How to hire an architectural engineer

How to hire an architectural engineer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step architectural engineer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an architectural engineer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new architectural engineer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an architectural engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an architectural 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

   An architectural engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, architectural 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of architectural engineers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Architectural Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Architectural Engineer	Civil engineers design, build, supervise, operate, and maintain construction projects and systems in the public and private sector, including roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and systems for water supply and sewage treatment.	$33-75
   Landscape Designer	A landscape designer is responsible for ensuring that the plan arrangement meets the client's best interests with the highest quality standards. Landscape designers must have strong attention to detail, outstanding communication skills, and excellent analytical skills to provide the best services as the client instructs... Show more	$19-35
   Civil Engineering Internship	Civil engineer interns work to improve their knowledge about construction and its relevant works. An internship provides them insight into various aspects of construction and how things run at the site... Show more	$16-38

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Python
   • C++
   • Revit
   • Java
   • Project Management
   • SAN
   • SOC
   • CPU
   • Windows
   • Linux
   • Design Development
   • AWS
   • Engineering Design
   • CAD

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Maintain the SAN, perform backups, and manage multiple databases.
   • Manage overall SaaS implementation for large scale clients, including scoping requirements, designing solutions, planning project timelines.
   • Lead application security teams in defining role base access controls to automate user provisioning.
   • Manage Jenkins security by providing specific access to authorize developers/testers using project base matrix authorization strategy.
   • Used VNC, Cygwin, SunSolaris, shell, perl, ClearCase / ClearQuest.
   • Perform on-site project consultations with HVAC and plumbing contractors to coordinate conduit path layouts.

   More architectural engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the architectural engineer job description is a good way to get more applicants. An architectural engineer 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 an architectural engineer in Iowa may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level architectural engineer. Additionally, an architectural engineer with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average architectural engineer salary

   $105,163yearly

   $50.56 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level architectural engineer salary

   $70,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

   Average architectural engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$139,669	$67
   2	Oregon	$113,787	$55
   3	Washington	$104,180	$50
   4	Massachusetts	$102,391	$49
   5	Virginia	$97,527	$47
   6	Utah	$97,259	$47
   7	Texas	$95,351	$46
   8	Colorado	$94,410	$45
   9	Pennsylvania	$93,943	$45
   10	Arizona	$89,045	$43
   11	North Carolina	$87,224	$42
   12	Michigan	$87,142	$42
   13	Florida	$86,600	$42
   14	New York	$85,983	$41
   15	District of Columbia	$85,716	$41
   16	Indiana	$85,146	$41
   17	Georgia	$85,078	$41
   18	South Carolina	$84,784	$41
   19	Kansas	$83,265	$40
   20	Illinois	$80,731	$39

   Average architectural engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$162,236	$78.00	90
   2	Apple	$153,688	$73.89	77
   3	Google	$148,152	$71.23	50
   4	Addepar	$138,579	$66.62
   5	Expedia Group	$133,102	$63.99
   6	NVIDIA	$131,986	$63.45	76
   7	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$131,433	$63.19	8
   8	Ambarella	$125,549	$60.36
   9	Samsung Electronics Device Solutions (Semiconductor & Display)	$125,264	$60.22	32
   10	CyberCoders	$125,222	$60.20
   11	Amd	$123,888	$59.56	15
   12	Costco Wholesale	$122,523	$58.91
   13	Air Products	$119,799	$57.60
   14	Intel	$118,172	$56.81	8
   15	Qualcomm	$116,820	$56.16	27
   16	EMC	$115,639	$55.60
   17	Ball	$115,026	$55.30
   18	Visa	$114,931	$55.26	1
   19	NetJets	$114,930	$55.25	1
   20	Kinsley Power Systems	$114,846	$55.21

4. Writing an architectural engineer job description

   A job description for an architectural 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 an architectural engineer job description:

   Architectural engineer job description example

   Bastion offers career opportunities with competitive benefits, exciting possibilities for advancement and an exceptional work environment. Our culture is based on strong business ethics, integrity, and professionalism. Our team members are known for their initiative and high-quality work. When it comes to our employees, we value, respect, and help them grow in their careers.
   
   The Systems Architecture Engineer will identify system architecture needs and develop enterprise architecture products such as DoDAF drawings (e.g., executive and system views and topology diagrams) to be produced in support of moderately complex assigned projects.
   Serve as an interface for project information pertaining to Architecture for all assigned projects Plan, conduct, and assist in project execution in the area of Architecture. Analyze and resolve program support deficiencies and document capability gaps to enhance performance. Analyze, develop, recommend and implement approaches to meet all assigned tasks and milestones Perform gap analysis of existing systems. Provide technical support by handling systems-related issues. Assist in the development of proposals and basis of estimates to ensure Architecture-related products and support are adequately addressed. As project needs dictate, assist in other areas of Systems Engineering such as Requirements Management, Test & Verification and Specialty Engineering. Prepare reports to communicate information to appropriate personnel. Perform other duties as assigned.
   REQUIRED: Must be able to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret Security Clearance, which includes U.S. citizenship or U.S. naturalization. Valid U.S. Driver's License required. Bachelor's degree in an applicable science, technology, engineering or math field. Minimum of five (5) years' experience working in engineering environment with emphasis on Systems Engineering and Integration. Fundamental knowledge of the engineering lifecycle and Systems Engineering processes. Experience working with Project IPTs. The flexibility to work occasional non-duty hours or on weekends to support specific project or mission requirements.
   PREFRRED: Working with Engineering information development and management tools (e.g., System Architect, DOORS, Product Lifecycle Management tools, etc.), experience developing architecture diagrams, experience developing and decomposing requirements, experience working in a test environment, experience developing technical analysis documentation (Human Factors and Hazard Analysis). Working knowledge of the Vandenberg Space Force Base Launch Range and its instrumentation preferred.
   WORK LOCATION: This position is located onsite; no hybrid or remote working will be available for this position.
   BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS REQUIRED: All Bastion employees must be able to pass a national agency check, some positions require a clearance and will require an extensive background verification/check process.
   DRUG AND ALCOHOL SCREENING REQUIRED: All Bastion employees must be able to pass pre-employment drug screen; some contracts require participation in periodic random drug and alcohol screening programs.
   STANDARD BASTION REQUIREMENTS: All of Bastion's employees must be team players, able to communicate effectively with internal and external customers, able to follow company programs, processes, procedures, practices, requirements, goals, and objectives, they must have a strong work ethic and must be safety culture oriented. In addition, they must have experience with Microsoft Office Suite, and must be organized with good time management skills.
   BASTION BENEFITS: Bastion offers a wide range of benefits for their full-time employees; medical, prescription, dental, vision, AD&D, disability benefits, life insurance, retirement 401k, vacation, sick pay, holidays, and flexible work schedules (when available). We also support career advancement through professional training and development.
   INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY: At Bastion, we are passionate about our people and our safety culture. We are committed to a journey toward being a more inclusive and diverse company, that philosophy fosters an environment of collaboration across cultures. Individual thoughts, opinions, and perspectives bring value and help us develop solutions for challenging problems, they make us more inventive, and more resilient.
   VACCINE MANDATE: In compliance with the U.S. federal government's vaccine mandate, only candidates who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or who have a reasonable accommodation or approved medical exception will be considered for this position.
   SALARY RANGE: $119,000 - $132,000
   Bastion is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. Bastion participates in e-Verify.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right architectural 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 architectural engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit architectural 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 architectural engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit architectural engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit architectural engineers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 architectural engineer

   Once you've selected the best architectural engineer candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the 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.

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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How much does it cost to hire an architectural engineer?