How to hire a configuration engineer

How to hire a configuration engineer, step by step

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

What does a configuration engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the configuration engineer you need to hire. Certain configuration 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

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

   Type of Configuration Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Configuration Engineer	Software developers are the creative minds behind computer programs. Some develop the applications that allow people to do specific tasks on a computer or another device... Show more	$37-63
   Software Development Engineer	A software development engineer is responsible for designing and developing software systems and applications based on clients' specifications and business needs. Software development engineers manage operating systems and analyze network codes to maintain the compatibility of the software applications and control systems... Show more	$38-70
   Software Engineer-Consultant	A software engineer consultant develops and recommends strategies to optimize a company's software engineering operations. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting extensive research and analysis to find new opportunities, performing software evaluations and risk assessments, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of existing processes, and developing solutions against problem areas... Show more	$40-73

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Python
   • Unix
   • Java
   • Linux
   • Jenkins
   • GIT
   • Source Code
   • Project Management
   • C++
   • Version Control
   • ERP
   • Source Control
   • PowerShell
   • Bash

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Used SharePoint application and implementing tools that help organizations manage processes and data.
   • Develop and maintains SVN source control and Jenkins CI automate builds and deployments.
   • Involve in migration of the version control systems like SVN/Git and continuous integration tools like Jenkins.
   • Maintain high availability cluster and standalone server environments and refine automation components with scripting and configuration management (Ansible).
   • Troubleshoot to resolve problems in an existing JIRA installation and implement all approve changes.
   • Track all the changes in JIRA tracking tool and provide metrics reporting for the project release activities.

   More configuration engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your configuration engineer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A configuration 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 configuration engineer in Hawaii may be lower than in California, and an entry-level configuration engineer usually earns less than a senior-level configuration engineer. Additionally, a configuration 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 configuration engineer salary

   $101,024yearly

   $48.57 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level configuration engineer salary

   $77,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average configuration engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$141,984	$68
   2	Washington	$107,207	$52
   3	Nevada	$104,724	$50
   4	District of Columbia	$103,637	$50
   5	New York	$99,927	$48
   6	Massachusetts	$98,082	$47
   7	North Carolina	$97,610	$47
   8	Oregon	$96,440	$46
   9	Pennsylvania	$96,420	$46
   10	Virginia	$95,750	$46
   11	Texas	$95,336	$46
   12	Florida	$93,109	$45
   13	Ohio	$92,429	$44
   14	Illinois	$91,987	$44
   15	Georgia	$90,370	$43
   16	Minnesota	$87,352	$42
   17	Nebraska	$87,041	$42
   18	Indiana	$85,697	$41
   19	Tennessee	$81,547	$39
   20	Colorado	$80,119	$39

   Average configuration engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	PayPal	$146,562	$70.46	12
   2	Sony Interactive Entertainment America	$139,661	$67.14
   3	Accelrys	$134,199	$64.52
   4	Comverse Technology	$133,633	$64.25
   5	Applied Materials	$132,417	$63.66	10
   6	Current TV	$131,663	$63.30	6
   7	Broadcom	$129,756	$62.38	66
   8	Conga	$128,698	$61.87
   9	Lam Research	$126,314	$60.73	3
   10	Open Systems Technologies	$125,916	$60.54	2
   11	Blue Shield of California	$119,510	$57.46	3
   12	Ernst & Young	$119,373	$57.39	862
   13	Mitchell	$117,901	$56.68
   14	Bristol-Myers Squibb	$117,087	$56.29	2
   15	Five9	$116,176	$55.85	7
   16	Walgreens	$116,165	$55.85	7
   17	Vendavo	$114,065	$54.84
   18	EZ	$113,334	$54.49	1
   19	Denovo	$113,214	$54.43	4
   20	Magna International	$112,708	$54.19	12

4. Writing a configuration engineer job description

   A configuration engineer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a configuration engineer job description:

   Configuration engineer job description example

   **Your Work Shapes the World**
   
   Whether it be groundbreaking products, best-in-class solutions, or creating a lifelong career, you can do the work that matters at Caterpillar. With a 95-year legacy of quality and innovation and 150 locations in countries around the world, your impact spans the globe.
   
   When you join Caterpillar, you are joining a team of makers, innovators, and doers. We are the people who roll up our sleeves and do the work to build a better world. We don't just talk about progress and innovation. We make it happen. And we are proud of that because it helps our customers build and power the world we live in - the roads, hospitals, homes, and infrastructure. Without a dedicated workforce, Caterpillar could not effectively meet our customer's needs. Join us.
   
   **Job Description**
   
   As an Engineer in the Autonomous Trucks Team, you will help lead the configuration of the kits to accomplish the machine integration design. You will solve complex and global technical problems. You will coordinate the planning and delivery of projects including the addition of new kits, attachments, and options. Specifically, you will be responsible for the configuration of the Command for Hauling systems that allow Haul Trucks to run autonomously within a MineStar environment.
   
   **Job Duties:**
   
   + Lead the Command for Hauling configuration kits architecture, design, and life cycle management plan to enable autonomy on Large Mining and Off-Highway Trucks.
   
   + Develop detailed technical specifications and validation plans.
   
   + Provide technical guidance and initiate ideas.
   
   + Communicate results to global customers, suppliers, team members, and other business units.
   
   + Complete projects on time and on cost.
   
   **Basic Qualifications:**
   
   + Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in an accredited Engineering curriculum.
   
   + 3 plus years of job-related experience in machine design, technology development, or mining applications.
   
   **Top Candidates will also have:**
   
   + Product application knowledge.
   
   + Experience with light fabrications.
   
   + Experience with electrical systems.
   
   + Experience working with kitting suppliers.
   
   + Experience with APQP, GEC, and Supply Chain.
   
   + Experience with Team Center and Creo.
   
   + Project leadership experience.
   
   **Additional Information:**
   
   The location for this position is Tucson, AZ.
   
   Domestic relocation assistance is available.
   
   This position may require 10% travel.
   
   Sponsorship is not available.
   
   Closing date: 10/16/2022.
   
   **Employee benefit details**
   
   Our goal at Caterpillar is for you to have a rewarding career. Our teams are critical to the success of our customers who build a better world. Here you earn more than just a salary because we value your performance. We offer a total rewards package that provides benefits on day one (medical, dental, vision, RX, and 401K) along with the potential of an annual bonus.
   
   Additional benefits include paid vacation days and paid holidays (prorated based upon hire date).
   
   **Final details**
   
   Please frequently check the email associated with your application, including the junk/spam folder, as this is the primary correspondence method. If you wish to know the status of your application - please use the candidate log-in on our career website as it will reflect any updates to your status.
   
   This employer is not currently hiring foreign national applicants that require or will require sponsorship tied to a specific employer, such as H, L, TN, F, J, E, O. As a global company, Caterpillar offers many job opportunities outside of the U.S. which can be found through our employment website at www.Caterpillar.com/Careers .
   
   For more information, visit caterpillar.com. To connect with us on social media, visit caterpillar.com/social-media
   
   Relocation is available for this position.
   
   EEO/AA Employer. All qualified individuals - Including minorities, females, veterans and individuals with disabilities - are encouraged to apply.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

   Post your job online:

   • Post your configuration engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit configuration engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit configuration engineers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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.

   Sometimes, it's not enough to interview configuration 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 configuration engineer

   Once you've selected the best configuration 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.

   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 configuration 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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