How to hire a systems engineer/systems administrator

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

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

What does a systems engineer/systems administrator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The systems engineer/systems administrator 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 systems engineer/systems administrator's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, systems engineers/systems administrator 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 systems engineer/systems administrator salaries for various roles:

   Type of Systems Engineer/Systems Administrator	Description	Hourly rate
   Systems Engineer/Systems Administrator	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.	$33-61
   Systems Integration Engineer	A systems integration engineer is responsible for evaluating the efficiency and performance of the control systems to support business operations and requirements. Systems integration engineers develop technical solutions from business initiatives that would maximize a team's productivity and increase target performance... Show more	$37-67
   Technical Systems Engineer	Technical Systems Engineers are responsible for maintaining the integrity of the infrastructure or systems network. They build, maintain, and repair all the systems and network infrastructure of the organization... Show more	$35-66

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Windows Server
   • Troubleshoot
   • AWS
   • Database
   • SAN
   • PowerShell
   • Unix
   • Java
   • System Administration
   • DNS
   • Desktop
   • SQL Server
   • Virtualization
   • Configuration Management

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage phone system voice over TCP/IP NBX 3com switch.
   • Manage and administer Microsoft IIS application server for mission essential applications.
   • Manage PC and equipment inventory, monitor network performance, evaluate and integrate new technology.
   • Coordinate FileNet and EMC system configuration changes, manage disk storage consumption, allocate/mask storage, and document system configurations/changes.
   • Verify and correct communication problems using protocols; TCP/IP, SNA, DDM, DNS, FTP.
   • Perform code deployments for WMB and Java from the Unix/Linux command line.

   More systems engineer/systems administrator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your systems engineer/systems administrator job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A systems engineer/systems administrator 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/systems administrator in Wyoming may be lower than in California, and an entry-level systems engineer/systems administrator usually earns less than a senior-level systems engineer/systems administrator. Additionally, a systems engineer/systems administrator 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/systems administrator salary

   $95,271yearly

   $45.80 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level systems engineer/systems administrator salary

   $70,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average systems engineer/systems administrator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$122,636	$59
   2	Washington	$99,548	$48
   3	Virginia	$92,099	$44
   4	New York	$91,299	$44
   5	Maryland	$91,255	$44
   6	District of Columbia	$90,420	$43
   7	Nebraska	$90,215	$43
   8	New Jersey	$88,357	$42
   9	Texas	$87,946	$42
   10	Arizona	$87,559	$42
   11	Massachusetts	$86,567	$42
   12	Mississippi	$84,863	$41
   13	North Carolina	$82,904	$40
   14	North Dakota	$81,600	$39
   15	Georgia	$81,330	$39
   16	Oregon	$80,400	$39
   17	Florida	$79,620	$38
   18	Ohio	$79,567	$38
   19	Michigan	$78,164	$38
   20	Alabama	$77,245	$37

   Average systems engineer/systems administrator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Google	$144,161	$69.31	110
   2	Apple	$137,065	$65.90	191
   3	Stanford University	$119,621	$57.51	15
   4	Open Systems Technologies	$116,629	$56.07	3
   5	Ball	$113,056	$54.35
   6	Syniverse	$112,359	$54.02
   7	TEKsystems	$112,134	$53.91	117
   8	Goldbelt Falcon	$110,651	$53.20
   9	Mercury Insurance	$109,685	$52.73
   10	The Walt Disney Company	$108,061	$51.95	61
   11	Progress Rail	$107,661	$51.76	3
   12	MDU Resources	$107,509	$51.69
   13	Mercy Corps	$106,611	$51.26	1
   14	Philips	$105,700	$50.82	9
   15	Nebraska Medicine	$105,561	$50.75	3
   16	Audible	$105,497	$50.72
   17	Innovative Management & Technology Approaches	$105,318	$50.63	3
   18	KLA	$105,063	$50.51	22
   19	Genesis Networks	$103,024	$49.53
   20	Prime Care Tech	$102,627	$49.34

4. Writing a systems engineer/systems administrator job description

   A job description for a systems engineer/systems administrator role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a systems engineer/systems administrator job description:

   Systems engineer/systems administrator job description example

   Position specifics: This role works daily with many teams to maintain Cone HealthLink, our electronic medical record system and assists with upgrade and optimization projects. This role is critical for smooth operation of Cone HealthLink.
   Epic experience and certification strongly preferred . Knowledge of Epic printing, Epic Interconnect and Web Services is essential for success in this role. New hire should expect to seek relevant Epic certification after hire if not currently certified. Skills - Prior experience with servers, virtualization, understanding of cloud technologies and troubleshooting is preferred. With supervision, this person is responsible for designing, organizing, modifying, and supporting complex technical infrastructures in our computer environment. This person has expertise in Microsoft Server technologies, Microsoft SQL Server, virtualization, SAN storage, replication and backup technologies, upgrades/applying patches, and troubleshooting and documenting best practices. This person will provide coaching and mentoring to newer team members. In addition, this position promotes high standards in regards to effective departmental and customer service. Responsibilities: Implements scheduled projects as assigned. Assists in definition, selection, implementation associated with system projects. Communicates project status to appropriate personnel that could impact the scope, delivery, timeliness or effectiveness of system projects.
   
   --------------------------------------------------
   
   Monitors, maintains and supports existing computer systems and infrastructure to help maximize uptime and availability. Analyzes, defines and evaluates product system problems and implements necessary solutions. Researches, tests and documents all system changes, updates and enhancements to ensure system integrity and stability.
   
   --------------------------------------------------
   
   Provide ongoing system support including participation in on-call coverage for off hours.
   
   --------------------------------------------------
   
   Serves as subject matter expert in one or more technical areas. Promotes effective use of hardware and software.
   
   --------------------------------------------------
   
   Works with user community (including departments and project teams) in analyzing, documenting, identifying, designing and providing technical solutions.
   
   -------------------------------------------------- Qualifications: EDUCATION: Required:
   
   Bachelor's degree preferred with 5 years? experience in relevant field, or
   
   Associate's degree with 10 years' experience in relevant field, or
   
   High school diploma with 15 years' experience in relevant field.
   
   Preferred:
   
   Bachelor?s degree in computer science, programming, analytics or other technical field. EXPERIENCE: Required:
   
   5 years of network and/or system architecture, data integration, or system programming experience in an information systems environment. Previous experience in one of the following: CISCO products, SAN storage administration, datacenter and operating systems administration, or backup management.
   
   Preferred:
   
   Previous healthcare experience LICENSURE/CERTIFICATION/REGISTRY/LISTING: REQUIRED
   
   Valid Driver's License | Valid Driver's License
   
   PREFERRED: Certification relevant to role

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

   Post your job online:

   • Post your systems engineer/systems administrator job on Zippia to find and attract quality systems engineer/systems administrator candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with systems engineer/systems administrator 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 systems engineer/systems administrator 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 systems engineer/systems administrator

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

   To prepare for the new systems engineer/systems administrator first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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