How to hire a wide area network engineer

How to hire a wide area network engineer, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a wide area network engineer, 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 wide area network engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, wide area network engineers 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 wide area network engineer salaries for various roles:

   Type of Wide Area Network Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Wide Area Network 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.	$32-66
   System Technician	A system technician is a professional responsible for supporting users with issues related to the computer system. System technicians conduct appropriate diagnostics on computer issues and must be able to explain technical issues to clients or team members... Show more	$12-32
   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:

   • Lan
   • Network Management
   • Switches
   • Linux
   • VPN
   • DNS
   • Unix
   • Frame-Relay
   • Firewall
   • VoIP
   • ISDN
   • Network Design
   • SolarWinds
   • Trouble Tickets

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Design, manage, and deploy firewalls, switches, routers, and servers.
   • Manage setup of isolation LAN (DMZ) to enable both accessible and secure inter-network.
   • Manage network access of satellite offices and clients in ATM, frame relay, ISDN and VPN environments.
   • Manage the F5 BigIP GTM/LTM appliances to include writing iRules, SSL offload and everyday task of creating WIP and VIPs.
   • Configure networks using TCP/IP, Novell IPX, x.25, and data link switching (DLSw) protocols.
   • Utilize CISCO routers, checkpoint firewalls, and the network consists of NOVELL and NT and a single UNIX server.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, wide area network engineers' average salary in north dakota is 59% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level wide area network engineers earn 51% less than senior-level wide area network engineers.
   • Certifications. A wide area network 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 wide area network engineer's salary.

   Average wide area network engineer salary

   $97,020yearly

   $46.64 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level wide area network engineer salary

   $67,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

4. Writing a wide area network engineer job description

   A job description for a wide area network engineer 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 wide area network engineer job description:

   Wide area network engineer job description example

   Minimum qualifications:
   
   + Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent practical experience
   
   + 9 years of experience in the Networking Industry
   
   Preferred qualifications:
   
   + 3 years of experience in technical leadership in Networking Software Development
   
   + Experience in Network Operations with internet or cloud
   
   + Experience in device level feature sets, software driven unit testing of devices, and adherence to open standards
   
   + Experience working in Network Standards forums (e.g., Open Configuration and Streaming Telemetry)
   
   + Excellent network engineering, software engineering, algorithm design, data modeling, and implementation skills
   
   Google is proud to boast a network that provides service to millions of Internet users around the world. The Network Engineering team is responsible for operating that network reliably and at scale. As a member of the team, you have a direct impact on design and feature enhancements to keep our systems running smoothly. You also ensure that network operations are safe and efficient by monitoring network performance, coordinating planned maintenance, adjusting hardware components and responding to network connectivity issues. Google's complex network generates a constant stream of challenges which require you to continually be innovative with an evolving set of technologies. Keeping the network reliable ensures that our users stay connected with our suite of applications, products and services.
   
   Behind everything our users see online is the architecture built by the Technical Infrastructure team to keep it running. From developing and maintaining our data centers to building the next generation of Google platforms, we make Google's product portfolio possible. We're proud to be our engineers' engineers and love voiding warranties by taking things apart so we can rebuild them. We keep our networks up and running, ensuring our users have the best and fastest experience possible.
   
   + Create consistent and coherent data models for use in a variety of network use cases.
   
   + Create test suite to exercise the protocols and verify the device data models.
   
   + Manage devices and control protocols based on Remote procedure call.
   
   + Advocate for Open Configuration, test driven features and device development, and software centric network devices.
   
   + Write code for device management and feature verification through automated test routines.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right wide area network engineer 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 wide area network engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit wide area network engineers 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 wide area network engineer job on Zippia to find and attract quality wide area network engineer 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 wide area network engineer 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.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with a wide area network engineer 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 wide area network engineer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the wide area network engineer 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 also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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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