How to hire a systems engineer/architect

How to hire a systems engineer/architect, step by step

Here's a step-by-step systems engineer/architect hiring guide:

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

What does a systems engineer/architect do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the systems engineer/architect you need to hire. Certain systems engineer/architect 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

   A systems engineer/architect's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, systems engineers/architects 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 shows salaries for various types of systems engineers/architects.

   Type of Systems Engineer/Architect	Description	Hourly rate
   Systems Engineer/Architect	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.	$38-70
   Systems Analyst	A systems analyst is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of technology systems and analyzing its efficiency for business operations and clients' needs. Systems analysts create specific modifications to operating systems and help design solutions and processes... Show more	$27-46
   Service Engineer	A service engineer is responsible for assisting the customers' concerns regarding the products and services offered by the company through technical support solutions. Service engineers conduct preventive maintenance, upgrade systems to boost optimal performance, create product manuals, record the occurring issues, perform adjustments on the systems infrastructure, identify business opportunities to generate more revenues, and analyze current market trends to meet client demands... Show more	$29-58

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • C++
   • C #
   • Database
   • Cloud
   • AWS
   • Azure
   • Infrastructure
   • Python
   • Java
   • Amazon Web Services
   • Project Management
   • DOD
   • JavaScript
   • Web Services

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage DNS configuration as a sub-domain of MILNET web.
   • Write script to create Veritas vxfs volumes and to automate backup of all Unix filesystems on all systems.
   • Develop and integrate software that drives flight control system hardware and achieves product requirements for an international avionics customer base.
   • Standardize patch levels and updates for all Linux environments, coordinating OS and third-party applications.
   • Serve as Microsoft ecosystem service architect and project management, responsible for providing technical infrastructure solutions and services.
   • Integrate high speed SCSI SAN and NAS resources.

   More systems engineer/architect duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your systems engineer/architect job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A systems engineer/architect salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a systems engineer/architect in Iowa may be lower than in California, and an entry-level systems engineer/architect usually earns less than a senior-level systems engineer/architect. Additionally, a systems engineer/architect with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average systems engineer/architect salary

   $109,500yearly

   $52.64 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level systems engineer/architect salary

   $81,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average systems engineer/architect salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$149,067	$72
   2	Washington	$117,178	$56
   3	Georgia	$106,264	$51
   4	Massachusetts	$105,478	$51
   5	Texas	$103,352	$50
   6	Michigan	$102,734	$49
   7	Colorado	$101,384	$49
   8	Utah	$99,712	$48
   9	District of Columbia	$98,924	$48
   10	Arkansas	$97,134	$47
   11	Illinois	$96,361	$46
   12	New York	$95,265	$46
   13	Missouri	$95,095	$46
   14	Alabama	$92,122	$44
   15	New Jersey	$91,876	$44
   16	Virginia	$91,291	$44
   17	North Carolina	$89,499	$43
   18	Florida	$87,512	$42
   19	Indiana	$85,901	$41

   Average systems engineer/architect salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$167,875	$80.71	793
   2	Apple	$145,498	$69.95	457
   3	Pluralsight	$144,143	$69.30
   4	Walmart	$141,989	$68.26	201
   5	Cisco	$140,037	$67.33	395
   6	Zscaler	$139,189	$66.92	15
   7	Costco Wholesale	$138,156	$66.42
   8	F5	$135,555	$65.17	33
   9	PlayStation	$135,175	$64.99	22
   10	Adobe	$132,364	$63.64	63
   11	Juniper Networks	$130,729	$62.85
   12	URBN	$128,836	$61.94	1
   13	Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group	$128,034	$61.55
   14	TheBrain Technologies	$127,780	$61.43
   15	Kelly Services	$124,878	$60.04	7
   16	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$124,364	$59.79	435
   17	BorgWarner	$123,795	$59.52	4
   18	Vizio	$123,091	$59.18
   19	Randstad North America, Inc.	$123,039	$59.15	29
   20	Autodesk	$122,974	$59.12	26

4. Writing a systems engineer/architect job description

   A systems engineer/architect 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 systems engineer/architect job description:

   Systems engineer/architect job description example

   Minimum qualifications:
   
   + Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or Computer Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
   
   + 5 years of experience working with Mobile/Embedded SoCs.
   
   Preferred qualifications:
   
   + Experience driving system architecture decisions from a software perspective.
   
   + Expertise with Android Architecture, Kernel, Frameworks, Services, etc.
   
   + Comprehensive knowledge of interactions between software and different IP blocks, and general and special purpose compute units.
   
   + Ability to traverse across the stack from Silicon to Apps.
   
   Our computational challenges are so big, complex and unique we can't just purchase off-the-shelf hardware, we've got to make it ourselves. Your team designs and builds the hardware, software and networking technologies that power all of Google's services. As a Hardware Engineer, you design and build the systems that are the heart of the world's largest and most powerful computing infrastructure. You develop from the lowest levels of circuit design to large system design and see those systems all the way through to high volume manufacturing. Your work has the potential to shape the machinery that goes into our cutting-edge data centers affecting millions of Google users.
   
   In this role, as part of the Silicon System Architecture team, you will enable software/hardware co-design of SoCs by leveraging your system software expertise and influence IP and SoC architecture and system software architecture.
   
   Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. Our team combines the best of Google AI, Software, and Hardware to create radically helpful experiences. We research, design, and develop new technologies and hardware to make computing faster, seamless, and more powerful. We aim to make people's lives better through technology.
   
   + Influence hardware decisions by thorough analysis of system and first-party software. Influence software architecture to leverage Silicon goodness.
   
   + Collaborate closely with Google Research, Pixel, and Software teams to deliver product differentiating experiences.
   
   + Build reference software to enable effective and optimal usage of Silicon features.
   
   + Architect solutions that meet power, performance, and area goals.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right systems engineer/architect for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with systems engineers/architects they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit systems engineers/architects who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your systems engineer/architect job on Zippia to find and recruit systems engineer/architect 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

   To successfully recruit systems engineers/architects, 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.

   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.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with a systems engineer/architect 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 systems engineer/architect

   Once you've selected the best systems engineer/architect 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 systems engineer/architect. 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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