How to hire a communications engineer

How to hire a communications engineer, step by step

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

What does a communications engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

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

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

   Type of Communications Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Communications 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).	$29-53
   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
   Staff Design Engineer	Staff design engineers are tasked to assess the efficiency of instruments, technologies, and equipment by collaborating with the engineering team to plan, design, and develop technologies efficiently. Their responsibilities include building and setting up, as wells as improving systems and procedures... Show more	$42-87

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • RF
   • Unified Communications
   • Unity
   • Troubleshoot
   • VoIP
   • IP
   • MATLAB
   • DOD
   • UCCX
   • CUCM
   • UC
   • Communication Systems
   • Switches
   • WebEx

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage project to migrate over to the new manage firewall system.
   • Manage Internet connectivity using redundant Cisco routers and manage Nokia firewalls.
   • Manage multiple construction and service provisioning projects within several service centers in south-east Michigan.
   • Manage Jenkins security by providing specific access to authorize developers/testers using project base matrix authorization strategy.
   • Develop DFMEA's, PPAP'd parts and support all builds.
   • Design and prepare pre-production drawings using CAD-CATIA to customer-base specifications, maintaining PPAP requirements.

   More communications engineer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, communications engineers' average salary in montana is 51% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level communications engineers earn 44% less than senior-level communications engineers.
   • Certifications. A communications 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 communications engineer's salary.

   Average communications engineer salary

   $83,540yearly

   $40.16 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level communications engineer salary

   $62,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average communications engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$123,897	$60
   2	District of Columbia	$103,557	$50
   3	Massachusetts	$101,402	$49
   4	Maryland	$100,280	$48
   5	Virginia	$97,358	$47
   6	Colorado	$92,819	$45
   7	Arizona	$91,393	$44
   8	Texas	$91,358	$44
   9	Washington	$88,207	$42
   10	New Mexico	$83,348	$40
   11	Pennsylvania	$83,311	$40
   12	Minnesota	$80,467	$39
   13	Georgia	$79,948	$38
   14	New York	$79,088	$38
   15	Nevada	$77,737	$37
   16	Illinois	$77,318	$37
   17	Louisiana	$75,954	$37
   18	Florida	$70,297	$34
   19	Ohio	$68,733	$33

   Average communications engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Shearman & Sterling	$156,564	$75.27
   2	Apple	$135,092	$64.95	200
   3	University of Maryland Medical System	$126,168	$60.66
   4	Amazon	$113,299	$54.47	240
   5	Enphase Energy	$108,533	$52.18
   6	TechnipFMC	$107,564	$51.71	2
   7	Two Sigma	$107,078	$51.48
   8	Pattern Energy Group	$105,944	$50.93	3
   9	LinkedIn	$105,519	$50.73	4
   10	ServiceNow	$105,095	$50.53
   11	Northwell Health	$103,381	$49.70	9
   12	Edelman Financial Engines	$103,374	$49.70
   13	Ascena Retail Group	$102,394	$49.23
   14	Fairview Health Services	$102,365	$49.21
   15	RailComm	$102,247	$49.16
   16	Baptist Health Care	$101,562	$48.83	1
   17	Ford Motor	$100,588	$48.36	70
   18	GM Financial	$99,856	$48.01	5
   19	CyberCoders	$99,805	$47.98	3
   20	CHI Mercy Health	$99,053	$47.62

4. Writing a communications engineer job description

   A good communications 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 communications engineer job description:

   Communications engineer job description example

   • Active SECRET DoD clearance or higher
   • Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent years of combined experience, certification, and training.
   • 5-7 years of directly related experience in Unified Communications (UC).
   • Must have at least one of the following certifications:
     • Cisco Certified Network Associate Voice (CCNA Voice)
     • Cisco Certified Network Professional Voice (CCNP Voice)
     • Cisco Certified Voice Professional (CCVP)
   • Possess the appropriate baseline certifications to achieve DoD 8570.01-M Information Assurance Technical (IAT) Level II.

   PREFERRED:

   • Possess an ITIL v3 or ITIL 4 Foundation or a higher certification in either category

   POSITION ALLOWS FOR UP TO 2 DAYS OF REMOTE WORK WEEKLY

   #GECOS

   Scheduled Weekly Hours:

   40

   Travel Required:

   Less than 10%

   Telecommuting Options:

   Hybrid

   Work Location:

   USA VA Falls Church

   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.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit communications 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 communications engineer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the communications engineer position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the 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 communications 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 communications engineer?