How to hire a combat engineer

How to hire a combat engineer, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a combat 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 combat 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 combat engineers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Combat Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Combat Engineer		$12-57
   All Source Intelligence Technician	An all-source intelligence technician is someone who specializes in surveillance equipment meant for gathering intelligence. This type of intelligence gathering system is usually found in military installations or companies that require strict securities such as banks, top-level corporation headquarters, and the likes... Show more	$13-65
   Intelligence	Intelligence is responsible for providing information that is difficult to find. That may be an opportunity, potential threat, proposed policy option, or personal information regarding a government or foreign official... Show more	$23-81

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Demolition
   • Vehicle Maintenance
   • Weapon Systems
   • Platoon
   • Construction Projects
   • Explosive Devices
   • Rough Terrain
   • General Engineering
   • Technical Guidance
   • Ribbon
   • Leadership
   • Terrorism
   • Tactical Operations
   • US Army

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead the operational planning and logistical support of personnel and equipment deployments for exercises and combat operations.
   • Provide intelligence support and secure top secret communications for multiple combat operations throughout Afghanistan.
   • Train in anti- terrorism evasive driving.
   • Prepare ribbon bridge equipment for air transport.
   • Assign to headquarters as an assistant to the company readiness NCO.
   • Conduct planning sessions with NCO's from other companies to develop plans and operations.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your combat engineer job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A combat engineer salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, combat engineers' average salary in montana is 56% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level combat engineers earn 79% less than senior-level combat engineers.
   • Certifications. A combat engineer with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a combat engineer's salary.

   Average combat engineer salary

   $55,188yearly

   $26.53 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level combat engineer salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

4. Writing a combat engineer job description

   A good combat engineer job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a combat engineer job description:

   Combat engineer job description example

   Type of Requisition:
   
   Regular
   
   Clearance Level Must Currently Possess:
   
   Secret
   
   Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain:
   
   Secret
   
   Suitability:
   
   No Suitability Required
   
   Public Trust/Other Required:
   
   None
   
   Job Family:
   
   Systems Engineering
   
   Job Description:
   
   The Engineer:
   
   * Contributes to completion of specific engineering programs and projects
   * Develops solutions to a variety of complex engineering problems
   * Perform complex systems design, development, and integration from the start of a systems life cycle to the end
   * Oversees complex infrastructure including installing, configuring, testing, and maintaining operating systems, application software, and system management tools
   * Performs complex systems modeling, simulation, and analysis
   * Performs continual maintenance and provides complex solutions for security, backup, and redundancy problems
   * Prepares and maintains documentation for processes and procedures related to engineering projects
   * Maintains current knowledge of rapidly changing technology
   * May coach and provide guidance to less-experienced professionals
   * May serve as a team or task lead
   
   Requirements: The successful candidate shall have:
   
   * An Associate's degree in a technical field and ten (10) years of U.S. Navy Combat Systems experience
   
   or
   
   * A Bachelor of Science degree in a technical field and five (5) years of relevant engineering experience
   
   or
   
   * A Master's degree in a technical field and two (2) years of relevant engineering experience
   * Secret clearance required
   
   Scheduled Weekly Hours:
   
   40
   
   Travel Required:
   
   10-25%
   
   Telecommuting Options:
   
   Hybrid
   
   Work Location:
   
   USA DC Washington
   
   Additional Work Locations:
   
   COVID-19 Vaccination: GDIT does not have a vaccination mandate applicable to all employees. To protect the health and safety of its employees and to comply with customer requirements, however, GDIT may require employees in certain positions to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Vaccination requirements will depend on the status of the federal contractor mandate and customer site requirements.
   
   We are GDIT. The people supporting some of the most complex government, defense, and intelligence projects across the country. We deliver. Bringing the expertise needed to understand and advance critical missions. We transform. Shifting the ways clients invest in, integrate, and innovate technology solutions. We ensure today is safe and tomorrow is smarter. We are there. On the ground, beside our clients, in the lab, and everywhere in between. Offering the technology transformations, strategy, and mission services needed to get the job done.
   
   GDIT is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status, or any other protected class.

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right combat engineer for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit combat 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 combat engineer

   Once you've found the combat 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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