5 free templates, general, junior, senior, field, and MSP, with the FLSA non-exempt classification, certification mapping, and BLS salary guidance generic templates skip. Download as DOCX.
Network technician is one of the most loosely used titles in IT hiring, and that is exactly why most templates get it wrong. The work is hands-on: install, maintain, and troubleshoot networks, hardware, and cabling. But the same label gets attached to engineer-level design work that is a different role, a different pay band, and a different legal classification. Most templates online are thin duty lists that skip the two things that actually protect an employer: the FLSA classification and a clear technician-versus-engineer distinction.
At FirstHR, we build for small employers, and this role is core to that audience: managed service providers and small IT firms hire technicians repeatedly, often without any HR support, and small businesses bring on one or two in-house. The five templates below, a general version plus junior, senior, field, and MSP, are ready to use, each with the FLSA, certification, and salary guidance generic templates leave out.
A network technician installs, maintains, and troubleshoots networks and hardware. It is a hands-on role, distinct from a network engineer (who designs) and administrator (who manages). The hands-on technician is generally non-exempt and owed overtime, because the work is not systems analysis or programming. Federal median pay is $73,340. Five templates, downloadable as DOCX.
Technician vs Engineer vs Administrator
A network technician is a hands-on install, maintain, and troubleshoot role; a network engineer designs and architects networks; a network administrator manages and configures the running network day to day. The three sit on the same career path but differ in scope, pay, and FLSA classification, so the first step is confirming which one you are actually hiring.
The federal classification maps a network technician most closely to computer network support specialists, who install, maintain, and troubleshoot networks. Field and telecom technicians fall under a related occupation, while engineers and administrators are separate, higher-paid occupations. The occupational profile describes the support-and-troubleshoot work that defines the technician role. Match the template to that work, not to a more senior label.
Network Technician Responsibilities
Responsibilities cluster into four areas: install and configure, maintain and secure, troubleshoot and support, and field or hardware work. A general technician covers the first three; a field technician weights toward hardware and cabling. Pick the responsibilities that match the level and setting you are hiring for.
Install and configure
Install and configure network hardware and cabling
Set up switches, routers, access points, firewalls
Configure connectivity and network services
Maintain and secure
Monitor network health and respond to alerts
Apply updates, backups, and security practices
Maintain documentation and configurations
Troubleshoot and support
Diagnose connectivity, hardware, and performance issues
Resolve tickets and support users
Escalate complex issues to senior staff
Field and hardware
Run and terminate cabling
Install and repair equipment on site
Test, label, and document physical infrastructure
The emphasis shifts by level: a junior technician assists and learns, a senior technician leads troubleshooting and mentors, an MSP technician juggles multiple client environments. For a structured way to scope it, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by level and setting. The structure is the same across all five, but each emphasizes the duties, certifications, and pay that fit a specific kind of network-technician role. Use this guide to choose the closest fit, then adjust.
General Network Technician
Mid-level, default
The standard version: install, maintain, and troubleshoot networks. The right starting point for most in-house IT roles.
Junior Network Technician
Entry-level
For a first IT hire or career starter: assists with installs, cabling, and basic tickets under guidance, with a Network+ in hand or in progress.
Senior / Lead Technician
Experienced
For an experienced hands-on lead: advanced troubleshooting, mentoring, and project work, a step below network engineer.
Field / On-Site Technician
Travel, telecom
For on-site and telecom work: cabling, customer-site installs and repairs, and travel between locations.
MSP / Small Business
Multi-client
For an MSP or small IT firm: multi-client support, RMM and PSA tools, ticketing, and SLAs. The version nobody else writes.
Match the Template to the Role
Standard in-house IT role: the General Network Technician. A first IT hire or career starter: Junior. An experienced hands-on lead: Senior. On-site, cabling, and travel work: Field. An MSP or small IT firm supporting multiple clients: MSP / Small Business. If the work is genuine design and architecture, you are hiring an engineer, which is a separate role.
Download all five as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: company and job summary, key responsibilities, qualifications, an FLSA note, compensation, and how to apply, with an equal opportunity statement. Fill in the brackets and post.
Download All 5 Job Description Templates
General, junior, senior, field, and MSP. All in one DOCX.
Template 1: Network Technician (General)
The standard version: install, maintain, and troubleshoot networks. The right starting point for most in-house IT roles.
We are a [managed service provider / small IT firm] supporting small-business
clients in [area]. We are hiring a Network Technician to support multiple client
networks, resolve tickets, and keep our clients running. Right for someone
reliable who likes variety, client contact, and hands-on technical work in a
small team.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
•Support and troubleshoot multiple client networks
•Resolve tickets within SLA using our RMM and PSA tools
•Install and configure network hardware and connectivity
•Perform on-site visits and remote support
•Document client environments and ticket work
•Communicate clearly and professionally with clients
•Escalate complex issues and coordinate with the team
•Follow security and backup standards across clients
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
•Network+ or CCNA preferred; aptitude and reliability count
•Comfortable supporting several client environments at once
•Experience with RMM, PSA, or ticketing tools a plus
•Strong troubleshooting and customer-service skills
•Willing to travel locally to client sites
FLSA NOTE (read before posting)
This is a NON-EXEMPT, hourly role owed overtime; hands-on multi-client support
is not systems analysis or programming, so it does not meet the computer-employee
exemption, even with a technician title. Track hours and pay overtime. This is
general information, not legal advice.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Pay range: $_____ to $_____ per year [+ benefits]
To apply, send your resume to __ or call ____.
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
FLSA, Levels, and Certifications
This is the part the generic templates skip, and for a network-technician hire it is where the real risk lives: the role is usually non-exempt, the technician-versus-engineer line drives pay and classification, and certifications should match the level. Here is what to get right.
A hands-on network technician is usually non-exempt and owed overtime
This is the point no competing template makes, and it is the one most likely to expose a small employer. The FLSA computer-employee exemption is narrow: it applies only when the primary duty is systems analysis, or the design, development, testing, or modification of computer systems or programs. A network technician installs, maintains, troubleshoots, and repairs hardware and connectivity, which is not systems analysis or programming. The rules are explicit that the computer exemption does not include employees engaged in the manufacture or repair of computer hardware and related equipment, and that job titles do not determine exemption status. The administrative exemption also generally fails, because the work follows established procedures rather than exercising discretion on matters of significance. Treat a hands-on technician as non-exempt regardless of the technician title, track hours, and pay overtime over 40 in a week. This is general information, not legal advice.
Technician is not engineer, and the difference drives both pay and classification
The label network technician is used loosely across very different roles, and the distinction matters for the posting and the paycheck. A network technician is a hands-on install, maintain, and troubleshoot role, typically non-exempt, with a federal median near $73,000. A network engineer or architect designs and architects networks, applies systems-analysis techniques, may qualify for the computer-employee exemption, and earns well above that, often $85,000 to $130,000 or more. A network administrator manages and configures systems day to day, with a federal median near $97,000, and usually warrants its own posting. Write the job description for the role you actually need: if the work is hands-on support, use the technician templates here and classify non-exempt; if it is genuine design and architecture, you are hiring an engineer, and that is a different role, pay band, and classification analysis. This is general information, not legal advice.
Map certifications to the level instead of overasking
Certifications are the clearest signal of a technician's level, and matching them to the role keeps your candidate pool realistic. For an entry or junior technician, CompTIA Network+ is the standard baseline and is often acceptable in progress. For a general or senior technician, Cisco's CCNA signals solid routing and switching competence, and CompTIA Security+ adds a security credential many employers value. Reserve advanced or vendor-expert certifications for genuine engineer roles, since requiring them for a technician posting will shrink your applicant pool and inflate pay expectations without matching the actual work. State certifications as preferred rather than mandatory where you are willing to train, and accept equivalent hands-on experience. Plan to collect and store a copy of each certificate during onboarding, and track expiration dates where the credential renews. This is general information, not legal advice.
Post a pay range where your state requires it, and mind on-call hours
Two practical posting points apply to this role. First, pay transparency: a growing number of states require a good-faith salary or hourly range in the job posting, several with low employee thresholds that catch small businesses and MSPs, so check your state and include a realistic range. Second, hours: network support often involves on-call, after-hours, and emergency work, and because the technician is non-exempt, all of that time must be tracked and paid, with overtime over 40 in a week. Field roles add travel time, which may be compensable depending on the circumstances. Build hour tracking into the role from the start rather than assuming a salary covers unlimited availability. State minimum wages in higher-cost states also set a floor that informs the bottom of your range. This is general information, not legal advice.
The Computer Exemption Excludes Hardware Repair
The FLSA computer-employee exemption applies only when the primary duty is systems analysis or programming, and 29 CFR 541.401 states it does not include employees engaged in the manufacture or repair of computer hardware. Per DOL Fact Sheet 17E, job titles do not determine status. A hands-on technician is non-exempt: track hours and pay overtime.
For the underlying rules, the exempt versus non-exempt guide and the Fair Labor Standards Act overview explain the duties tests and overtime. The practical rule: confirm the role is a technician not an engineer, classify the hands-on role non-exempt, map certifications to the level, and post a range where your state requires one.
Certifications: Network+, CCNA, Security+
The common network-technician certifications map to level. Use this to decide what to require or prefer, and to read a candidate's credentials without overasking.
Certification
Issuer
Best for
CompTIA Network+
CompTIA
Entry to mid-level; the standard baseline
CompTIA Security+
CompTIA
Adding a valued security credential
CCNA
Cisco
General to senior; routing and switching
CCNP and above
Cisco
Engineer-level roles, not technicians
For most technician postings, Network+ or CCNA preferred, with security as a plus, hits the right level, and accepting an in-progress credential or equivalent experience widens the pool. You can review credential details through CompTIA, then collect and store a copy of each certificate during onboarding.
Skills and Requirements
Network-technician requirements center on hands-on networking knowledge, troubleshooting, certifications matched to level, and communication. Scale the specifics to the level and setting.
Requirement
What to look for
Education
Associate degree in IT or equivalent experience; high school plus certs for junior
Certification
Network+ or CCNA preferred; Security+ a plus; matched to level
Technical
TCP/IP, LAN/WAN, DNS, DHCP, switching, routing, and cabling
Troubleshooting
Proven hands-on diagnosis and resolution
Field
Driver's license and travel ability for field roles
Classification
Non-exempt, hourly for hands-on technicians; overtime over 40 hours
Keep every requirement job-related and neutral, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on a protected characteristic, and the SHRM guide covers the standard sections of a job description.
Network Technician Pay
Network-technician pay varies by level, region, setting, and certification, and is hourly and non-exempt for the typical hands-on role. Anchor to the federal occupation, then adjust for your market and level.
Median $73,340, Under the Engineer Band (BLS)
By federal data for May 2024, computer network support specialists, the closest occupation to a network technician, had a median annual wage of $73,340, with the lowest 10 percent under $46,010 and the highest 10 percent over $124,470. For context, the senior network administrator role has a median near $96,800, and a network engineer or architect runs well above that, which is why titling and classifying the role correctly matters.
Certified and senior technicians earn at the higher end, while junior and entry roles sit lower. Because the hands-on role is non-exempt, the effective earnings also depend on overtime and on-call work, which must be paid at one and a half times the regular rate over 40 hours in a week. Employment for computer support specialists overall is projected to decline slightly through 2034, though roughly 50,500 openings a year are expected from turnover. Set your range using current local data for the specific level, and post a range where your state requires one. This is general information, not legal advice.
Hiring for an MSP or Small Business
Network technicians are hired across the size spectrum, but MSPs and small IT firms are the sharpest fit: they hire repeatedly, support multiple clients, and rarely have HR. Here is what that reality means for the posting.
MSPs and small IT firms hire technicians constantly, and rarely have HR
Small businesses bring on network technicians through a few channels: managed service providers and small IT firms hiring Tier-1 and Tier-2 techs, small companies with one or two in-house IT staff, and infrastructure-heavy verticals like construction, manufacturing, and healthcare. The sharpest fit is the MSP, which hires technicians repeatedly to support multiple clients and almost never has a dedicated HR person; the owner or a service manager writes the posting between client work. The generic network-technician templates online are written as if every employer has an HR department and one standard role. The five versions here, especially the MSP and small-business version that no competitor offers, are written for that reality: pick the level and setting that match, fill in the brackets, and post.
Misclassifying a technician as exempt is the costly mistake here
The single biggest compliance risk on a network-technician hire is classification, and small employers are the most exposed because the technician title sounds professional and salaried. But a hands-on install, maintain, and troubleshoot role does not meet the computer-employee exemption, which requires systems analysis or programming, and the rules specifically exclude hardware repair from the exemption. Putting a technician on a flat salary and skipping overtime is a misclassification that builds back-pay liability, especially given the on-call and after-hours work common in IT support. The templates here mark the role non-exempt and explain why, so your posting and your pay practice start correct. If you are genuinely hiring a network engineer who designs systems, that is a different role and a separate classification analysis worth confirming with counsel.
Onboarding an IT hire is provisioning-heavy and credential-sensitive
A new network technician needs accounts, access, and equipment on day one, plus their certifications on file, which makes a clean, documented onboarding worth getting right. After the offer, the work is consistent: a signed offer stating the non-exempt classification, Form I-9 and tax forms, copies of Network+, CCNA, or Security+ certificates, account and system provisioning, a laptop and badge, and a first-week plan on your tools and procedures. FirstHR fits this for a small business or MSP: e-signature for the offer letter, an AI onboarding wizard to turn the role into an onboarding workflow, task workflows for provisioning and access steps, document management for signed forms and certificate copies, and employee profiles to store certification expiry. To be clear about scope, FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not an RMM, PSA, or network-management tool, so pair it with those; it does not run payroll or administer benefits. Applicant tracking is coming soon.
From Hiring to Onboarding
The job description is step one. Once a candidate accepts, the same document becomes the basis for the offer and a provisioning-ready onboarding: a network technician needs accounts, access, and equipment on day one, plus their certifications on file, so a clean, documented process gets them productive fast.
Send the offer
Confirm the role, pay, and non-exempt classification in writing. An offer letter template makes this fast for a technician hire.
Collect certifications
Store copies of Network+, CCNA, or Security+ certificates, and note any expiration dates to track.
Provision access and equipment
Set up accounts, system access, a laptop, and a badge before the first day so the technician is productive fast.
Store the records
Keep the signed offer, I-9, and certification copies organized for compliance and audits.
Once your offer is ready, the offer letter template handles the next step, and an onboarding template gives the new technician a structured start. FirstHR connects the offer, paperwork, e-signatures, certification storage, provisioning tasks, and the onboarding workflow in one place so a small business or MSP can run the full process from one system, with the non-exempt classification recorded from day one. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not an RMM, PSA, or network-management tool, so pair it with those; it does not run payroll or administer benefits, so connect those separately. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Key Takeaways
A network technician installs, maintains, and troubleshoots; distinct from an engineer (who designs) and an administrator (who manages).
Use the template that matches the level and setting: general, junior, senior, field, or MSP.
A hands-on technician is generally non-exempt and owed overtime, because the work is not systems analysis or programming.
The computer-employee exemption specifically excludes hardware repair, and job titles do not determine status.
Map certifications to the level: Network+ for junior, CCNA and Security+ for general and senior; do not require engineer-level certs.
Federal median pay is $73,340, below the administrator and engineer bands.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a network technician, engineer, and administrator?
They sit at different points on the same network career path. A network technician is a hands-on install, maintain, and troubleshoot role: setting up hardware and cabling, fixing connectivity, and resolving tickets, with a federal median near $73,000. A network administrator manages and configures the network day to day, handling user access, monitoring, and system upkeep, with a federal median near $97,000. A network engineer or architect designs and architects networks, applying systems-analysis techniques to plan capacity, security, and topology, and earns well above the others, often $85,000 to $130,000 or more. The practical takeaway for hiring: the technician is the entry-to-mid hands-on role, the administrator runs the running network, and the engineer designs it. Write the posting for the role you actually need, because the pay band and the FLSA classification differ across the three. This is general information, not legal advice.
Is a network technician exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
A hands-on network technician is generally non-exempt and owed overtime. The FLSA computer-employee exemption is narrow: it applies only when the primary duty is systems analysis, or the design, development, testing, or modification of computer systems or programs. Installing, maintaining, troubleshooting, and repairing network hardware and connectivity is none of those things, and the rules explicitly state that the computer exemption does not include employees engaged in the manufacture or repair of computer hardware and related equipment. Job titles do not determine exemption status, so calling the role a technician or specialist does not make it exempt. The administrative exemption also generally fails, because the work follows established procedures rather than exercising discretion on matters of significance. A genuine network engineer who designs systems may qualify, but a hands-on technician should be treated as non-exempt: track hours and pay overtime. Confirm any close case with counsel. This is general information, not legal advice.
What certifications should a network technician have?
Match the certification to the level rather than overasking. For an entry or junior technician, CompTIA Network+ is the standard baseline and is often acceptable in progress. For a general or senior technician, Cisco's CCNA signals solid routing and switching competence, and CompTIA Security+ adds a widely valued security credential. Reserve advanced or vendor-expert certifications for genuine network engineer roles, because requiring them on a technician posting shrinks your candidate pool and pushes up pay expectations without matching the work. Many small employers list certifications as preferred rather than mandatory and accept equivalent hands-on experience, which widens the pool, especially for a first IT hire. Whatever you require, state it clearly, and plan to collect and store a copy of each certificate during onboarding, tracking renewal dates where the credential expires. This is general information, not legal advice.
How much does a network technician make?
Using federal data from May 2024, computer network support specialists, the closest occupation to a network technician, had a median annual wage of $73,340, with the lowest 10 percent under $46,010 and the highest 10 percent over $124,470. Field and telecom technicians, a related group, run somewhat lower, with a median around $64,000. Pay varies by region, setting, experience, and certification, and is hourly and non-exempt for the typical hands-on role, so overtime adds to the effective total. For context, the more senior network administrator role has a median near $97,000 and a network engineer or architect well above that, which is part of why classifying and titling the role correctly matters. Employment for computer support specialists overall is projected to decline slightly through 2034, though roughly 50,500 openings a year are expected from turnover. Set your range using current local data for the specific level, and post a range where your state requires one. This is general information, not legal advice.
Should an MSP or small business hire a network technician or a network engineer?
For most small businesses and MSPs, the right hire is a network technician, not an engineer. The day-to-day need is hands-on support: installs, cabling, troubleshooting, ticket resolution, and client support, which is exactly the technician role. A network engineer designs and architects networks, a higher-level and more expensive role that a small operation rarely needs full time, and posting for an engineer when you need a technician inflates pay expectations and narrows your pool. The MSP and small-business template here is written for the common reality: a technician supporting multiple client environments with RMM, PSA, and ticketing tools, under SLAs. If your environment genuinely requires ongoing design and architecture work, that is an engineer, and it is a separate posting with a different pay band and classification. Start with the technician level that matches your support load and grow from there. This is general information, not legal advice.
Is a network technician the same as a help desk technician?
No, though they overlap and sometimes share a person in a small shop. A help desk or user support technician focuses on supporting end users: resolving software, account, password, and device issues, often by phone, chat, or remote tools. A network technician focuses on the network infrastructure itself: installing and maintaining hardware and cabling, configuring switches and routers, and troubleshooting connectivity. Federal data even places them in related but distinct occupations, with network support specialists earning more than user support specialists. In a very small business one technician may do both, but the network technician role leans toward hands-on infrastructure work while help desk leans toward user-facing support. If your primary need is users calling with everyday IT problems, you may want a help desk or IT support role; if it is keeping the network running, you want a network technician. Match the posting to the dominant need. This is general information, not legal advice.
Do network technicians work overtime and on-call?
Often yes, and because the role is non-exempt, that time must be tracked and paid. Network and IT support frequently involves after-hours maintenance windows, emergency outages, and on-call rotations, since networks may need to be available around the clock. For a non-exempt technician, all hours worked count, including after-hours and on-call time spent working, and overtime is owed at one and a half times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a week. Field technicians may also have compensable travel time depending on the circumstances. The common small-employer mistake is assuming a salary covers unlimited availability; it does not for a non-exempt role. Build hour tracking and an on-call pay practice into the job from the start, and state the on-call or shift expectations clearly in the posting so candidates know what the schedule involves. This is general information, not legal advice.
What should a network technician job description include?
A strong posting names the level and setting first, whether general, junior, senior, field, or MSP, since that shapes the duties, certifications, and pay. Include a short company summary, a job summary framing the install-maintain-troubleshoot role, and responsibilities grouped into install and configure, maintain and secure, troubleshoot and support, and field or hardware work where relevant. State the required and preferred certifications mapped to the level, the technical knowledge expected, and the on-call or travel expectations. The most valuable additions that generic templates skip are the FLSA note marking the hands-on role non-exempt and overtime-eligible, a clear technician-versus-engineer distinction so you hire and classify the right role, and a salary range where your state requires one. Close with an equal opportunity statement and clear apply instructions, then bridge into a provisioning-ready onboarding. This is general information, not legal advice.
