How to hire a business development engineer

How to hire a business development engineer, step by step

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

What does a business development engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a business development engineer, 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 business development 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.

   Here's a comparison of business development engineer salaries for various roles:

   Type of Business Development Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Business Development Engineer	Sales engineers sell complex scientific and technological products or services to businesses. They must have extensive knowledge of the products’ parts and functions and must understand the scientific processes that make these products work.	$36-70
   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
   Application Engineer	An application engineer is responsible for creating and re-designing system applications based on clients' specifications and sales demands. Application engineers run diagnostic tests on software programs, identify areas of improvement, install necessary updates, upgrade optimization, revise system codes, and provide technical support for customers' needs... Show more	$33-60

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Java
   • Business Development
   • Project Management
   • CRM
   • Aerospace
   • Market Research
   • DOD
   • Product Development
   • Data Analysis
   • Customer Relationships
   • CAD
   • Trade Shows
   • Market Trends
   • RFP

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Review cost/benefit analysis of potential promotional programs to justify the ROI and manage budgets set aside to support promotional activities.
   • Perform regular visits to OEM sites for project reviews.
   • Perform on site HVAC controls installs and quality control surveys for equipment and systems.
   • Convert legacy customer lists to CRM database for more efficient territory management.
   • Develop and manage all new business for strategic and technology consulting services within the healthcare, government and manufacturing sectors.
   • Create and implement telemarketing program.

   More business development engineer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average business development engineer salary

   $105,267yearly

   $50.61 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level business development engineer salary

   $75,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average business development engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Virginia	$158,356	$76
   2	California	$158,054	$76
   3	Arizona	$130,245	$63
   4	New Hampshire	$120,760	$58
   5	Colorado	$111,534	$54
   6	New York	$111,482	$54
   7	Maryland	$110,788	$53
   8	Wisconsin	$107,928	$52
   9	Washington	$107,228	$52
   10	Illinois	$106,302	$51
   11	Massachusetts	$105,708	$51
   12	Texas	$105,286	$51
   13	Georgia	$101,898	$49
   14	New Jersey	$98,772	$47
   15	Pennsylvania	$94,661	$46
   16	North Carolina	$92,912	$45
   17	Missouri	$88,339	$42
   18	Michigan	$88,089	$42
   19	Oklahoma	$86,643	$42

   Average business development engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$140,282	$67.44	105
   2	Palantir	$129,108	$62.07	2
   3	SmartThings	$127,825	$61.45
   4	Amazon	$122,987	$59.13	353
   5	RSM US	$122,553	$58.92	65
   6	Continental Resources	$121,936	$58.62
   7	Bosch USA	$118,927	$57.18	9
   8	Valerus	$117,803	$56.64
   9	BD	$117,731	$56.60	3
   10	Nokia	$117,651	$56.56	2
   11	mGage	$116,771	$56.14
   12	Lumileds	$115,741	$55.64
   13	Able Aerospace Services	$113,800	$54.71
   14	Murata Electronics (Finland)	$112,955	$54.31	3
   15	Precipart	$112,070	$53.88
   16	Agilent Technologies	$112,001	$53.85	5
   17	Hubbell	$111,804	$53.75	13
   18	Twilio	$111,111	$53.42
   19	Nitto Americas, Inc.	$111,017	$53.37
   20	Alpine Electronics of America	$110,998	$53.36

4. Writing a business development engineer job description

   A business development engineer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a business development engineer job description:

   Business development engineer job description example

   Kinder Morgan CO 2 Company, one of the largest CO 2 providers and CO 2 tertiary recovery companies in the US, is seeking a project engineer to work within a multiple person technical team to plan and develop new CO 2 CCS/CCUS sequestration projects. The selected candidate will be responsible for:
   
   Evaluate and scope potential CCS/CCUS opportunities in coordination with commercial and technical teams.
   
   Lead development of Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) plans and steward the permit approval process with the relevant local, state, and/or federal governmental regulatory agencies.
   
   Lead the execution and installation of new CCS/CCUS projects while interfacing with commercial, geologic, engineering and construction staff.
   
   Detailed design of injection well completions systems for optimum well performance using nodal analysis, including formation stimulations when required.
   
   Technical support to well completions and field operations staff on wellwork, materials, testing, measurement, chemical programs, etc.
   The preferred candidate should have/be:
   
   BS or greater in Petroleum Engineering or other related engineering discipline 5+ years of experience as a production engineer in the oil and gas industry. Entirely capable of working independently, but also very active and effective working in a team environment. Prior project management experience a plus. Significant experience with well completions, production operations, reservoir stimulation, day-to-day wellwork supervision, and CO 2 flood surveillance. Experience interfacing with regulatory agencies is a plus. Knowledge of regulatory (EPA, RRC, TCEQ, etc.) rules beneficial to position. A proven track record working effectively within a multi-disciplined development team An objective and analytical approach, with a solid command of project economics. A clear thinker, concise and effective communicator, and a preferred teammate. Must be able to work with a team, take direction from supervisor(s) and lead personnel, focus attention on details, follow work rules, and adhere to established work schedules.
   Travel: 85% Office, 15% Field
   
   Kinder Morgan Offers:
   
   Competitive Wages 401(k) Savings Plan Retirement Plan Comprehensive Medical/Rx and Dental Plans Paid Time Off Paid Holidays Bonus Program Paid Bus Pass or Parking
   
   EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER STATEMENT: We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting business development 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.

   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 business development engineer

   Once you've selected the best business development 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.

   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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new business development 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 a business development engineer?