How to hire a computer engineer

How to hire a computer engineer, step by step

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

What does a computer engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The computer engineer hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A computer engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, computer 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.

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

   Type of Computer Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Computer Engineer	Computer support specialists provide help and advice to people and organizations using computer software or equipment. Some, called computer network support specialists, support information technology (IT) employees within their organization... Show more	$33-63
   Computer Systems Analyst	A computer systems analyst is responsible for creating and designing computer applications and network solutions to support business functions and requirements. Computer systems analysts evaluate the systems' efficiency and performance to perform configuration and improve infrastructure for smooth navigation and controls... Show more	$28-53
   Technical Support Engineer	A technical support engineer is responsible for responding to customer issues, providing immediate resolutions to their system issues through remote assistance. Technical support engineers must have strong knowledge of software and hardware applications to diagnose system defects and process troubleshooting... Show more	$29-57

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Python
   • Software Development
   • Java
   • Linux
   • C
   • C++
   • DOD
   • Database
   • MATLAB
   • Software Systems
   • Computer System
   • Troubleshoot
   • Application Development
   • OS

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage electronic files using the PDM system.
   • Script VBA to automate the creation of installation documents.
   • Manage DNS and Kerberos infrastructure services for the computing center.
   • Manage and design UAT tests for new software release, delegate out tasks, and report results back to QA department.
   • Manage automation jobs within Jenkins.
   • Manage collaborative CSV documentation efforts using Microsoft SharePoint.

   More computer engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your computer engineer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A computer engineer salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a computer engineer in North Carolina may be lower than in California, and an entry-level computer engineer usually earns less than a senior-level computer engineer. Additionally, a computer engineer with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average computer engineer salary

   $96,805yearly

   $46.54 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level computer engineer salary

   $70,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average computer engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$137,594	$66
   2	Washington	$115,656	$56
   3	Nevada	$106,648	$51
   4	New York	$99,665	$48
   5	District of Columbia	$97,564	$47
   6	Oregon	$93,310	$45
   7	Massachusetts	$90,262	$43
   8	Pennsylvania	$86,690	$42
   9	Texas	$86,675	$42
   10	Colorado	$85,601	$41
   11	New Jersey	$85,524	$41
   12	Virginia	$85,257	$41
   13	Georgia	$83,235	$40
   14	Illinois	$82,674	$40
   15	Missouri	$80,444	$39
   16	Alabama	$80,437	$39
   17	North Carolina	$75,768	$36
   18	Florida	$72,693	$35

   Average computer engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Waymo	$158,037	$75.98	33
   2	Apple	$157,201	$75.58	307
   3	Logitech	$151,315	$72.75	42
   4	Meta	$151,154	$72.67	3,054
   5	Bloomberg	$146,257	$70.32	2
   6	Rivian	$141,736	$68.14	21
   7	Google	$138,743	$66.70	382
   8	NVIDIA	$138,076	$66.38	44
   9	Palantir	$135,418	$65.10	113
   10	CyberCoders	$132,286	$63.60	1
   11	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$128,927	$61.98	325
   12	Applied Materials	$127,981	$61.53	23
   13	Sierra Pacific Industries	$127,928	$61.50	1
   14	RealSelf	$125,762	$60.46
   15	Amazon	$125,015	$60.10	475
   16	10x Genomics	$124,559	$59.88	1
   17	Theranos	$124,196	$59.71
   18	Ford Motor	$123,482	$59.37	266
   19	AIG	$123,365	$59.31	2
   20	Tesla	$123,047	$59.16	87

4. Writing a computer engineer job description

   A good computer 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 computer engineer job description:

   Computer engineer job description example

   NVIDIA's Quantum Computing team is looking for Compiler Engineers to build the toolchain for programming the hybrid Quantum-Classical systems of the future. We are seeking developers with a strong background in compiler development and quantum computing, a love of programming and the desire to enable quantum algorithm researchers across a range of disciplines. If you want to help define the future of programming hybrid quantum-classical systems, we want to hear from you!
   What You'll Be Doing:
   Solving difficult problems at the intersection of compilers, programming models, HPC and quantum computing Participating in the development and implementation of novel programming paradigms for hybrid quantum-classical computing Discussing and refining software designs and implementation strategies with peers Partnering with architects, product managers, and application teams to enable leading quantum algorithm researchers
   
   What We Need To See:
   Bachelors Degree in Computer Science, Physics or related engineering field or equivalent experience (Ph.D. or Masters preferred) 3+ years experience developing compilers, libraries, tools or similar Proven understanding of open source compiler technology stacks Knowledge of programming fundamentals, especially in C++, with a deep understanding of parallel computer architectures Proven ability to collaborate
   
   Ways To Stand Out From The Crowd:
   Experience with CUDA and GPU Computing Background in Quantum Computing
   
   With competitive salaries and a generous benefits package, we are widely considered to be one of the technology world's most desirable employers. We have some of the most forward-thinking and hardworking people in the world working for us and, due to unprecedented growth, our exclusive engineering teams are rapidly growing. If you're a creative and autonomous engineer with a real passion for technology, we want to hear from you.
   
   The Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act requires that NVIDIA provide the compensation range and benefits offered for this position if performed in Colorado. The base salary range for this position in Colorado is $126,000.00 - 173,250.00 USD.
   NVIDIA also offers a comprehensive benefits package. We provide health care coverage, dental and vision, 401(K), including company matching and after tax contributions, Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP), Employee Assistance Program (EAP), company paid holidays, paid sick leave, vacation leave, professional time off, life and disability protection. Employees in eligible sales and positions may also be eligible for commission.
   
   Base pay is based on market location and may vary based on factors including experience, skills, education, and other job-related reasons.
   
   NVIDIA is committed to fostering a diverse work environment and proud to be an equal opportunity employer. As we highly value diversity in our current and future employees, we do not discriminate (including in our hiring and promotion practices) on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or any other characteristic protected by law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find computer 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 computer engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level computer 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.

   To find computer engineer candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting computer 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   Sometimes, it's not enough to interview computer engineer candidates, so you can ask them to do a test project. If you are not a technical person and don't know what a test project should be, you can use these websites:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   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 computer engineer

   Once you've found the computer 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.

   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.

   To prepare for the new computer engineer first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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 computer engineer?