How to hire a systems support administrator

How to hire a systems support administrator, step by step

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

What does a systems support administrator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a systems support administrator, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A systems support administrator's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, systems support administrators 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 presents systems support administrator salaries for various positions.

   Type of Systems Support Administrator	Description	Hourly rate
   Systems Support 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.	$32-52
   Administrative Technical Support	Administrative technical support maintains every technical set-up used in a company. Their primary responsibility is to inspect a company's systems, evaluate for issues, and repair any problems immediately... Show more	$13-36
   Information Technology Administrator	An Information Technology (IT) administrator is a professional responsible for managing the day-to-day operation of an organization's IT systems and ensuring that the systems are running effectively. IT administrators must conduct consistent analyses of the computer system and install updates when needed... Show more	$24-50

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Troubleshoot
   • Linux
   • SQL
   • Customer Service
   • Database
   • OS
   • Technical Support
   • Unix
   • DOD
   • VMware
   • SharePoint
   • Windows Server
   • Switches
   • Technical Troubleshooting

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage projects such as server migrations and mass client OS migrations.
   • Authore and maintain shell and Perl scripts to automate administration tasks for infrastructure management.
   • Maintain Unix mail, news, web, and directory servers and DNS records.
   • Monitor SharePoint timer jobs, search crawls, and ensure all services are properly running.
   • Work with OS team in realizing the DR environment and test the periodic working of the DR environment.
   • Support the implementation of VMware hardware and operating systems solutions to provide hosting services to multiple data centers.

   More systems support administrator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the systems support administrator job description is a good way to get more applicants. A systems support administrator salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a systems support administrator in Missouri may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level systems support administrator. Additionally, a systems support administrator with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average systems support administrator salary

   $86,448yearly

   $41.56 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level systems support administrator salary

   $67,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average systems support administrator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$107,240	$52
   2	Washington	$97,078	$47
   3	Maryland	$92,535	$44
   4	Connecticut	$90,325	$43
   5	Massachusetts	$89,068	$43
   6	New Jersey	$88,890	$43
   7	Virginia	$86,990	$42
   8	New York	$86,873	$42
   9	Delaware	$85,579	$41
   10	Texas	$85,573	$41
   11	Pennsylvania	$84,206	$40
   12	Arizona	$83,970	$40
   13	North Carolina	$80,069	$38
   14	Michigan	$79,184	$38
   15	Ohio	$78,411	$38
   16	Illinois	$77,986	$37
   17	Florida	$77,675	$37
   18	Wisconsin	$77,296	$37
   19	Oklahoma	$77,149	$37
   20	Georgia	$76,792	$37

   Average systems support administrator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Deft	$112,764	$54.21
   2	Cradlepoint	$110,370	$53.06
   3	Upserve	$108,472	$52.15	2
   4	Morgan Stanley	$104,337	$50.16	81
   5	FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies	$98,242	$47.23	7
   6	TEKsystems	$95,482	$45.90	228
   7	Greenhouse Software	$91,846	$44.16
   8	Boot Barn	$90,834	$43.67	2
   9	QuintilesIMS	$89,311	$42.94	16
   10	Randstad North America, Inc.	$89,095	$42.83	53
   11	Dignity Health	$89,081	$42.83	18
   12	Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan	$88,256	$42.43	1
   13	FUJIFILM Medical Systems USA	$87,382	$42.01	196
   14	Cliffs	$87,313	$41.98
   15	Zensar Technologies	$86,208	$41.45	1
   16	Fujifilm Holdings America Corporation	$85,978	$41.34	7
   17	MITRE	$85,777	$41.24	43
   18	CooperVision	$85,768	$41.23
   19	MAG Aerospace	$85,618	$41.16	8
   20	Colorado State Express	$85,616	$41.16

4. Writing a systems support administrator job description

   A job description for a systems support 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 support administrator job description:

   Systems support administrator job description example

   This Systems Administrator position would be eligible for very competitive benefits package. Integris pays 60% towards employee’s medical coverage as well as a portion of the premiums for dependents. Dental and Vision are also available at reasonable rates, and we also offer a Health Savings Account option. The company pays the full premium for short-term disability as well as a $50,000 life insurance policy for all employees AND you have the option of electing additional life insurance for yourself and any dependents if that is what best fits your needs. We also provide a handful of supplemental insurance options, as well as, 401K. All employees are banked 4 weeks of PTO prorated based on start date. We also give additional time off for your birthday, up to 4 hours of parental leave to be with your child for a school function, AND up to 8 hours of volunteer time to serve in a charity of your choice. We offer 8 paid holidays and 1 additional floating holiday! If this sounds like the right information technology support opportunity for you, apply today!

   
   

   A DAY IN THE LIFE AS A SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR

   As a Systems Administrator, you are responsible for responding to and assisting clients with resolving common technical issues, while meeting customer service and response time (SLA) objectives. You serve as an escalation point for the Support Desk to resolve complex issues and provide onsite and remote support to our clients who have critical response time requirements for their business technology systems. With urgency, you manage your daily schedule and are always happy to help. You are self-motivated to find ways to improve both client systems and your own technical knowledge.

   
   

   Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

   • Works with customers to troubleshoot technical computer issues and fully documents actions and results.
   • Configures new equipment, systems and software for customers.
   • Updates technical documentation detailing the customer’s computer environment and configurations.
   • Performs routine maintenance tasks on PCs and servers.
   • Participates in team meetings by reporting status of action items and helping to identify and resolve service delivery and customer issues.
   • Ensures appropriate data security and data backup processes and systems are in place to protect the client’s business systems.
   • Serves as escalation support for Support desk Admins to resolve complex client issues.
   • Maintains relationships with assigned clients to meet client retention goals.
   • Manages daily schedule to meet the demands of clients.
   • Works with Project teams as needed to meet client needs

   
   

   QUALIFICATIONS FOR A SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR

   • Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Server Operating Systems, Networking, Office365,
   • And RMM and PSA tools.
   • Intermediate knowledge of computer networks and security.
   • Advanced knowledge of PC troubleshooting.
   • Basic knowledge of general office equipment

   
   

   Are you flexible and able to work both independently and as part of a team? Do you have strong and persuasive communication skills including the ability to explain technical information in layman's terms? Are you able to plan and prioritize effectively? Do you have a professional demeanor? Can you handle stressful situations in a congenial manner? If so, you may be perfect for this information technology position!

   
   

   WORK SCHEDULE

   This is a full-time, Monday-Friday technical support position. Our business hours are from 8 am - 5 pm.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find systems support administrators 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 systems support administrator job on Zippia to find and attract quality systems support administrator candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit systems support administrators, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   If your interviews with systems support administrator 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 systems support administrator

   Once you have selected a candidate for the systems support administrator position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new systems support administrator. 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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