How to hire a design specialist

How to hire a design specialist, step by step

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

What does a design specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a design specialist, 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

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

   The following list breaks down different types of design specialists and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Design Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Design Specialist	Interior designers make interior spaces functional, safe, and beautiful by determining space requirements and selecting decorative items, such as colors, lighting, and materials. They read blueprints and must be aware of building codes and inspection regulations, as well as universal accessibility standards.	$16-43
   Visual Merchandiser	A visual merchandiser is responsible for arranging product displays at retail outlets, attracting customers to purchase the items. Visual merchandisers should be updated with the latest trends in the market to prioritize retail displays and floor plans... Show more	$12-25
   Graphic Designer Internship	In a graphic design internship, one of the primary responsibilities is to accomplish tasks while under the supervision of more experienced colleagues. An aspiring graphic designer may use this opportunity to observe and participate in designing for various industries, handle different clients, participate in creative meetings, and learn strategies from experts... Show more	$12-22

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Sketch
   • CAD
   • Product Knowledge
   • Adobe Creative Suite
   • Graphic Design
   • Autocad
   • Project Management
   • PowerPoint
   • HTML
   • CSS
   • Design Expertise
   • Aided Design
   • JavaScript

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage a program of training for designers without cad to get this training.
   • Develop construction drawings using AutoCAD; coordinate bid process and vendor selection; and manage construction process through final punch list.
   • Provide HTML support to the marketing department.
   • Update and maintain corporate website with Dreamweaver.
   • Create and maintain business's customer database in QuickBooks.
   • Implement front end GUI with JavaScript for client side validations.

   More design specialist duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, design specialists' average salary in wyoming is 56% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level design specialists earn 62% less than senior-level design specialists.
   • Certifications. A design specialist 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 design specialist's salary.

   Average design specialist salary

   $56,917yearly

   $27.36 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level design specialist salary

   $35,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average design specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$73,390	$35
   2	New York	$68,335	$33
   3	District of Columbia	$65,938	$32
   4	Pennsylvania	$65,074	$31
   5	Texas	$61,068	$29
   6	North Carolina	$60,756	$29
   7	Massachusetts	$51,871	$25
   8	Oregon	$50,321	$24
   9	Illinois	$49,059	$24
   10	Ohio	$48,483	$23
   11	Arizona	$47,265	$23
   12	Washington	$46,419	$22
   13	Georgia	$46,354	$22
   14	Minnesota	$46,186	$22
   15	Colorado	$43,542	$21
   16	South Carolina	$40,108	$19
   17	Missouri	$39,883	$19
   18	Florida	$38,034	$18
   19	Indiana	$37,377	$18
   20	Utah	$31,117	$15

   Average design specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	BP America Inc	$124,252	$59.74	2
   2	Meta	$118,750	$57.09	752
   3	SAP	$107,759	$51.81	3
   4	Citi	$106,486	$51.20
   5	Tesla	$106,042	$50.98	76
   6	Lenovo	$105,984	$50.95	5
   7	General Motors	$104,409	$50.20	30
   8	Lam Research	$103,567	$49.79	1
   9	Nokia	$103,140	$49.59	7
   10	Nalco Holding Company	$100,770	$48.45
   11	Halliburton	$100,520	$48.33
   12	Pacifi	$99,087	$47.64	2
   13	NYISO	$98,776	$47.49
   14	Ch2M Hill	$98,454	$47.33
   15	Zebra Technologies	$98,310	$47.26
   16	Cisco	$97,755	$47.00	37
   17	Climatec	$97,535	$46.89	4
   18	Cenergy International Services	$95,620	$45.97
   19	NTT Data International L.L.C.	$95,617	$45.97	39
   20	Thales	$94,760	$45.56	1

4. Writing a design specialist job description

   A job description for a design specialist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a design specialist job description:

   Design specialist job description example

   Performs design and drafting of both electrical and mechanical aspects of electrical/electronic equipment.
   
   Designs wiring harness routing integration using schematic diagrams as supplied in rough form by electrical engineering.
   
   Performs overall line replaceable unit (LRU) chassis and housing design/drafting, including overall system design integration.
   
   Produces CAD models and drawings of electrical harness assemblies, electro-mechanical components, assemblies, and installation drawings.
   Must be able to work within the data management system. SKILLS: Electrical Design Specialist The desired skill set includes the following: Experience working with electrical/electronic systems. Sound understanding of Creo CAD modeling, design, and drafting techniques (minimum 2 years). Experience with design, routing, and drawings of wiring harnesses assemblies. Understanding of model and drawing generation utilizing Creo and Creo Pro-Cable. Understanding of AMSE Y14.100 and ASME Y14.5 standards. The Integrated Product Team (IPT) environment for this position requires highly cooperative team working skills, as well as very good oral and written communication skills., REQUIRED EXPERIENCE: Electrical Design Specialist 2 years of Creo Design EDUCATION: Electrical Design Specialist Associate Degree in a relevant technical discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and experience; plus a minimum of 4 years experience; or relevant Bachelors degree or equivalent plus an additional 2 years experience - Working knowledge of electrical engineering and electro-mechanical engineering tools is highly desired. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Electrical Design Specialist
   Shift: 9/80
   OT Expected: no
   Travel: no
   ? EEO Statement Apollo Professional Solutions, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, disability status, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, protected veteran status, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other status or characteristic protected under federal, state, or local law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find design specialists 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 design specialist job on Zippia to find and attract quality design specialist candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with design specialist 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. 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 design specialist

   Once you've found the design specialist 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new design specialist. 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 specialist?