How to hire a contract designer

How to hire a contract designer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step contract designer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a contract designer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new contract designer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a contract designer, 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a contract designer 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 contract designer that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of contract designers.

   Type of Contract Designer	Description	Hourly rate
   Contract Designer	Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest engineering disciplines. Mechanical engineers design, develop, build, and test mechanical and thermal sensors and devices, including tools, engines, and machines.	$18-41
   Mechanical Engineering Internship	One of the primary responsibilities in a mechanical engineering internship is to follow directives from engineers and managers while gaining practical experience. There are instances when an intern must take part in crafting various materials under the supervision of a more experienced colleague, produce reports and paperwork, operate tools and devices, and provide assistance should anyone need... Show more	$15-25
   Chief Engineer	A chief engineer is responsible for monitoring the engineering department's overall operations, ensuring performance efficiency, and everyone's strict compliance with the safety standards and regulatory procedures. Chief engineers manage the distribution of the tasks to the team, communicate with the clients and management for instructions and specifications, monitor expenses and forecast sales reports, analyze and approve designs, negotiate contracts, and process disputes... Show more	$31-85

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Assembly Drawings
   • Sketch
   • Web Banners
   • Auto CAD
   • Graphic Design
   • Design Concepts
   • Product Development
   • R
   • Adobe Illustrator
   • HTML
   • CSS
   • Design Development
   • Web Design
   • Adobe Photoshop

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage various PCB designs utilizing state of the art DFM techniques and comply with company standards.
   • Design tools ProE Creo and Windchill.
   • Hire to redesign a large in house application with the use of CSS and HTML.
   • Web content, WordPress, product design, brand design, HTML5, CSS
   • Design extrusion blow molds and tooling that meet customer requirements.
   • Function as team member to evaluate and document products for ISO certification.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, contract designers' average salary in mississippi is 43% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level contract designers earn 55% less than senior-level contract designers.
   • Certifications. A contract designer 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 contract designer's salary.

   Average contract designer salary

   $58,458yearly

   $28.10 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level contract designer salary

   $39,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

4. Writing a contract designer job description

   A contract designer 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. Below, you can find an example of a contract designer job description:

   Contract designer job description example

   What you'll do

   • Partner with our content experts to evolve our brand across all marketing touchpoints
   • Design, document, and maintain a visual system that will help maintain consistency across all of our marketing assets
   • Take ideas from inception through production for projects like website pages, landing pages, emails, slide decks, case studies, event booths, etc

   What you'll need

   • Bachelor's degree and 3-5 years of experience working for an agency or in-house
   • Effective strategic thinking and the ability to rationalize your design decisions
   • A diverse portfolio that demonstrates strong visual storytelling in web and print projects
   • Exceptional attention to detail, strong organizational and time management skills, and the ability to balance multiple priorities on a tight schedule
   • Experience designing websites for devices of all sizes
   • Solid understanding and proven ability to craft experiences in HTML and CSS (Bonus: JS)
   • Expertise in using Adobe Creative Suite tools: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, etc. and proficiency in Microsoft PowerPoint. (Bonus: After Effects for animation and motion graphics)

   Don't meet every single requirement? At Luma Health we are dedicated to building an inclusive workplace so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

   Luma Health is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We believe in order to thrive, businesses need a diverse team and leadership. We welcome every race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. Everyone is welcome here.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find contract designers 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 contract designers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level contract designers 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 contract designer job on Zippia to find and recruit contract designer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit contract designers, 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.

   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.

   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 contract designer

   Once you've found the contract designer 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 important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new contract designer. 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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