How to hire a device engineer

How to hire a device engineer, step by step

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

What does a device engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the device engineer you need to hire. Certain device engineer roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A device engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, device 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 shows salaries for various types of device engineers.

   Type of Device Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Device Engineer	Electrical engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the manufacturing of electrical equipment, such as electric motors, radar and navigation systems, communications systems, and power generation equipment. Electronics engineers design and develop electronic equipment, such as broadcast and communications systems—from portable music players to global positioning systems (GPSs).	$34-62
   Engineering Trainee	An engineering trainee is responsible for shadowing engineers in their duties and performing administrative tasks as needed. Engineering trainees assist the engineers in inspecting construction sites and conducting field research... Show more	$20-39
   Control Systems Engineer	Control systems engineers are interdisciplinary engineers managing the company's control systems. They are expected to be familiar with different engineering disciplines such as mechanical, industrial, and computer science, among others... Show more	$34-56

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Python
   • Data Analysis
   • JMP
   • CAD
   • RF
   • Statistical Analysis
   • Mobile Device Management
   • Solidworks
   • Windows
   • Java
   • Device Design
   • CMOS
   • Extraction
   • Medical Devices

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Stream-Line company design and prototyping activities and manage transitions between internal and subcontract manufacturing with clear, reference, design filing.
   • Complete the advanced CMOS TCAD simulation.
   • Work with process integration, modeling and TCAD groups.
   • Perform BSIM model extraction using ICCAP software for mix signal IC application.
   • Provide OS administration and software development, application administration for UNIX and Linux computing platforms.
   • Perform CAPA work on IPG and ICD devices.

   More device engineer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   $97,458yearly

   $46.85 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level device engineer salary

   $72,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average device engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$124,847	$60
   2	Washington	$107,403	$52
   3	Idaho	$105,405	$51
   4	Massachusetts	$102,139	$49
   5	Texas	$101,030	$49
   6	Utah	$99,461	$48
   7	Colorado	$98,501	$47
   8	Maryland	$95,675	$46
   9	Arizona	$95,223	$46
   10	Missouri	$88,808	$43
   11	New York	$85,024	$41
   12	Illinois	$84,384	$41
   13	Oregon	$81,296	$39
   14	Georgia	$81,032	$39
   15	Florida	$78,525	$38
   16	North Carolina	$76,912	$37
   17	Wisconsin	$62,997	$30

   Average device engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$146,882	$70.62	50
   2	Apple	$139,328	$66.98	125
   3	Google	$133,744	$64.30	75
   4	Amazon	$125,183	$60.18	111
   5	AstraZeneca	$119,028	$57.23	1
   6	Western Digital	$118,945	$57.19	5
   7	Applied Materials	$118,559	$57.00	37
   8	Novo Nordisk	$116,324	$55.92	1
   9	Genentech	$116,202	$55.87
   10	SmartThings	$114,341	$54.97
   11	Amgen	$112,571	$54.12	3
   12	Infineon Technologies	$111,408	$53.56	10
   13	Actel	$110,517	$53.13
   14	Texas Instruments	$108,719	$52.27	28
   15	MaxLinear	$108,628	$52.23	5
   16	Power Integrations	$108,419	$52.12	1
   17	Sony Electronics	$108,152	$52.00	3
   18	IBM	$107,741	$51.80	58
   19	STMicroelectronics	$107,529	$51.70
   20	Lattice Semiconductor	$106,705	$51.30

4. Writing a device engineer job description

   A device 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 device engineer job description:

   Device engineer job description example

   The FreedomPay Commerce Platform is the technology of choice for many of the largest companies across the globe in retail, hospitality, lodging, gaming, sports and entertainment, foodservice, education, healthcare and financial services. FreedomPay's technology has been purposely built to deliver rock solid performance in the highly complex environment of global commerce. The company maintains a world-class security environment and was first to earn the coveted validation by the PCI Security Standards Council against Point-to-Point Encryption with EMV standard in North America. FreedomPay's robust solutions across payments, security, identity and data analytics are available in-store, online and on-mobile and are supported by rapid API adoption. The award winning FreedomPay Commerce Platform operates on a single, unified technology stack across multiple continents allowing enterprises to deliver a consistent, repeatable experience on a global scale. FreedomPay is a fast paced, high growth company with a great culture with competitive benefits and compensation with a business casual atmosphere.
   Primary Job Responsibilities (including but not limited to):
   
   • Learn and adapt to the ever-changing hardware and software environments of payment systems and processing
   • Test various web applications and modules with complex business logic
   • Test/validate file imports, exports, and data transmissions
   • Work with various payment hardware devices and POS systems within the lab environment
   • Read and understand business requirements and technical design documentation
   • Provide assistance or suggestions to influence product design
   • Work well with a team to meet deadlines sharing in responsibilities and providing assistance
   • Train production support staff and technicians on new products and features, system setup and configuration
   • Plan and schedule for upcoming projects and do everything necessary to meet deadlines and commitments
   Quality Assurance and Testing
   • Create and execute thorough manual test plans, including positive and negative testing, functional testing, and regression tests
   • Test efficiently with innovative tools and automation
   • Identify defects in the software prior to deployment to a live environment
   • Report defects and track their progress through Jira
   • Work with engineers on troubleshooting and identifying root causes
   Required Skills and Desired ExperienceBachelor's degree or equivalent work experience.Strong knowledge of software quality assurance best practices and methodologies.Has expertise in testing complex multilayer IT implementations in finance industry Automation mind set and ability to write scripts to automat manual testing effort Ability to write detailed test plan and test cases Tested in highly configurable environment in a multilayer applications suite Strong Experience with Relational (SQL) databases and writes complex queries Identifying and analyzing defects/test results and able to deduce the chain of events leading to a failure.3-8 years of experience in QA and testing Some experience using JIRA, Team City, Octopus Deploy, Rest Assured.Proficient in Microsoft Office and other computer programs as needed
   As the fastest growing commerce company in the industry, we offer the opportunity for tremendous upward mobility within the company as well as development and professional growth opportunities. FreedomPay provides exceptional benefits including medical, prescription, dental and vision coverage, Life Insurance, Retirement Plans with company match, commission sharing plan, flexible hybrid working environment, and great parental and other leave programs. All positions must be able to successfully pass a background check as well as a credit check.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right device engineer for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your device engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit device engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit device engineers, 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 device engineer

   Once you've found the device engineer 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new device 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 device engineer?