How to hire a server engineer

How to hire a server engineer, step by step

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

What does a server engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the server engineer you need to hire. Certain server engineer roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   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 server engineer 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 server engineer that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of server engineers.

   Type of Server Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Server 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.	$36-70
   Windows System Administrator	A Windows System Administrator maintains the systems and servers of a Windows operating system. They evaluate and modify the system's performance.	$28-50
   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:

   • Windows Server
   • PowerShell
   • Linux
   • Java
   • Microsoft Windows
   • SAN
   • Troubleshoot
   • Technical Support
   • Azure
   • Virtual Servers
   • Server Environment
   • DNS
   • OS
   • SQL Server

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Work with SAN, database, network, and backup administrators to deploy and manage infrastructure as a team.
   • Maintain, monitor, manage and right size the VM environment using industry virtualization tools on a daily basis.
   • Deploy and manage Citrix environments utilizing publish desktops and publish applications to make available to users both internally and externally.
   • Convert to GC and DNS server and DHCP server.
   • Used PowerShell to script DNS changes on all servers in company.
   • Build networks from the ground up and select the server hardware OS and software base on the customer needs.

   More server engineer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, server engineers' average salary in missouri is 39% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level server engineers earn 48% less than senior-level server engineers.
   • Certifications. A server engineer 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 server engineer's salary.

   Average server engineer salary

   $105,940yearly

   $50.93 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level server engineer salary

   $76,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average server engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$140,253	$67
   2	Washington	$127,274	$61
   3	Arizona	$118,614	$57
   4	Massachusetts	$114,756	$55
   5	New York	$108,964	$52
   6	Nebraska	$102,796	$49
   7	New Jersey	$101,762	$49
   8	Pennsylvania	$98,872	$48
   9	Virginia	$90,557	$44
   10	Ohio	$90,543	$44
   11	North Carolina	$90,486	$44
   12	Georgia	$90,224	$43
   13	Texas	$89,116	$43
   14	District of Columbia	$84,027	$40
   15	Kentucky	$83,777	$40
   16	Florida	$83,256	$40
   17	Colorado	$81,815	$39
   18	Indiana	$79,924	$38

   Average server engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$151,441	$72.81	467
   2	Apple	$146,437	$70.40	112
   3	Barnes & Noble	$136,928	$65.83	2
   4	Intuitive Surgical	$132,748	$63.82	4
   5	Bloomberg	$132,478	$63.69	5
   6	Amazon	$131,291	$63.12	450
   7	Square	$130,225	$62.61
   8	Skillz	$129,091	$62.06
   9	Baird	$127,037	$61.08	1
   10	Costco Wholesale	$124,747	$59.97	2
   11	ItsOn	$123,795	$59.52
   12	DoubleVerify	$121,333	$58.33	1
   13	Hitachi U.S.A.	$120,562	$57.96	6
   14	Clover Network	$119,171	$57.29
   15	Advantage xPO	$118,721	$57.08
   16	ngmoco	$118,585	$57.01
   17	Novartis	$118,209	$56.83
   18	ZeniMax Media	$116,249	$55.89
   19	Glu Mobile	$115,892	$55.72
   20	Crunchyroll	$115,610	$55.58	1

4. Writing a server engineer job description

   A server engineer 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 server engineer job description:

   Server engineer job description example

   Duties- Responsible for the engineering of server infrastructure. Designs infrastructures including hardware, software, and various configurations. Ensures that the design and integration of proposed solutions leads to the development and growth of the business through effective use of technology.
   
   Facilitates the optimization of business unit performance by enhancing the alignment between business systems and information technology. Evaluates new products, performs server problem resolution and assists in the development and documentation of technical standards and interface applications.
   
   Responsible for server planning, design and engineering. Determines feasibility from technical and economic perspectives. Evaluates equipment specifications and process requirements to conceive a practical design. Compiles and analyzes operational data and directs tests to establish standard for new designs or modifications to existing equipment, systems, or processes.
   
   Plans and evaluates complex server systems and makes recommendations for resources required to develop, maintain and/or expand service levels. Provides consultative support to facilitate design and to resolve design problems. May also monitor server performance to determine whether adjustments need to be made, and to determine where changes will need to be made in the future.
   
   Plans, coordinates, and implements server security measures. Anticipates and mitigates potential issues through server or other connections to ensure the security of the system. Provides strategic planning and participation for disaster recovery operations.
   
   Updates knowledge and skills to keep up with rapid advancements in technology. Researches, evaluates and recommends software and hardware products. Provides counsel and leadership on future use of technology and system improvements.
   
   Ensures compliance with audit requirements. Addresses vulnerabilities within audit-mandated time frames. Maintains effective security/backup and disaster recovery processes and systems. Provides guidance to technical support personnel as needed. May lead the gathering of business needs as well as the design of solutions through direct interaction with business unit leaders.
   
   Maintains effective relationships with suppliers to ensure appropriate levels of support. Plans large scale systems projects through vendor comparison and cost studies. May interface with vendors to identify and purchase hardware and software.
   Required Skills and Abilities: Comprehensive knowledge of server systems and applications. Able to perform high-level server planning, design, and optimization. Able to suggest plans to integrate new and existing designs and provide input into highly complex and high impacting decisions. Advanced technical knowledge of servers, communications, and related hardware and software. Strong knowledge of emerging technologies for applications to the enterprise. Capable of taking on the role of project leader for special enterprise-wide assignments. Strong organizational and interpersonal skills. Ability to communicate technical issues with non-technical people. Strong understanding of technical problems and solutions in relation to the current, as well as the future business environment. High level of understanding of organization business systems and processes as well as industry-wide requirements. Proficiency with server technologies and platforms. Required Software and Tools: Advanced understanding of relevant server hardware and software.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find server engineers 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 server engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level server engineers 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.

   To find server 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

   Recruiting server engineers 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   If your interviews with server engineer 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 server engineer

   Once you've selected the best server engineer 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.

   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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new server engineer. 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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How much does it cost to hire a server engineer?