How to hire a cable engineer

How to hire a cable engineer, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a cable 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 cable 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of cable engineers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Cable Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Cable 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).	$31-53
   Electrical & Instrumentation Designer	An electrical instrumentation designer's main job is to design instruments that can be used in various areas such as laboratories, power plants, or research institutes. They work together with a team or individually to design instruments, create a prototype, and test its functions... Show more	$28-52
   Electrical Designer	An electrical designer designs and develops electrical circuit and system layouts for electric power distribution. The responsibilities of an electrical designer include assembling electrical panels and leading a team of document control personnel in-charged to identify and organize facility maintenance drawings... Show more	$22-42

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Infrastructure
   • Structured Cabling
   • RF
   • CAD
   • Assembly Drawings
   • IDF
   • Systems Engineering
   • Outside Plant
   • VoIP
   • Military Standards
   • Switches
   • Fiber Optic
   • RSD
   • IP

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Promote from original position as a staff engineer managing a variety of geotechnical engineering activities to a field engineer inspector position.
   • Perform telecommunication and networking business evaluations.
   • Perform telecommunication and networking business evaluations.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, cable engineers' average salary in ohio is 37% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level cable engineers 41% less than senior-level cable engineers.
   • Certifications. A cable 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 a cable engineer's salary.

   Average cable engineer salary

   $86,283yearly

   $41.48 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level cable engineer salary

   $66,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 25, 2025

4. Writing a cable engineer job description

   A job description for a cable 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 cable engineer job description:

   Cable engineer job description example

   Are you looking for an opportunity with plenty of growth potential? Do you enjoy working in an exciting, fast-paced, collaborative environment? Are you interested in working with the world's most innovative companies to create a more connected world?
   Connecting Continents. Impacting Communities.
   
   The backbone of the Internet is a series of high-tech subsea fiber optic cables deployed throughout the globe - SubCom has deployed over 50% of them. Our employees ensure data communications networks are engineered, manufactured, deployed, and maintained to the highest standards, enabling faster and more reliable connectivity to communities worldwide. Every member of the SubCom team plays a role in an end-to-end process that is critical to enterprises, governments, big cities, and rural towns.
   
   We encourage, expect, and value creativity, thoughtful risk taking, openness to change, and diverse perspectives. Whether you're a seasoned applicant seeking a new and exciting challenge, or you're new to the workforce and looking for a flexible, rewarding, and fast-paced position with an innovative and stable organization (since 1953), SubCom has opportunities to advance your career.
   
   Position Overview
   
   SubCom is seeking a Cable Engineer that is required to travel domestically and internationally for extended periods of time at sea serving aboard cable ships.
   
   Responsibilities
   
   + Assists with engineering and implementation of deep sea installations
   
   + Works as a member of a team on activities associated with the installation of submarine cable systems
   
   + Assists supervising engineer with vessel loading
   
   + Writes methods of procedure for installation and loading activities
   
   + Interface with customers
   
   + Assists with internal and external training support as necessary
   
   + Interface with all Marine Services functional engineering groups, Project Management, R&D, Newington Cable Factory, Cable Ships & Depots and external contractors
   
   Qualifications
   
   + Charting and mapping skills
   
   + Proficient in the use of Microsoft Word and Excel
   
   + Strong communication, technical writing, computer, organization and interpersonal skills
   
   + BA/BS Engineering preferred
   
   NOTE: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employee may perform other related duties as negotiated to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.
   
   Candidates for positions with SubCom must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Employment eligibility verification will be required at the time of hire. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
   
   Please be sure to attach a resume to your application. We are not able to consider applications without a resume.
   
   Benefits
   
   SubCom offers a comprehensive benefits package, including but not limited to: competitive salaries, medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance coverages, FSA, HSA, generous vacation, paid sick leave, paid parental leave, paid holidays, tuition reimbursement, adoption assistance, and a 401(k) plan with generous company match. Additionally, some positions may be eligible for shift differential.
   
   Affirmative Action / Equal Employer Opportunity
   
   SubCom is committed to providing a work environment that prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, color, disability, ethnicity, marital status, national origin, race, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability or any other characteristics protected by applicable law or regulation.
   
   SubCom's Core Values
   
   Quality - Accountability - Teamwork - Innovation
   
   Same Posting Description for Internal and External Candidates
   
   Same Posting Description for Internal and External Candidates

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with cable engineer candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   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 cable engineer

   Once you've selected the best cable 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new cable 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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