How to hire a design development engineer

How to hire a design development engineer, step by step

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

What does a design development engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your design development engineer job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a design development engineer for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A design development engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, design development 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 presents design development engineer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Design Development Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Design Development Engineer	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.	$32-59
   Engineer	Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects... Show more	$31-62
   Staff Engineer	Staff engineers are responsible for designing, developing, and inspecting various products, equipment, or structures. These professionals may perform varied duties depending on their specialization that includes overseeing the design and construction of buildings, bridges, sewer systems, and other infrastructure, estimating the financial costs of construction projects, and ensuring compliance with health and safety laws and regulations... Show more	$33-80

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Solidworks
   • FEA
   • C++
   • Prototype
   • R
   • Product Development
   • Product Design
   • Visualization
   • Engineering Design
   • MATLAB
   • UL
   • Assembly Drawings
   • QA
   • Ansys

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage automation projects including purchasing, scheduling fabrication and assembly, debugging, and delivery to customer.
   • Perform project mechanical design activities such as engineering analysis including structural FEA, prototype fabrication, testing and qualification.
   • Review Gerber file and component layout on the PCB, DFM, and equipment evaluation.
   • Involve in research, stress analysis, load calculation using ANSYS and MATLAB and failure analysis.
   • Modele complex automotive parts, assemblies using SolidWorks.
   • Utilize SolidWorks to develop product concepts and KeyShot to render designs for CEO and investors.

   More design development engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the design development engineer job description is a good way to get more applicants. A design development engineer salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a design development engineer in Kentucky may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level design development engineer. Additionally, a design development engineer with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average design development engineer salary

   $92,179yearly

   $44.32 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level design development engineer salary

   $68,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average design development engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$143,454	$69
   2	Washington	$113,121	$54
   3	Massachusetts	$97,791	$47
   4	Texas	$88,518	$43
   5	Arizona	$87,316	$42
   6	New Hampshire	$87,308	$42
   7	Pennsylvania	$85,160	$41
   8	New York	$85,040	$41
   9	Michigan	$83,908	$40
   10	Colorado	$83,754	$40
   11	New Jersey	$80,684	$39
   12	Minnesota	$79,472	$38
   13	Illinois	$75,590	$36
   14	North Carolina	$75,202	$36
   15	Wisconsin	$75,127	$36
   16	Florida	$72,082	$35
   17	Indiana	$71,470	$34
   18	Oklahoma	$69,819	$34
   19	South Carolina	$68,602	$33

   Average design development engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Amazon	$142,046	$68.29	550
   2	Western Digital	$130,853	$62.91	26
   3	Applied Materials	$123,124	$59.19	48
   4	Barclays	$121,243	$58.29
   5	STMicroelectronics	$111,804	$53.75
   6	LSI	$105,326	$50.64	8
   7	Ford Motor	$102,798	$49.42	248
   8	General Motors	$101,559	$48.83	326
   9	Philips Lighting North America	$100,088	$48.12
   10	Wilson	$99,063	$47.63	13
   11	CyberCoders	$97,751	$47.00	4
   12	Textron	$96,992	$46.63	112
   13	Lenovo	$96,445	$46.37	11
   14	PEAK Technical Staffing USA	$95,925	$46.12
   15	Skyworks Solutions	$95,064	$45.70	20
   16	Brunswick	$93,543	$44.97	21
   17	Corning Incorporated	$93,508	$44.96	78
   18	Randstad North America, Inc.	$92,753	$44.59	20
   19	Los Alamos National Laboratory	$92,549	$44.49	49
   20	Analog Devices	$92,101	$44.28	82

4. Writing a design development engineer job description

   A good design development 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 design development engineer job description:

   Design development engineer job description example

   The Brake System Design and Development Engineer is responsible for the development of brake systems and coordinating vehicle ordering, builds, shipping, and testing. Program management skills required to complete DVPR testing within the constraints of program timing and problem resolution to corporate metrics. The candidate should be able to root cause quality/build issues and implement corrective actions. Good communication skills are required for internal and external presentations on status and system performance. Also, communicating technical requirements to internal areas such as powertrain, electrical and vehicle development groups.
   Requirements :
   " Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree is required.
   " Knowledge of vehicle level brake system design and validation experience.
   " Knowledge of brake system, performance, and sizing modeling/analysis.
   " DFMEA/SFMEA and DVP-R experience such as: write/review/execute a system level DVP for a brake system.
   " Proven problem solving skillset (ie: Shainin, DFSS, Red X, etc.) and analytical skillset.
   " Experience with Technical report writing.
   " Highly motivated and self-starter
   " Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment
   
   Preferred Requirements:
   " Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering
   " 5-10 years of experience in vehicle testing, preferably brake testing
   " Brake system modeling and system analysis experience
   " Design and release experience of brake components.
   Work Schedule Hours Per Day:8.00 Hours Per Week:40.00 Start Time:08:00 AM End Time:05:00 PM Overtime Required:No
   Work Location Address:800 Chrysler Drive City:Auburn Hills State:Michigan Country:United States Postal Code:48326

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with design development engineer candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you 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 design development engineer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the design development 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 equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new design development engineer. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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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How much does it cost to hire a design development engineer?