How to hire an associate product developer

How to hire an associate product developer, step by step

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

What does an associate product developer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an associate product developer, 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

   Hiring the perfect associate product developer 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.

   Here's a comparison of associate product developer salaries for various roles:

   Type of Associate Product Developer	Description	Hourly rate
   Associate Product Developer	Market research analysts study market conditions to examine potential sales of a product or service. They help companies understand what products people want, who will buy them, and at what price.	$22-45
   Marketing Consultant	A marketing consultant is responsible for utilizing their extensive retail expertise to develop strategies on how to strengthen client base and achieve better sales. Furthermore, a marketing consultant must perform research and analysis to determine opportunities for financial gains, devise plans to improve client satisfaction, assess the competition, look out for any risks, and develop its brand and image... Show more	$21-53
   Marketing Analyst	A marketing analyst specializes in researching market conditions to develop strategies to boost sales and revenues. They are primarily responsible for analyzing competition and trends, identifying the organization's strengths and weaknesses, and determining potential opportunities... Show more	$19-40

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Product Development
   • Project Management
   • PowerPoint
   • Product Design
   • PLM
   • Sketch
   • Data Analysis
   • Product Management
   • Quality Standards
   • Lifecycle Management
   • Tech Packs
   • Kids
   • Product Lifecycle Management
   • IMU

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead expert team that prove feasibility of manufacturing green elastomeric nonwovens by reactive extrusion.
   • Develop several advance SQL scripts, many of which require complex joins, cursors, and other programming methods.
   • Develop prototypes utilizing rapid prototyping and general machinery methods.
   • Work with manufacturing department for rapid prototyping and design modifications.
   • Create necessary documentation: including manufacturing specifications, QC test procedures, and raw material specifications.
   • Test software development, test hardware characterization/development, hardware/software debugging and repair, device qualifications and testing.

   More associate product developer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average associate product developer salary

   $66,986yearly

   $32.20 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level associate product developer salary

   $46,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average associate product developer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$92,022	$44
   2	Minnesota	$86,555	$42
   3	New Jersey	$82,362	$40
   4	North Carolina	$80,913	$39
   5	California	$80,872	$39
   6	Illinois	$77,978	$37
   7	New York	$74,202	$36
   8	Connecticut	$70,721	$34
   9	Virginia	$69,629	$33
   10	Texas	$67,032	$32
   11	Massachusetts	$66,201	$32
   12	Michigan	$65,957	$32
   13	Colorado	$64,970	$31
   14	Oregon	$59,725	$29
   15	Nebraska	$57,234	$28
   16	Missouri	$56,054	$27
   17	Georgia	$55,927	$27
   18	Arizona	$54,085	$26

   Average associate product developer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$119,664	$57.53	270
   2	American Express	$107,490	$51.68	88
   3	Signature Bank	$105,889	$50.91
   4	Stryker	$104,735	$50.35	24
   5	Abbott	$103,900	$49.95	26
   6	Morgan Stanley	$103,568	$49.79	26
   7	PVH	$100,428	$48.28	1
   8	RH	$96,868	$46.57	5
   9	Calamos Investments	$96,750	$46.51	1
   10	REGENXBIO	$96,530	$46.41
   11	Pfizer	$96,504	$46.40	13
   12	Northern Trust	$95,686	$46.00	2
   13	Mastercard	$95,561	$45.94	50
   14	Mattel	$94,978	$45.66
   15	Capital Group	$94,692	$45.52
   16	BlackRock	$94,234	$45.30	7
   17	Johnson & Johnson	$93,592	$45.00	19
   18	Reckitt Benckiser	$89,739	$43.14
   19	BMC Software	$89,111	$42.84	1
   20	Corning Incorporated	$87,282	$41.96	15

4. Writing an associate product developer job description

   A job description for an associate product developer 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 associate product developer job description:

   Associate product developer job description example

   C ome work at a place where innovation and teamwork come together to support the most exciting missions in the world!
   
   Supports the discovery, evaluation and development of new product ideas, enhancements to existing products and product extensions, and translates research discoveries into usable and marketable products. Works under close supervision and is assigned to a product sub-category and/or a small- or medium-sized collection of products.
   Principle Duties and Responsibilities (approximate percentage of time spent):
   
   Appraises new product ideas to determine their potential to address customer needs and to achieve goals in revenue growth and market share and makes recommendations to management. (20%) Establishes product features and benefits, and coordinates with various functions (e.g., marketing, merchandising, finance, etc.) and vendors to ensure successful product development and implementation. (20%) Monitors, researches and reports on industry trends for applications to new and existing product categories. Activities include working with consumer insights team to identify new pet product opportunities, and fashion and pet trends. (20%) Provides product development and production information to internal sourcing team members, vendors and others to ensure product development and production activities progress on schedule and within prescribed budget. (20%) Enters and updates product data and information (e.g., requests and timelines for samples and fabric, lab dips, etc.) into computer tracking systems, such as product life management (PLM). (20%)
   
   Minimum Qualifications:
   
   Bachelor's degree in product management, fashion merchandising or related field, 4 years of experience in a related field or equivalent combination of education, experience and/or training.
   
   Disclaimer:
   
   The above information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this job (within this classification). It is not intended to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required for employees assigned to this job.
   
   Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or any other protected classification.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right associate product developer 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 associate product developers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit associate product developers 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 associate product developer job on Zippia to find and attract quality associate product developer candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as swipe files, exit five, marketinghire, american marketing association.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting associate product developers 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 product developer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the associate product developer position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the 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.

   To prepare for the new associate product developer first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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 product developer?