How to hire a building engineer

How to hire a building engineer, step by step

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

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

What does a building engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the building engineer you need to hire. Certain building 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 a building 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 a building engineer that fits the bill.

   This list presents building engineer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Building Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Building Engineer	General maintenance and repair workers fix and maintain machines, mechanical equipment, and buildings. They paint, repair flooring, and work on plumbing, electrical, and air-conditioning and heating systems.	$23-55
   Hvac Mechanic	An HVAC mechanic specializes in installing and repairing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, ensuring quality and efficiency. Their responsibilities revolve around communicating with clients to identify their needs, troubleshooting, identifying the root of issues, and performing corrective measures... Show more	$16-35
   Handyman	A handyman can perform various repair and maintenance tasks involving electricity, carpentry, plumbing, and even appliance installation. Most handymen work independently, but they can also choose to be part of a company... Show more	$15-29

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • HVAC
   • Ladders
   • Plumbing
   • Preventive Maintenance
   • Emergency Situations
   • Roofing
   • Snow Removal
   • Building Operations
   • Life Safety
   • Building Maintenance
   • Troubleshoot
   • Customer Service
   • Electrical Systems
   • Boilers

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Coordinate with team leads to determine needs and how best to implement JIRA within department.
   • Create python script to automate the deployment process which deploys the application and restarts the servers.
   • Manage service MEP vendor contracts (elevators, fire life support, annual test and inspections).
   • Manage and sustain manufacturing processes via monitoring, SPC, and data analysis to maintain overall process health and stability.
   • Contribute PowerShell functions to a PowerShell module used to automate software upgrades.
   • Provide property preventive maintenance, electrical repair, HVAC maintenance/troubleshooting, construction, plumbing, custom carpentry and renovations.

   More building engineer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average building engineer salary

   $76,446yearly

   $36.75 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level building engineer salary

   $49,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average building engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$110,830	$53
   2	District of Columbia	$99,335	$48
   3	Massachusetts	$97,679	$47
   4	Nevada	$92,583	$45
   5	Pennsylvania	$92,074	$44
   6	New York	$91,842	$44
   7	Washington	$86,126	$41
   8	Virginia	$83,654	$40
   9	Ohio	$82,725	$40
   10	Maryland	$81,006	$39
   11	Illinois	$80,733	$39
   12	North Carolina	$80,726	$39
   13	Texas	$77,148	$37
   14	Michigan	$75,690	$36
   15	Oregon	$74,246	$36
   16	Minnesota	$72,792	$35
   17	Georgia	$71,666	$34
   18	Florida	$69,951	$34
   19	Indiana	$68,681	$33
   20	Arizona	$68,040	$33

   Average building engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apple	$135,304	$65.05	5
   2	PayPal	$133,457	$64.16
   3	Microsoft	$123,061	$59.16	1
   4	Atlassian	$119,906	$57.65
   5	Varian Medical Systems	$118,933	$57.18
   6	Intuitive Surgical	$118,331	$56.89
   7	Schrödinger Inc	$115,543	$55.55
   8	McAfee	$112,530	$54.10
   9	Western Alliance Bank	$112,339	$54.01
   10	Cisco	$112,005	$53.85	2
   11	Intel	$109,836	$52.81	1
   12	Sony Interactive Entertainment America	$109,668	$52.73
   13	Magic Leap	$107,640	$51.75
   14	PlayStation	$106,967	$51.43
   15	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$106,863	$51.38	6
   16	International Trucks	$106,835	$51.36
   17	Nokia	$106,671	$51.28
   18	Stryker	$106,491	$51.20	2
   19	Douglas Emmett, Inc.	$106,381	$51.14
   20	The Washington Post	$105,525	$50.73

4. Writing a building engineer job description

   A job description for a building 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 a building engineer job description:

   Building engineer job description example

   Leads shift operations and directs vendors and subcontractors. Utilizes advanced skills to perform complex preventive maintenance and corrective repair of buildings, industrial systems, vehicles, equipment and grounds. Working under limited supervision, monitors building system operations and performance. Utilizes several trade skills such as carpentry, plumbing, electrical, painting, roofing, heating and cooling.
   AS Scope: Typically supports properties of less than 500,000 sq. ft. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Complies with all applicable codes, regulations, governmental agency and Company directives related to building operations and work safety. Leads shift operations, assigns work orders, and/or provides technical and procedural training of coworkers and subcontractors. Arranges for subcontractors as needed. Oversees and inspects the work performed by outside contractors. .Inspects building systems including fire alarms, HVAC, and plumbing to ensure operation of equipment is within design capabilities and achieves environmental conditions prescribed by client. Reviews assigned work orders. Estimates time and materials needed to complete repair. Maintains inventory of adequate supplies and tools and orders necessary materials to complete all tasks. Consults with clients to schedule preventive maintenance and other downtime to minimize business interruption and inconvenience. Implements a preventive maintenance program to ensure that building machinery and systems meet or exceed their rated life. Performs assigned repairs, emergency and preventive maintenance. Completes maintenance and repair records as required. Responds quickly to emergency situations, summoning additional assistance as needed. Performs other duties as assigned. SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
   No formal supervisory responsibilities in this position. Provides informal assistance such as technical guidance, and/or training to coworkers. Coordinates and assigns tasks to co-workers within a work unit and/or project. QUALIFICATIONS
   To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE
   Associate's degree (AA) or equivalent from two-year college or technical school and minimum of four years experience in complete building operations. Or equivalent combination of education and experience. CERTIFICATES and/or LICENSES
   Universal CFC certification required. Additional certification in one or more of the following: HVAC, electrical, mechanical, HVAC and refrigeration systems, process controls, mechanical power transmissions, painting, plumbing, carpentry or engine repair. Certifications/licenses as may be required by local or state jurisdictions. COMMUNICATION SKILLS
   Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Strong organizational and analytical skills. Ability to provide efficient, timely, reliable and courteous service to customers. Ability to effectively present information. FINANCIAL KNOWLEDGE
   Requires knowledge of financial terms and principles and to understand operating budgets. Ability to calculate intermediate figures such as percentages, discounts, and/or commissions. Conducts basic financial analysis. REASONING ABILITY
   Ability to comprehend, analyze, and interpret documents. Ability to solve problems involving several options in situations. Requires intermediate analytical and quantitative skills. OTHER SKILLS and/or ABILITIES
   Uses personal computer and / or PDA for work order system, email, ESS and training. Basic skills with Microsoft Office Outlook. Physical requirements include stooping, standing, walking, climbing stairs / ladders and ability to lift / carry heavy loads of 50 lbs. or more. SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITY
   Decisions made with thorough knowledge of procedures and company policies to achieve set results and deadlines. Responsible for setting own project deadlines. Errors in judgment may cause short-term impact to co-workers and supervisor.
   
   SAFETY
   Responsible for personal safety and the safety of those who are affected by your work. This includes but is not limited to:
   1. Complete all required and assigned HSE training at a satisfactory level,
   2. Follow all activity policies and procedures, including all HSE-related requirements at all times,
   3. Participate in all HSE-related programs & activities as required, including incident investigations, interviews, auditing and assessment, etc.
   4. Report any conditions which you feel could result in an accident or injury and / or stop work if required.
   
   
   
   Job Posted by ApplicantPro

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5. Post your job

   To find building engineers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any building engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level building engineers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your building engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit building engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit building engineers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 building engineer

   Once you've found the building 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.

   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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