How to hire an associate electrical engineer

How to hire an associate electrical engineer, step by step

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

What does an associate electrical engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The associate electrical 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

   Hiring the perfect associate electrical engineer 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.

   This list presents associate electrical engineer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Associate Electrical Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Associate Electrical Engineer	Electrical engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the manufacturing of electrical equipment, such as electric motors, radar and navigation systems, communications systems, and power generation equipment. Electronics engineers design and develop electronic equipment, such as broadcast and communications systems—from portable music players to global positioning systems (GPSs).	$24-48
   Radio Frequency Engineer	A radio frequency engineer, also known as RF engineer, specializes in designing and developing communication systems using radio waves. One of their primary responsibilities revolves around creating networks and systems and testing equipment... Show more	$32-55
   Engineer	Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects... Show more	$31-62

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Electrical Components
   • Electrical Equipment
   • RF
   • CAD
   • Autocad
   • C++
   • Power Electronics
   • MATLAB
   • Renewable Energy
   • Electrical Design
   • Circuit Design
   • Electrical Systems
   • Technical Support
   • Troubleshoot

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Assist engineers with designing and coding test fixtures using LabVIEW to automate production testing.
   • Perform experiments on RF components during development process and achieve a robust design.
   • Coordinate with senior electrical engineers and achieve hands-on experience on coal fire plant power generation and power transformers, circuit breakers.
   • Participate in the conversion of Magtek FPGA card reader microcontroller into an ASIC.
   • Upgrade, rework and troubleshoot to the component level of digital and analog circuits.
   • Design power supply, PCB layout and mechanical housing for testing tool and interface boards.

   More associate electrical engineer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average associate electrical engineer salary

   $71,773yearly

   $34.51 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level associate electrical engineer salary

   $51,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average associate electrical engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$105,241	$51
   2	Virginia	$96,794	$47
   3	New Mexico	$86,745	$42
   4	Tennessee	$84,236	$41
   5	Massachusetts	$81,460	$39
   6	New Jersey	$80,166	$39
   7	Texas	$78,456	$38
   8	Maryland	$77,127	$37
   9	Pennsylvania	$74,838	$36
   10	Oregon	$72,950	$35
   11	Michigan	$71,417	$34
   12	Illinois	$70,877	$34
   13	New York	$70,731	$34
   14	Connecticut	$68,271	$33
   15	Arizona	$68,236	$33
   16	Minnesota	$66,731	$32
   17	Colorado	$66,396	$32
   18	Missouri	$66,322	$32
   19	Ohio	$65,425	$31
   20	Indiana	$65,169	$31

   Average associate electrical engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	McKinsey & Company Inc	$109,642	$52.71
   2	Pacific Gas and Electric	$106,682	$51.29
   3	Ameresco	$88,905	$42.74	3
   4	Rockwell Automation	$88,415	$42.51	2
   5	Brookhaven National Laboratory	$86,673	$41.67
   6	Pacific Northwest National Laboratory	$86,166	$41.43	2
   7	Accenture	$85,991	$41.34	1
   8	Van Ness Feldman	$85,976	$41.33
   9	Praxair	$85,803	$41.25
   10	Medtronic	$85,645	$41.18	16
   11	Plug Power	$84,550	$40.65	2
   12	PSEG	$83,287	$40.04	10
   13	Santa Clara Valley Water District	$82,559	$39.69
   14	Oblon	$81,974	$39.41
   15	Comlux the Aviation Group	$81,435	$39.15
   16	National Grid plc	$81,218	$39.05	3
   17	RS&H	$80,806	$38.85	9
   18	Northrop Grumman	$80,715	$38.81	77
   19	Fluor Corporation	$80,524	$38.71	24
   20	California Water Service	$80,432	$38.67

4. Writing an associate electrical engineer job description

   A good associate electrical engineer job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an associate electrical engineer job description:

   Associate electrical engineer job description example

   Start your Jacobs career with a company that inspires and empowers you to deliver your best work so you can evolve, grow and succeed - today and into tomorrow.
   
   We are currently seeking an experienced Electrical Engineering Professional Associate Level to be based in our Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, or Fort Wayne, IN offices.Our projects will focus on low and medium voltage distribution systems for building and infrastructure facilities, with a focus on water and wastewater treatment plants. Typical duties will include: electrical design services of systems in areas of power distribution, lighting, fire alarm, life safety, communication, and security systems. Leverage your experience as an Electrical Engineer to produce deliverables, contract documents, design calculations and analysis, and assist lead electrical engineers in a team environment.
   
   At Jacobs, we're partnering across the globe to create the best project outcomes by maximizing the design, digital technology, and support capabilities of our Global Integrated Delivery (GID) teammates. By joining Jacobs, you'll commit to supporting and engaging with these teams, as we work to build a company like no other.
   Are you ready for your next career step? Let's go!
   
   #BIA
   
   BS in Electrical Engineering from an ABET accredited university At least 6 years' of experience in the industry Proof of US citizenship Professional Engineering (PE) license Experience focused on Power and Energy Working knowledge of the NEC
   Ideally you'll also have:
   MS in Electrical Engineering CAD experience, or the ability to learn, including AutoCAD, MicroStation, Revit Working knowledge of SKM Power Tools for Windows (PTW) Working knowledge of a broad range of electrical systems, including power system design, P&IDs, fire alarm design, lighting design, load flow studies, standby generation systems, communications design, network design, grounding design and equipment selection

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find associate electrical 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 associate electrical engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit associate electrical engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting associate electrical engineers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   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 associate electrical engineer

   Once you've selected the best associate electrical 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 associate electrical engineer?