How to hire a development engineer/engineering manager

How to hire a development engineer/engineering manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step development engineer/engineering manager hiring guide:

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

What does a development engineer/engineering manager do?

Post a development engineer/engineering manager job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your development engineer/engineering manager 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 development engineer/engineering manager 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 development engineer/engineering manager 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 development engineer/engineering manager that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of development engineer/engineering manager salaries for various roles:

   Type of Development Engineer/Engineering Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Development Engineer/Engineering Manager	Architectural and engineering managers plan, direct, and coordinate activities in architectural and engineering companies.	$46-86
   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
   Team Lead Engineer	A team leads engineer is in charge of spearheading and overseeing the efforts of an engineering team, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Although the duties may depend on one's industry of employment, it typically includes designing and developing systems according to project requirements, setting objectives and construction guidelines, delegating tasks, managing budgets and schedules, and monitoring the workflow, performing corrective measures as needed... Show more	$40-75

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Java
   • Architecture
   • Software Development
   • R
   • Project Management
   • C++
   • Continuous Improvement
   • Product Development
   • Development Engineering
   • Direct Reports
   • Performance Reviews
   • UL
   • QA
   • CAD

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Work directly with approval agencies (CSA, UL, and CE) to manage certifications.
   • Manage multiple OEM and localization projects simultaneously.
   • Manage scheduling and implementation of technology for applications migrations to cloud, ensuring consistency adherence to university practices.
   • Introduce proprietary mesh RF network (IoT) battery-powered NIR thermal sensors.
   • Contribute to policy development, institute procedures, and maintain QS / ISO compliant operation.
   • Partner with regulatory agencies (UL, FCC) to obtain approvals for new products and repair processes.

   More development engineer/engineering manager duties

3. Make a budget

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

   $132,156yearly

   $63.54 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level development engineer/engineering manager salary

   $97,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 19, 2026

   Average development engineer/engineering manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$160,421	$77
   2	Massachusetts	$137,881	$66
   3	Washington	$136,766	$66
   4	New Jersey	$131,831	$63
   5	Oregon	$130,003	$63
   6	Virginia	$129,705	$62
   7	Utah	$129,543	$62
   8	Texas	$128,622	$62
   9	New York	$124,556	$60
   10	Pennsylvania	$123,608	$59
   11	Wisconsin	$123,262	$59
   12	Michigan	$120,499	$58
   13	Indiana	$118,495	$57
   14	Minnesota	$115,107	$55
   15	Colorado	$113,443	$55
   16	Alabama	$109,739	$53
   17	Rhode Island	$109,437	$53
   18	Georgia	$108,990	$52
   19	North Carolina	$108,784	$52
   20	Missouri	$103,146	$50

   Average development engineer/engineering manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apple	$205,220	$98.66	189
   2	Google	$198,589	$95.48	209
   3	PayPal	$191,550	$92.09	23
   4	Twitter	$188,067	$90.42	2
   5	Quidel	$171,063	$82.24
   6	CrowdStrike	$168,021	$80.78	18
   7	Intuitive Surgical	$167,178	$80.37	9
   8	ServiceNow	$160,494	$77.16	6
   9	Yahoo	$158,637	$76.27
   10	Tesla	$154,994	$74.52	7
   11	Redfin	$154,418	$74.24	2
   12	BorgWarner	$154,306	$74.19	8
   13	Expedia Group	$153,449	$73.77	7
   14	Cisco	$152,150	$73.15	264
   15	Kohl's	$150,615	$72.41	1
   16	CyberCoders	$149,325	$71.79	1
   17	Intel	$149,123	$71.69	65
   18	Über	$148,727	$71.50	60
   19	Amazon	$148,481	$71.39	444
   20	ICU Medical	$148,441	$71.37	14

4. Writing a development engineer/engineering manager job description

   A good development engineer/engineering manager 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 development engineer/engineering manager job description:

   Development engineer/engineering manager job description example

   We're looking for an Engineering Manager to lead our most dynamic team. Our New Product Development team is iterating quickly and building new capabilities for our customers. This team has built and grown our Address Verification product and now we're focusing on new growth opportunities. In your role you will help the team set, plan and execute our goals with an eye toward quick iteration. You'll lead and coach a team of engineers to further develop their problem-solving and business skills. You will build a diverse and inclusive team environment where people can excel. As one of our engineering leaders, you'll also help define our company engineering culture and best practices as we grow.
   As the Engineering Manager, New Product Development, you'll…
   
   * Partner with our Product and Design teams and other stakeholders throughout the company to understand customer needs and deliver best-in-class new product capabilities to delight our customers.
   * Apply your technical expertise to help the engineers research, design, and build capabilities that solve customer pain, tackle new business opportunities, and make us more agile, secure, scalable, and resilient. Day-to-day coding is not a requirement of this role, instead you'll act as a senior thought partner to the engineers and ultimately be responsible for the collective output of the team.
   * Work to make Lob's bet on new product development a reality. This role requires an entrepreneurial spirit, technical and business acumen and a willingness to take an idea and build it into a sustainable business.
   * Your team is already shipping quickly and has a strong signal on high-impact areas where we can enhance our products.
   
   What will you bring to this role…
   
   * A #MoveFastTakeAction mentality. This team is at the leading edge of our product development and we're a team of folks excited to grow this business.
   * 2+ years of overall experience leading teams of engineers on technical projects. We'll want to hear how your direct reports developed and grew under your leadership.
   * Full-stack (database, backend, and frontend) experience in a modern framework or language. You were an experienced software engineer before becoming a manager and can speak technology-matters with your team.
   * Knowledge of at least one mainstream programming language, including being able to write, read, and understand code in that language. We use Node.js (mostly) and Elixir (a tiny bit).
   * Great communication skills. You should be able to explain your approach and the impact of your work to both technical and non-technical stakeholders in a way that is clear to all.
   
   At Lob, we are looking to #LevelUp and #EmpowerDiversity, we invite you to apply even if you don't meet 100% of the requirements above.
   
   <#LI-REMOTE #LI-RW1

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with development engineer/engineering manager 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 development engineer/engineering manager

   Once you have selected a candidate for the development engineer/engineering manager 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 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 development engineer/engineering manager. 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a development engineer/engineering manager?