How to hire an associate research engineer

How to hire an associate research engineer, step by step

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

What does an associate research engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the associate research engineer you need to hire. Certain associate research engineer roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an associate research engineer to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an associate research engineer that fits the bill.

   This list presents associate research engineer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Associate Research Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Associate Research Engineer	Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest engineering disciplines. Mechanical engineers design, develop, build, and test mechanical and thermal sensors and devices, including tools, engines, and machines.	$25-50
   Manufacturing Engineer	Manufacturing Engineers are responsible for handling and developing an efficient manufacturing system or procedure that will help a company produce up to standard products while in adherence to the policies, regulations, and expected cost and schedule. Furthermore, Manufacturing Engineers must also monitor quality control, identify or detect errors, provide and suggest improvements, oversee the procurement of materials involved in the production, and coordinate with various teams or departments within the company to ensure the effectiveness of innovations or new developments.	$28-49
   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:

   • Data Analysis
   • Python
   • Cell Culture
   • Research Projects
   • Chemical Engineering
   • PCR
   • Cell Lines
   • Algorithms
   • Data Collection
   • Lab Equipment
   • Java
   • R
   • DNA
   • Technical Reports

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Foster cross laboratory collaboration between physics labs and between engineering, biology, and chemistry departments to accomplish share goals.
   • Design a new process to utilize the non-aqueous CO2 capture fluid in a post-combustion power plant.
   • Design and create models in SOLIDWORKS and used Matlab to generate models and analyze the results in complicate cases.
   • Investigate and optimize a charge polymer coating to effectively manipulate orientation of surface-tethered DNA.
   • Develop prototypes for a new generation cardiac ablation catheter with magnetic sensor for 3D high-resolution mapping and navigation.
   • Evaluate several resins for improve catheter tubing and select best performing resin base on cost and benefit analysis.

   More associate research engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your associate research engineer job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An associate research engineer can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, associate research engineers' average salary in arkansas is 42% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level associate research engineers 49% less than senior-level associate research engineers.
   • Certifications. An associate research engineer with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an associate research engineer's salary.

   Average associate research engineer salary

   $75,950yearly

   $36.51 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level associate research engineer salary

   $54,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average associate research engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$111,687	$54
   2	Virginia	$100,608	$48
   3	District of Columbia	$92,497	$44
   4	New Mexico	$90,833	$44
   5	Oregon	$87,235	$42
   6	Michigan	$85,133	$41
   7	Arizona	$83,732	$40
   8	Massachusetts	$83,408	$40
   9	Alabama	$82,127	$39
   10	Connecticut	$81,345	$39
   11	New York	$80,086	$39
   12	Washington	$78,116	$38
   13	Texas	$77,548	$37
   14	New Jersey	$76,505	$37
   15	Oklahoma	$73,759	$35
   16	North Carolina	$72,442	$35
   17	Ohio	$71,894	$35
   18	Tennessee	$70,584	$34
   19	Iowa	$70,257	$34
   20	Colorado	$68,342	$33

   Average associate research engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	AQR Capital Management	$107,171	$51.52	2
   2	Genentech	$104,556	$50.27	43
   3	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$98,195	$47.21	146
   4	Brookhaven National Laboratory	$97,784	$47.01
   5	Pacific Northwest National Laboratory	$94,793	$45.57	8
   6	Oak Ridge National Laboratory	$94,236	$45.31	39
   7	UBS	$88,307	$42.46	2
   8	Stanford University	$88,278	$42.44	142
   9	MSCI	$86,348	$41.51	5
   10	West Virginia University	$85,409	$41.06	20
   11	Philips Lighting North America	$84,204	$40.48
   12	National Radio Astronomy Observatory	$83,691	$40.24
   13	Philips	$83,593	$40.19
   14	Hoffmann-LA Roche Inc	$82,942	$39.88	9
   15	Ball	$81,408	$39.14
   16	Jacobs Engineering Group	$81,189	$39.03
   17	The University of Tulsa	$80,838	$38.86	6
   18	Methodist Hospital Of Henderson, Kentucky	$80,540	$38.72	1
   19	UChicago Argonne	$79,938	$38.43
   20	University of California-Berkeley	$79,766	$38.35

4. Writing an associate research engineer job description

   A job description for an associate research 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 associate research engineer job description:

   Associate research engineer job description example

   At C16 Biosciences, we believe that palm oil doesn't have to be a problem. Our team is building a sustainable and environmentally-friendly alternative to “conflict palm oil,” which relies on tropical rainforest deforestation and emits over 1 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every year. C16 Bio's technology platform harnesses naturally-occurring biological processes, improved by the latest innovations in strain engineering, fermentation, and low-cost lipid extraction to produce a better kind of palm oil.
   
   Please note: This is a posting for general consideration of future Research Associate roles at C16 Biosciences. At present, we are not actively looking to fill this position, but intend to be in the coming months. All candidates will hear back regarding next steps upon review of their application.
   
   As a Strain Engineering Research Associate, you will be at the forefront of our R&D team. You will utilize your microbiology skills to generate new strains to meet C16 Biosciences' goal of producing a truly sustainable palm oil alternative. Your projects will range from improving the productivity of C16's strains, modifying strains for greater resilience and tolerance, and developing new molecular biology tools to enhance C16's engineering capabilities. Key activities include creating new genetic constructs, assisting with genetic transformation, and evaluating generated strains. We seek a diligent, curious individual passionate about microbiology. Candidates for this position should possess a Bachelor's degree and excellent communication, documentation, and time management skills.
   
   Major responsibilities:Support the Strain Engineering team by executing core components of the workflow: design and molecular cloning of new genetic constructs, transformation of microbial strains, and evaluation of transformant libraries Assist with the development of new molecular biology tools Maintain the integrity and quality of C16's strain library Document and present experimental data to broader R&D team Manage inventory and organization for lab consumables and tools Ensure cleanliness and operational readiness of laboratory instruments Prepare and autoclave reagents and media required for laboratory experiments
   
   Minimum education and experience:BA/BS degree in Biology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Biological Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related field Research experience in a biological wet lab setting Comfort with basic laboratory techniques, including aseptic technique, microbial cell culture, agar plate preparation, and microscopy Experience with basic engineering techniques such as: plasmid preparation, PCR, gel electrophoresis, and DNA transformation into microbes Excellent verbal, written, and scientific documentation skills Strong organizational and time-management skills True, proactive team player: As a member of a small team, you will sometimes need to volunteer and contribute to activities outside your responsibilities Independent, inquisitive thinker: You will be asked to present your findings on executed experiments and draw conclusions and recommendations for the broader R&D team Self-motivated and independent operator, willing to proactively pitch in on work outside of core responsibilities
   
   Preferred qualifications:1+ years of wet lab experience, industry experience preferred Previous experience with molecular cloning, relevant supporting techniques (e.g., plasmid design), and relevant computation and software tools (e.g., SnapGene, BLAST) Experience with data analysis and scientific computing (e.g. MATLAB, Python, R, JMP, etc.) Prior experience handling/modifying eukaryotic microbes Prior experience with microbial fermentation
   
   C16 offers:Competitive salary within the industry Unlimited PTOMedical, dental & vision insurance coverage Access to well-being tools and development opportunities (e.g. mental health, CitiBike memberships, and more)401(k) retirement plan options
   
   Diversity:We celebrate diversity in all its forms. We are committed to EEO regardless of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, national origin, gender, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, marital or parental status, disability, veteran status, and more.
   Legal authorization to work in the U.S. is required.
   
   In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right associate research 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 associate research engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit associate research 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 associate research engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit associate research engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit associate research 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.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 research engineer

   Once you've found the associate research engineer candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new associate research engineer. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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 research engineer?