How to hire a design technician

How to hire a design technician, step by step

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

What does a design technician do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your design technician 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 technician 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

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

   This list shows salaries for various types of design technicians.

   Type of Design Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Design Technician	Civil engineering technicians help civil engineers to plan, design, and build highways, bridges, utilities, and other infrastructure projects. They also help to plan, design, and build commercial, industrial, residential, and land development projects.	$17-50
   Computer Aided Drafter	A computer-aided drafter is responsible for creating designs, usually for industrial manufacturing and construction projects, using computer-aided software systems and applications. Computer-aided drafters should have excellent command in programming languages and navigating computer system codes to develop a technical output, following the clients' specifications and business requirements... Show more	$15-27
   Engineering Internship	An engineering intern is responsible for assisting the overall project development under the supervision of a head engineer. Engineering interns' duties vary in every industry but generally include generating reports, analyzing budget goals and cost estimates, reaching out to clients for important updates, and providing project improvement recommendations... Show more	$12-30

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Revit
   • Civil 3D
   • Aided Design
   • Sketch
   • Auto CAD
   • Work Ethic
   • GIS
   • Design Drawings
   • BIM
   • Windows
   • Java
   • GPS
   • Survey Data
   • Shop Drawings

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the life cycle of the product using PLM from creation to the top of production sample.
   • Lead team in Revit modeling and documentation including precise replication of intricate detention security hardware.
   • Job duties include but not limit to assisting professional engineers in designing HVAC and plumbing systems.
   • Experience in draft beer equipment (jockey box, taps, lines, etc . )
   • Assist customer with IP addressing.
   • Used Carlson plugin software with AutoCAD.

   More design technician duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your design technician job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A design technician can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, design technicians' average salary in nebraska is 55% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level design technicians 64% less than senior-level design technicians.
   • Certifications. A design technician with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a design technician's salary.

   Average design technician salary

   $62,288yearly

   $29.95 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level design technician salary

   $37,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average design technician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$91,582	$44
   2	New Jersey	$88,330	$42
   3	Massachusetts	$83,336	$40
   4	District of Columbia	$81,387	$39
   5	Washington	$80,860	$39
   6	Oregon	$71,064	$34
   7	New York	$67,591	$33
   8	Illinois	$63,004	$30
   9	Ohio	$61,648	$30
   10	North Carolina	$60,426	$29
   11	Oklahoma	$57,816	$28
   12	Minnesota	$55,179	$27
   13	Iowa	$53,435	$26
   14	Arizona	$53,350	$26
   15	Indiana	$50,455	$24
   16	Wisconsin	$50,135	$24
   17	Florida	$49,592	$24
   18	Colorado	$48,665	$23
   19	Missouri	$47,546	$23
   20	Georgia	$45,091	$22

   Average design technician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$158,315	$76.11	292
   2	Accenture	$145,199	$69.81	117
   3	Apple	$139,095	$66.87	335
   4	Microsoft	$134,903	$64.86	41
   5	Logitech	$130,875	$62.92	1
   6	Uber Technologies	$128,214	$61.64
   7	DoorDash	$126,021	$60.59	16
   8	Vicor	$125,886	$60.52	3
   9	Skyworks Solutions	$123,843	$59.54	17
   10	Amazon	$121,334	$58.33	178
   11	Booz Allen Hamilton	$120,405	$57.89	7
   12	TaylorMade Golf	$119,313	$57.36
   13	Edwards Lifesciences	$118,823	$57.13	2
   14	Dolby Laboratories	$118,506	$56.97
   15	Nike	$118,406	$56.93	17
   16	AIG	$115,632	$55.59
   17	Abbott	$111,888	$53.79	5
   18	Blue Origin	$111,728	$53.72	148
   19	EMCOR Group	$111,597	$53.65	21
   20	Axiom Space	$111,450	$53.58	2

4. Writing a design technician job description

   A design technician 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 design technician job description:

   Design technician job description example

   Coach is a global fashion house founded in New York in 1941. Inspired by the vision of Creative Director Stuart Vevers and the inclusive and courageous spirit of our hometown, we make beautiful things, crafted to last-for you to be yourself in.
   
   Coach is part of the Tapestry portfolio - a global house of brands committed to stretching what's possible.
   
   A member of the Tapestry family, we are part of a global house of brands that has unwavering optimism and is committed to being innovative and wholly inclusive. Visit
   Our People page to learn more about Tapestry's commitment to equity, inclusion, and diversity.
   
   Technical Design RTW
   
   Coach is a leading design house of modern luxury accessories and lifestyle collections, with a long-standing reputation built on quality craftsmanship. Defined by a free-spirited, all-American attitude, the brand approaches design with a modern vision, reimagining luxury for today with an authenticity and innovation that is uniquely Coach. All over the world, the Coach name is synonymous with effortless New York style.
   
   Coach is part of the Tapestry portfolio - a global house of brands powered by optimism, innovation, and inclusivity.
   
   Title: Technical Designer, RTW
   
   Primary Purpose: Technical Designer is a strategic partner responsible for the execution of RTW product from development to commercialization. They are responsible for analyzing and evaluating garments to deliver the correct fit specifications and brand aesthetic. Cross functional partner to the Design, Product Development, and Atelier and Regional Support teams.
   
   The successful individual will leverage their proficiency in Technical Design to...
   
   Oversee and communicate development and fit specifications from initial concept to the end product. Create development tech packs for direct launches with draping's and mock-ups to achieve Designer's aesthetic as required Manage production fittings and the pre-production process ensuring all approvals are within the timeline and action plan. Support and collaborate with factory technical teams. Review bulk production reports and work with cross-functional team to create corrective action plans. Participate in research and development of new techniques and fits where applicable to support Design and Product Development. Risk Assessment Management on a seasonal basis working closely with RM partners to mitigate product risk at an early stage in development process Establish strong relationships with cross functional and global partners. Highly solution oriented.
   
   An outstanding professional will have...
   
   Strong knowledge in pattern making and garment construction. Good eye for proportion and design aesthetic. Attention to detail. Self-motivated with a strong sense of urgency. Proficiency in Web PDM, PLM, Illustrator and Outlook, pattern making, sewing, garment construction and engineering. Good verbal and written communication and influencing skills. Product risk mitigation.
   
   Our Competencies for All Employees
   Courage : Doesn't hold back anything that needs to be said; provides current, direct, complete, and "actionable" positive and corrective feedback to others; lets people know where they stand; faces up to people problems on any person or situation (not including direct reports) quickly and directly; is not afraid to take negative action when necessary. Creativity : Comes up with a lot of new and unique ideas; easily makes connections among previously unrelated notions; tends to be seen as original and value-added in brainstorming settings. Customer Focus: Is dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers; gets first-hand customer information and uses it for improvements in products and services; acts with customers in mind; establishes and maintains effective relationships with customers and gains their trust and respect. Dealing with Ambiguity : Can effectively cope with change; can shift gears comfortably; can decide and act without having the total picture; isn't upset when things are up in the air; doesn't have to finish things before moving on; can comfortably handle risk and uncertainty. Drive for Results: Can be counted on to exceed goals successfully; is constantly and consistently one of the top performers; very bottom-line oriented; steadfastly pushes self and others for results. Interpersonal Savvy : Relates well to all kinds of people, up, down, and sideways, inside and outside the organization; builds appropriate rapport; builds constructive and effective relationships; uses diplomacy and tact; can diffuse even high-tension situations comfortably. Learning on the Fly: Learns quickly when facing new problems; a relentless and versatile learner; open to change; analyzes both successes and failures for clues to improvement; experiments and will try anything to find solutions; enjoys the challenge of unfamiliar tasks; quickly grasps the essence and the underlying structure of anything.
   Our Competencies for All People Managers
   Strategic Agility : Sees ahead clearly; can anticipate future consequences and trends accurately; has broad knowledge and perspective; is future oriented; can articulately paint credible pictures and visions of possibilities and likelihoods; can create competitive and breakthrough strategies and plans. Developing Direct Reports and Others: Provides challenging and stretching tasks and assignments; holds frequent development discussions; is aware of each person's career goals; constructs compelling development plans and executes them; pushes people to accept developmental moves; will take on those who need help and further development; cooperates with the developmental system in the organization; is a people builder. Building Effective Teams : Blends people into teams when needed; creates strong moraleand spirit in theirteam; shares wins and successes; fosters open dialogue; lets people finish and be responsible for their work; defines success in terms of the whole team; creates a feeling of belonging in the team.
   Coach is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer and we pride ourselves on hiring and developing the best people. All employment decisions (including recruitment, hiring, promotion, compensation, transfer, training, discipline and termination) are based on the applicant's or employee's qualifications as they relate to the requirements of the position under consideration. These decisions are made without regard to age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic characteristics, race, color, creed, religion, ethnicity, national origin, alienage, citizenship, disability, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or any other legally-recognized protected basis prohibited by applicable law. #LI-AS1 Visit Coach at www.coach.com.
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit design technicians, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up 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 technician

   Once you've found the design technician 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.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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 technician?