How to hire a systems administrator

Systems administrator hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring systems administrators in the United States:

In the United States, the median cost per hire a systems administrator is $1,633.
It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new systems administrator to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a systems administrator, step by step

To hire a systems administrator, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire a systems administrator, you should follow these steps:

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

What does a systems administrator do?

Systems administrators are employees who oversee information technology infrastructures in the office. They are skilled information technology professionals who are knowledgeable about the company's network systems and other technology-related infrastructures. They are responsible for installing, configuring, or updating network systems, software, and hardware. They also monitor the different systems and troubleshoot any issues that users may encounter. Systems administrators manage the access of users, ensure the security of the network, and address any challenges that users may have. They conduct repairs and routine maintenance to ensure that the systems in place are in the best shape.

Learn more about the specifics of what a systems administrator does

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Identify your hiring needs

The 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?

Hiring the perfect systems administrator also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

The following list breaks down different types of systems administrators and their corresponding salaries.

Type of Systems Administrator	Description	Hourly rate
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.	$28-48
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
Systems Support Analyst	A systems support analyst is responsible for supporting the operations of the technology department of an organization, resolving network issues, and maintaining the safety and security of the system database. Systems support analysts must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, identifying system process improvements, upgrading system infrastructure, and assisting end-users with navigation... Show more	$27-54

Create an ideal candidate profile
Common skills:
- Linux
- Troubleshoot
- Windows Server
- Database
- Technical Support
- PowerShell
- OS
- DNS
- Unix
- SAN
- Java
- Tcp Ip
- SCCM
- Computer System
Check all skills
Responsibilities:
- Used Jenkins to automate most of the build relate tasks.
- Manage windows file servers, messaging, and SQL databases.
- Lead the project which integrate internal DNS into the corporate LDAP infrastructure for end user host management prior to deployment.
- Lead business-critical information security initiatives involving encryption of customer data.
- Authore and maintain shell and Perl scripts to automate administration tasks for infrastructure management.
- Configure & manage all switches and servers responsible for providing WLAN connectivity and authentication services.
More systems administrator duties

Make a budget

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

Location. For example, systems administrators' average salary in wyoming is 34% less than in california.
Seniority. Entry-level systems administrators earn 41% less than senior-level systems administrators.
Certifications. A systems administrator 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 systems administrator's salary.

Average systems administrator salary

$77,156yearly

$37.09 hourly rate

Entry-level systems administrator salary

$59,000 yearly salary

Updated July 19, 2025

Average systems administrator salary by state

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	California	$95,429	$46
2	Washington	$84,712	$41
3	Massachusetts	$81,501	$39
4	Maryland	$81,494	$39
5	District of Columbia	$80,718	$39
6	New York	$80,645	$39
7	Connecticut	$80,245	$39
8	Oregon	$79,881	$38
9	Virginia	$78,659	$38
10	Pennsylvania	$78,026	$38
11	New Jersey	$77,443	$37
12	Maine	$76,904	$37
13	Texas	$74,239	$36
14	North Carolina	$73,827	$35
15	Arizona	$73,591	$35
16	Illinois	$72,081	$35
17	Ohio	$71,116	$34
18	Georgia	$70,533	$34
19	Missouri	$69,640	$33
20	Indiana	$69,114	$33

Average systems administrator salary by company

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
1	Meta	$133,805	$64.33	1,118
2	First Republic Bank	$129,077	$62.06
3	Apple	$128,903	$61.97	513
4	Google	$128,277	$61.67	155
5	Cloudflare	$127,568	$61.33	22
6	Airbnb	$126,008	$60.58
7	Cisco	$125,923	$60.54	11
8	Mixpanel	$123,463	$59.36	2
9	Barclays	$123,051	$59.16	1
10	American Tower	$122,992	$59.13	9
11	Gap Inc.	$122,952	$59.11
12	PayPal	$122,812	$59.04	10
13	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$121,954	$58.63	84
14	DocuSign	$121,379	$58.36
15	Intuitive Surgical	$120,665	$58.01	17
16	NVIDIA	$120,562	$57.96	102
17	The Citadel	$120,460	$57.91	4
18	eBay	$120,280	$57.83	1
19	Palo Alto Networks	$120,030	$57.71	20
20	Stanford University	$119,952	$57.67	17

Writing a systems administrator job description
A systems administrator 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. Below, you can find an example of a systems administrator job description:
Systems Administrator job description example
Full time
Type Of Hire : Experienced (relevant combo of work and education) Education Desired : Bachelor of Information Technology Travel Percentage : 25 - 50% Job Description We are FIS. Our technology powers the world’s economy and our teams bring innovation to life. We champion diversity to deliver the best products and solutions for our colleagues, clients and communities. If you’re ready to start learning, growing and making an impact with a career in fintech, we’d like to know: Are you FIS?

About the role:
As a Systems Administrator, your team will maintain the critical server infrastructure that allows us to advance the way the world pays, banks and invests. You’ll be responsible for deploying new technologies as well as ensuring system performance.

About the team:

What you will be doing:
• Supporting messaging services and maintaining a secure environment.
• Proposing and implementing system enhancements.
• Monitoring system usage and performance and troubleshooting issues.
• Assisting with hardware and software upgrades or repairs.

What you will need:
• Knowledge of multiple operating systems and related utilities and hardware.
• Experience with storage management, TCP/IP, network monitoring and tools.
• A bachelor’s degree in a technical discipline or the equivalent experience.

Added bonus if you have:

What we offer you:
At FIS, you can learn, grow and make an impact in your career. Our benefits include:
• Flexible and creative work environment
• Diverse and collaborative atmosphere
• Professional and personal development resources
• Opportunities to volunteer and support charities
• Competitive salary and benefits . Privacy Statement FIS is committed to protecting the privacy and security of all personal information that we process in order to provide services to our clients. For specific information on how FIS protects personal information online, please see the Online Privacy Notice. EEOC Statement FIS is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, genetic information, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other protected characteristics. The EEO is the Law poster is available here supplement document available here
For positions located in the US, the following conditions apply. If you are made a conditional offer of employment, you will be required to undergo a drug test. ADA Disclaimer: In developing this job description care was taken to include all competencies needed to successfully perform in this position. However, for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) purposes, the essential functions of the job may or may not have been described for purposes of ADA reasonable accommodation. All reasonable accommodation requests will be reviewed and evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Sourcing Model Recruitment at FIS works primarily on a direct sourcing model; a relatively small portion of our hiring is through recruitment agencies. FIS does not accept resumes from recruitment agencies which are not on the preferred supplier list and is not responsible for any related fees for resumes submitted to job postings, our employees, or any other part of our company. #pridepass
Post your job
There are various strategies that you can use to find the right systems administrator for your business:
- Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
- Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
- Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
- Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.
Post your job online:
- Post your systems administrator job on Zippia to find and attract quality systems administrator candidates.
- Use niche websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
- Post a job on free websites.
Interview candidates
During your first interview to recruit systems 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.
While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with a systems administrator 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.
Send a job offer and onboard your new systems administrator
Once you've decided on a perfect systems administrator candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.
You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.
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.
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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How much does it cost to hire a systems administrator?

Before you start to hire systems administrators, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire systems administrators pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

Systems administrators earn a median yearly salary is $77,156 a year in the US. However, if you're looking to find systems administrators for hire on a contract or per-project basis, hourly rates typically range between $28 and $48.

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Updated July 19, 2025

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How to hire a systems administrator