Hiring guide · Technology
How to Hire a Network Administrator
Pay benchmarks, qualifications, sourcing, screening and interview questions for hiring network administrators, plus a plan to get them productive fast.
Write a clear job description, offer competitive pay (the national median is $99,130), recruit through community college IT programs and bootcamps, verify CompTIA Network+ where applicable, run a structured interview with a practical skills check, and onboard with a 30-60-90 day plan.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
The hiring market for network administrators
There are about 323,600 network administrators employed in the U.S., with roughly 13,400 openings each year. Employment is projected to change -4.1% from 2025–35 (a projected decline). Most openings come from replacing workers who retire or change careers, so a steady pipeline matters.
Pay benchmarks for offers
| Candidate level | Annual | Hourly* |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level (10th–25th percentile) | $62,640–$78,010 | $30.12–$37.50 |
| Typical / mid-career (median) | $99,130 | $47.66 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $126,640 | $60.88 |
| Top of market (90th percentile) | $155,050 | $74.54 |
*Annual ÷ 2,080 hours except median. National BLS data; adjust for your state and metro area. Many states and cities now require pay ranges in job postings.
What to look for
Must-haves
- Bachelor's degree (typical entry level)
- Routing and switching
- Methodical troubleshooting
Nice-to-haves
- CompTIA Network+
- Cisco CCNA
- Microsoft Azure Administrator
- Experience with cisco, Juniper or similar network equipment
Where to find network administrators
- Community college IT programs and bootcamps
- Certification communities (CompTIA, Cisco, cloud providers)
- Portfolio and GitHub reviews
- Help desk promotion paths and IT apprenticeships
- Job postings that use common alternate titles: Network Engineer, Systems Administrator, Network and Systems Administrator, IT Administrator
Screening checklist
- A hands-on troubleshooting or technical exercise
- Certification verification (CompTIA, Cisco, cloud)
- Portfolio or code review
- Background check for roles with privileged access
Follow federal, state and local rules on background checks, drug testing and fair-chance hiring, and apply screening consistently to all candidates for the role.
Interview questions to ask
Ask every candidate the same questions and score answers on a structured scorecard.
1. “Walk me through troubleshooting a site that lost connectivity.”
What a strong answer includes: Describe a layered approach with ping, traceroute and checking devices.
2. “Explain VLANs and why you’d use them.”
What a strong answer includes: Describe segmentation for security and performance.
3. “How do you plan maintenance to avoid downtime?”
What a strong answer includes: Describe change management and rollback plans.
4. “What’s your experience with cloud networking?”
What a strong answer includes: Mention Azure or AWS networking concepts.
5. “Tell me about an outage you resolved.”
What a strong answer includes: Use STAR.
Practical skills checks
A short demonstration beats a perfect resume. Ask candidates to talk you through, or perform under supervision, tasks such as:
- Subnet a /24 Network into Four Subnets (see the steps)
- Troubleshoot Connectivity with Ping and Traceroute (see the steps)
- Plan a Safe Network Change (see the steps)
Red flags
- Can’t describe basic safety practices for the role
- Vague or inconsistent work history with no explanation
- Unfamiliar with core terms such as LAN / WAN, Router, Switch
- Negative talk about every past employer or coworker
Onboard for retention
The first 90 days decide whether a new hire stays. Use our Network Administrator 30-60-90 day onboarding plan and give every new hire the same foundation with Network Administrator training. Show them the path forward: Help Desk or Junior Admin → Network or Systems Administrator → Network or Cloud Engineer → Infrastructure Architect or IT Director.
Hiring network administrators: FAQ
How much should I pay a network administrator?
The U.S. median wage for network administrators is $99,130 per year ($47.66/hour), according to BLS May 2025 data. Entry-level offers often fall near the 25th percentile ($78,010), while experienced hires command closer to the 75th percentile ($126,640). Adjust for your local market.
What qualifications should a network administrator have?
BLS lists “bachelor's degree” as the typical entry-level education. Look for CompTIA Network+ and Cisco CCNA where relevant, plus skills such as routing and switching, tcp/ip and subnetting, and firewalls and vpns.
How long does it take to train a new network administrator?
Becoming qualified typically takes 1–4 years. After hire, plan for a structured 30-60-90 day onboarding period; BLS classifies on-the-job training for this occupation as “none.”