you've selected the best senior systems developer 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new senior systems developer. 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a senior systems developer?