How to hire a development engineer

How to hire a development engineer, step by step

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

What does a development engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a development engineer, 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

   Hiring the perfect development engineer also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of development engineers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Development Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   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.	$33-58
   Mechanical Design Engineer	A mechanical design engineer specializes in designing various mechanical devices that will be vital in developing machinery or large structures. One of their primary responsibilities revolves around conducting thorough research and analysis, establishing layouts and prototypes, producing progress reports, and working alongside fellow engineers and skilled professionals... Show more	$28-46
   Packaging Engineer	A Packaging Engineer plans and implements packaging designs to ensure product integrity and appeal. Their primary duties include supervising and managing the complete packaging development process, analyzing engineering drawings, and conducting periodic vendor reviews.	$31-56

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Java
   • Python
   • Software Development
   • JavaScript
   • Lifecycle Management
   • UI
   • Project Management
   • Debugging
   • Linux
   • Data Analysis
   • API
   • CAD
   • Amazon Web Services
   • Product Quality

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Used RS.exe from command line to automate report execution, export to PDF and archive to FTP site.
   • Manage Terraform and refactore from monolithic to application specific components.
   • Develop python code on Linux kernel (raspberry pi) for battery monitoring system.
   • Migrate an existing J2EE application to MVC framework.
   • Develop LINUX device driver for new real-time clock chip support.
   • Help in modifying shell scripts to convert from IBM AIX to Linux.

   More development engineer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   $93,206yearly

   $44.81 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level development engineer salary

   $70,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average development engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$120,431	$58
   2	Washington	$110,562	$53
   3	Massachusetts	$99,376	$48
   4	New York	$92,729	$45
   5	Texas	$92,294	$44
   6	Virginia	$92,073	$44
   7	Arizona	$91,833	$44
   8	Oregon	$91,822	$44
   9	Rhode Island	$91,781	$44
   10	Vermont	$89,309	$43
   11	Colorado	$87,585	$42
   12	Illinois	$86,179	$41
   13	Pennsylvania	$83,422	$40
   14	Michigan	$82,929	$40
   15	Minnesota	$80,434	$39
   16	Georgia	$78,551	$38
   17	North Carolina	$74,570	$36
   18	Ohio	$74,500	$36
   19	Wisconsin	$73,693	$35
   20	Indiana	$71,466	$34

   Average development engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$141,543	$68.05	2,911
   2	Apple	$140,526	$67.56	751
   3	Google	$134,202	$64.52	371
   4	PayPal	$132,980	$63.93	12
   5	Amazon	$129,107	$62.07	1,219
   6	eBay	$127,629	$61.36	25
   7	Netflix	$127,124	$61.12	24
   8	Costco Wholesale	$125,524	$60.35	1
   9	Silvaco	$125,310	$60.25
   10	Adobe	$124,278	$59.75	140
   11	Microsoft	$124,220	$59.72	373
   12	Salesforce	$123,906	$59.57	25
   13	StumbleUpon	$123,348	$59.30
   14	Palo Alto Networks	$122,823	$59.05	67
   15	Punch Entertainment	$122,108	$58.71
   16	The Walt Disney Company	$121,827	$58.57	188
   17	Algolia	$121,040	$58.19
   18	Airtable	$120,482	$57.92	17
   19	NVIDIA	$119,682	$57.54	153
   20	Dell	$119,465	$57.44	8

4. Writing a development engineer job description

   A development engineer 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 development engineer job description:

   Development engineer job description example

   Pilot Flying J is the 10th largest privately held company in North America with more than 28,000 team members. As the industry-leading network of travel centers, we have more than 950 retail and fueling locations in 44 states and six Canadian provinces. Our energy and logistics division is a top supplier of fuel, employing one of the largest tanker fleets and providing critical services to oil operations in our nation's busiest basins. Pilot Company supports a growing portfolio of brands with expertise in supply chain and retail operations, logistics and transportation, technology and digital innovation, construction, maintenance, human resources, finance, sales and marketing.
   
   Founded in 1958, we are proud to be family owned and consider our team members to be part of the family. Our founding values, people-first culture and commitment to giving back remains true to us today. Whether we are serving guests, a fellow team member, or a trucking company, we are dedicated fueling people and keeping North America moving.
   
   All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.
   
   Pilot Flying J is part of the Pilot Company family of brands that keeps North America's drivers moving, including E-Z Trip, Mr. Fuel, One9 Fuel Stop, Pride, StaMart and Xpress Fuel.
   
   Let your creative juices flow! As an Engineer II, you will provide support for the various applications, processes, data, and reports utilized by the company, guests, and vendors; develop fixes, features, and enhancements for new and existing applications.
   
   Create and develop new application software as well as develop features and functionality for existing software with limited guidance from management or senior team members
   Provide support for existing software applications, including moderate troubleshooting and bug fixes Add features, fixes, and enhancements to new and existing applications, processes, and reports; recommend technology to use; assist in determining solution for development of new features and enhancements Independently troubleshoot and analyze basic issues with applications, processes, data, and reports; help determine appropriate action to follow to resolve these issues Test application code, features, functionality, and fixes; assist quality assurance (QA) as needed Collaborate with Developers, Business Analysts, Project Managers, and users to support basic day-to-day business functions Collaborate with business users to clarify requirements for moderately complex new or existing features Assist in training support staff and other team members on the proper use and troubleshooting of software applications Create new documentation and update existing documentation for IT systems and process; follow the recommended format, process, and diagrams to be used in the creation of materials Assist junior team members through mentoring, collaboration, and code reviews Model behaviors that support the company’s common purpose; ensure guests and team members are supported at the highest level Ensure all activities comply with rules, regulations, policies, and procedures Minimum three years’ experience in application development Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience required; Master's degree is a plus, preferably in computer science or MIS C#.Net development experience required Nation-wide Medical Plan/Dental/Vision 401(k) and Flexible Spending Accounts Adoption Assistance Tuition Reimbursement Onsite Gym and Cafeteria Weekly Pay All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
   By submitting your interest in this job, you agree to receive text notifications with additional steps to complete your job application. You will receive up to 6 messages from the number "63879". Message & data rates may apply. Please refer to our privacy policy for more information.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find 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 development engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level 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 development engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit 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 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.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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

   Once you've selected the best development engineer candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing 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.

   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 development engineer?