How to hire an assistant project engineer

How to hire an assistant project engineer, step by step

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

What does an assistant project engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The assistant project engineer 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?

   Yes

   No

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

   This list presents assistant project engineer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Assistant Project Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Assistant Project 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.	$26-43
   Structural Designer	A Structural Designer designs, develops, and supervises the construction of new buildings and bridges, or extensions to existing properties or other structures. They review and update construction drawings as well as communicate project problems and flaws to managers.	$22-40
   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:

   • Shop Drawings
   • Contract Drawings
   • Construction Management
   • Geotechnical
   • Construction Projects
   • RFI
   • Meeting Minutes
   • Auto CAD
   • HVAC
   • Project Documentation
   • Quantity Take-Offs
   • Construction Drawings
   • Engineering Design
   • Project Specifications

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and/or participate in a variety of water and wastewater assist company principles as engineering consultants for numerous municipal clients.
   • Request for information (RFI) review/ submission and maintenance of (RFI) log.
   • Maintain online communication logs for RFI s, current drawings set, and subcontractor correspondence relating to invoicing.
   • Enhance SCR system performance for internal combustion engine applications and provide compliance assurance through system troubleshooting and modifying existing PLC programming.
   • Research test and optimize a GPS tracking and navigational software for trucking shipments.
   • Create plans after doing complicate calculations to construct plumbing and electrical lines throughout commercial and residential properties.

   More assistant project engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your assistant project engineer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An assistant project engineer salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for an assistant project engineer in Nebraska may be lower than in Oklahoma, and an entry-level assistant project engineer usually earns less than a senior-level assistant project engineer. Additionally, an assistant project engineer with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average assistant project engineer salary

   $70,944yearly

   $34.11 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level assistant project engineer salary

   $55,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average assistant project engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$93,251	$45
   2	District of Columbia	$85,336	$41
   3	Washington	$81,130	$39
   4	New York	$77,662	$37
   5	New Jersey	$77,612	$37
   6	North Carolina	$75,800	$36
   7	Pennsylvania	$74,198	$36
   8	Illinois	$73,889	$36
   9	Virginia	$72,392	$35
   10	Georgia	$70,791	$34
   11	Nevada	$69,051	$33
   12	Louisiana	$68,495	$33
   13	Michigan	$67,407	$32
   14	Colorado	$67,010	$32
   15	Florida	$66,865	$32
   16	Texas	$63,996	$31
   17	Indiana	$63,172	$30
   18	South Carolina	$61,919	$30
   19	Ohio	$61,600	$30

   Average assistant project engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Westinghouse Appliances Australia	$91,048	$43.77	9
   2	New York Power Authority	$83,984	$40.38	6
   3	University of California-Berkeley	$83,322	$40.06
   4	Prologis	$81,374	$39.12
   5	Jacobs Engineering Group	$79,978	$38.45	2
   6	General Dynamics	$75,115	$36.11	11
   7	Gulfstream Aerospace	$73,747	$35.46
   8	CHA Health Systems	$73,142	$35.16	40
   9	Bechtel Corporation	$72,128	$34.68	55
   10	InfraSource LLC	$72,064	$34.65
   11	Bar-s Foods	$72,064	$34.65
   12	Jacobs Enterprises	$72,062	$34.65	459
   13	Aerotek	$71,996	$34.61	2
   14	Neighborhood Health Center of WNY	$71,833	$34.54
   15	E-J Electric Installation Co.	$71,308	$34.28
   16	NTH Consultants	$71,014	$34.14
   17	UnCruise Adventures	$70,565	$33.93
   18	Ardaman & Associates	$70,545	$33.92
   19	Moffatt & Nichol	$70,212	$33.76	52
   20	Consultant	$70,196	$33.75

4. Writing an assistant project engineer job description

   A job description for an assistant project 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 assistant project engineer job description:

   Assistant project engineer job description example

   Thriving communities. Healthy cities. Diverse experience. A brighter future. Continuous learning and growth. What we do is more than building roads and bridges; we work every day to make the world better for everyone. If you want to join a company invested in you, your success and the global community, join us as an
   Assistant Project Engineer .
   
   Co-located in the WSDOT Olympic Region, Olympia and Lacey, WA Project Engineering Office, you'll be a vital member of our Northwest team embedded within WSDOT, and have the chance to work on challenging projects where you'll lead multiple teams in Design and Construction for fish passage, preservation, safety and improvement projects.
   
   Join us and we'll assist in continuing the development of your skills and exploring all that you can do across our global company.
   
   #olympiawa #laceywa #nwtbghotjob
   
   Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering Minimum 10 years of experience in transportation project delivery, with a minimum of 5years of experience in construction management or equivalent, and prior experience leading and mentoring staff. Accurately apply WSDOT policy and standards to highway design elements and construction contract administration and complete the projects safely, on time, and within budget. Ability to review design and contract documents Assist the Project Engineers with Design-Build procurement and delivery. Coordinate with Public Outreach to develop and implement project communication/outreach strategies. Provide leadership, management, and engineering oversight to staff.
   Ideally, you'll also have:
   Washington State Professional Engineer license An understanding of the policies and recommended procedures for delivering a Design-Build projects. Prior knowledge of design and construction principles and practices, contracting methods and procedures, and construction methods. Excellent communication skills, both verbal and writing with the ability to evaluate, coordinate, and respond to partners, stakeholders and staff. Ability to make timely, effective decision in the best interest of the projects and the organization.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find assistant project engineers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your assistant project engineer job on Zippia to find and attract quality assistant project engineer candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit assistant project 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 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.

   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 assistant project engineer

   Once you've decided on a perfect assistant project engineer 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.

   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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new assistant project engineer. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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 assistant project engineer?