How to hire a circuits engineer

How to hire a circuits engineer, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a circuits 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

   A circuits engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, circuits engineers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of circuits engineers.

   Type of Circuits Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Circuits 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).	$32-60
   Engineering Trainee	An engineering trainee is responsible for shadowing engineers in their duties and performing administrative tasks as needed. Engineering trainees assist the engineers in inspecting construction sites and conducting field research... Show more	$20-39
   Controls Designer	Controls designers both design and draft systems of hydraulic, pneumatic, and electrical controls for equipment and machines. The designers make diagrams of the logic system for timing and sequence control... Show more	$33-58

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • PCB
   • Circuit Design
   • Analog Circuits
   • RF
   • Mentor Graphics
   • CAD
   • IC
   • DOD
   • Ethernet
   • Provisioning
   • T1
   • DS3
   • Circuit Boards
   • DACS

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Apply technical knowledge in electromagnetic theory and microwave technology to plan and manage projects concern with ground-base radar systems.
   • Perform end-to-end circuit provisioning for networks from DS3 level to OC12, OC48, and OC192 circuits that cover nationwide.
   • Review customer requirements of SONET, Ethernet [] and DS3/DS1 to engineer the most efficient transport for their information.
   • Experience with assigning facilities in DACS, DSLAM, and MUX.
   • Design PCB artwork, deflection circuit, and power supply of monitors.
   • Review LEC and CLEC DLR s and pre-engineer DS-3 s or resolve slot discrepancies.

   More circuits engineer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average circuits engineer salary

   $92,489yearly

   $44.47 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level circuits engineer salary

   $67,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average circuits engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$125,832	$61
   2	Florida	$94,845	$46
   3	Alaska	$92,943	$45
   4	Colorado	$91,602	$44
   5	Massachusetts	$90,064	$43
   6	Oregon	$88,641	$43
   7	Texas	$88,023	$42
   8	Michigan	$85,380	$41
   9	Missouri	$76,312	$37
   10	Illinois	$73,084	$35
   11	Indiana	$72,527	$35
   12	North Carolina	$69,846	$34
   13	Iowa	$69,207	$33

   Average circuits engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apple	$146,776	$70.57	104
   2	Infinera	$107,503	$51.68
   3	Ampere	$102,531	$49.29
   4	Ford Motor	$98,235	$47.23	29
   5	Maxim Integrated	$94,863	$45.61
   6	WAVE Computing	$94,253	$45.31
   7	Skyworks Solutions	$93,894	$45.14	15
   8	Rigetti Computing	$93,649	$45.02	3
   9	Los Alamos National Laboratory	$91,985	$44.22	4
   10	Skyworks	$90,929	$43.72	1
   11	IDEXX	$90,856	$43.68	1
   12	Comcast	$87,946	$42.28
   13	General Communication	$86,441	$41.56
   14	The Aerospace Corporation	$85,446	$41.08	2
   15	Boeing	$82,853	$39.83	44
   16	Wave	$80,559	$38.73
   17	Northrop Grumman	$80,062	$38.49	104
   18	Danfoss	$79,616	$38.28	2
   19	Raytheon Technologies	$77,193	$37.11	38
   20	Delphi Holdings, LLC	$74,870	$36.00

4. Writing a circuits engineer job description

   A job description for a circuits 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 circuits engineer job description:

   Circuits engineer job description example

   At Allegro we flex. Flex@Allegro is our approach to hybrid working that empowers managers and their team members to decide where and when work will be done. Ask what Flex@Allegro can mean for you.
   
   Automobiles contain complex electronic sensor systems that are safety critical. As a Functional Safety Engineer, you will be responsible for the implementation of the ISO-26262 functional safety design process for our next generation sensor products. This is truly a rewarding position for the ambitious engineer that spans multiple knowledge domains!
   Your primary responsibilities will be:
   Work with sensor design teams on the application of and compliance to ISO-26262 functional safety standards for high integrity automotive ASIC sensors:
   Chip Architecture evaluation and fault analysis using tools such as FMEDALeverage Simulink Model Based Design tools for validation and requirements tracking of design collateral Conducting progress reviews of hardware and software deliverables Educating the team on functional safety standards, design process and tools Fulfill the role of functional Safety expert for appropriate internal and external customers
   Manage and contribute to our ISO-26262 Hardware IP Library:
   Using circuit design tools, develop test benches and simulate requirements for new IP blocks Maintain functional safety assets such as DFMEA and Fault tree.
   
   Experience and Education:
   The successful candidate will possess a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field with a solid understanding of general electronic circuits, systems and embedded software. In addition, the candidate must possess exceptional communication and presentation skills and the ability to facilitate effectiveness within cross-functional teams.
   The ideal candidate possesses:
   A willingness to become a passionate expert of ISO-26262 (ASIL) Experience in creating quality technical documents for electronic devices Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, preferably based on formal techniques and tools Familiarity with electronic circuits and embedded software systems Strong presentation and communication skills
   What really makes you stand out?
   Direct experience with ISO- 26262 standard Simulink modeling experience Cadence Virtuoso Circuit design/simulation experience Software design experience with embedded processors
   
   At Allegro, we are committed to providing a harassment-free environment of mutual respect to fuel innovation through inclusive thought collaboration. Allegro is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status, parental status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. Allegro makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit circuits 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.

   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 circuits engineer

   Once you've decided on a perfect circuits engineer candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your 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.

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