How to hire a distribution engineer

How to hire a distribution engineer, step by step

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

What does a distribution engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the distribution engineer you need to hire. Certain distribution 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 distribution engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, distribution 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.

   Here's a comparison of distribution engineer salaries for various roles:

   Type of Distribution Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Distribution 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).	$22-62
   Electrical Designer	An electrical designer designs and develops electrical circuit and system layouts for electric power distribution. The responsibilities of an electrical designer include assembling electrical panels and leading a team of document control personnel in-charged to identify and organize facility maintenance drawings... Show more	$22-42
   Electrical Engineer Internship	The electrical engineer internship offers tasks to undergraduate engineering students related to electrical systems analysis and branch circuiting, site investigations, lighting calculations, and design drawings by complementing theoretical knowledge with practical duties on the job to gain experience and increase marketability. Through the internship, the undergraduate engineering students may develop professional aptitude, strengthen their character, and may increase their confidence in their work as it prepares them for what to expect in their field.	$21-43

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Aided Design
   • GIS
   • CAD
   • NESC
   • Voltage Drop
   • UG
   • Project Management
   • Cost Estimates
   • KV
   • Grid
   • ANSI
   • Autocad
   • Renewable Energy
   • Distribution Projects

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage general facilities including commissioning, building management systems, and calibrations for GMP area for tablets production operation.
   • Provide power flow, protection, NEC, ANSI, UL code applications, trouble shooting of electrical system outages.
   • Develop industrial standards and submit same to ANSI.
   • Assist when need in updating construction designs in GIS.
   • Use GIS base software to update and design field work.
   • Develop the HMI system that are implemented by a third party.

   More distribution engineer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, distribution engineers' average salary in montana is 47% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level distribution engineers earn 64% less than senior-level distribution engineers.
   • Certifications. A distribution engineer 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 distribution engineer's salary.

   Average distribution engineer salary

   $77,713yearly

   $37.36 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level distribution engineer salary

   $46,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average distribution engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$113,786	$55
   2	Washington	$104,017	$50
   3	New Mexico	$99,555	$48
   4	Texas	$94,062	$45
   5	District of Columbia	$92,443	$44
   6	Colorado	$90,961	$44
   7	Maryland	$89,955	$43
   8	Georgia	$88,059	$42
   9	Louisiana	$86,715	$42
   10	New York	$86,467	$42
   11	Virginia	$85,279	$41
   12	Oregon	$84,699	$41
   13	Oklahoma	$83,095	$40
   14	Hawaii	$80,895	$39
   15	Michigan	$80,798	$39
   16	Pennsylvania	$80,408	$39
   17	Alabama	$78,806	$38
   18	Missouri	$78,731	$38
   19	Massachusetts	$78,164	$38
   20	Arizona	$73,538	$35

   Average distribution engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apple	$140,962	$67.77	277
   2	Zoox	$130,566	$62.77	9
   3	Applied Materials	$117,968	$56.72	36
   4	Pacific Gas and Electric	$114,148	$54.88
   5	WEC Energy Group	$113,572	$54.60	4
   6	Thomson Reuters	$99,661	$47.91
   7	Abbott	$97,918	$47.08	13
   8	Battelle	$97,156	$46.71	8
   9	Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory	$96,101	$46.20	15
   10	Alere	$93,528	$44.97
   11	Eversource Energy	$87,057	$41.85	19
   12	Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc.	$86,843	$41.75
   13	National Grid plc	$86,839	$41.75
   14	Warner Bros.	$86,814	$41.74	5
   15	Alliant Energy	$86,710	$41.69	4
   16	Portland General Electric	$85,424	$41.07	13
   17	Jacobs Engineering Group	$84,972	$40.85
   18	UChicago Argonne	$83,962	$40.37
   19	Logistics Management Institute	$83,682	$40.23	3
   20	Burns & McDonnell	$82,497	$39.66	244

4. Writing a distribution engineer job description

   A job description for a distribution engineer 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 distribution engineer job description:

   Distribution engineer job description example

   Valdes is a 200-person, multidisciplinary, engineering, architecture, and project management company with an expert focus on technical excellence. Every client project is assigned a dedicated team of professionals who provide personalized services and solutions. The Valdes success model consists of streamlined work processes, attention to detail, technical expertise, and an unyielding commitment to client satisfaction, safety and quality.
   
   Valdes is guided by our purpose statement: We are talented people who thrive and achieve extraordinary results for our customers.
   Our core values reflect who we are, how we perform and what we aspire to:
   Integrity Critical Thinking Excellence Teamwork Passion
   
   Valdes proudly executes all work in the United States to maintain the utmost quality for our clients. We are a certified Minority-Owned Business Enterprise (MBE) and hold the following certifications:
   National Minority Supplier Development Council - MBE Certification
   Illinois Department of Central Management Services - BEP Certification
   City of Chicago - MBE Certification
   California Public Utilities Commission, The Supplier Clearinghouse - MBE Certification
   Responsibilities include:Provide development and design services on overhead and underground utility distribution line projects (34kV and below) Working on multiple projects while prioritizing work Interface with utility clients and collaboration with design team Preparation and development of distribution voltage construction packages for both overhead and underground construction Utilizing GIS information to aide in design Provide leadership, guidance and instruction to less experienced staff members Regularly meet and correspond with clients, equipment suppliers, surveyors, and construction personnel
   Typical assignments include:Design distribution facilitates utilizing client standards including, overhead and underground distribution facilities including distribution equipment installation, feeder replacement, cable replacement, new feeder design and others as assigned Routing, design and execution of distribution line projects Prepare calculations and equipment specifications Field walkdowns Response to field questions GIS mapping
   Qualifications:Bachelors Degree in Electrical, Mechanical or Civil Engineering1+ years of distribution engineering experience required Eligibility to work in the US without requiring sponsorship now or in the future
   Valdes Architecture & Engineering Company is looking for bright and talented people that want to take their career to the next level. We offer many rewarding career paths to challenge and engage our employees at all phases of their careers. Our office provides a team environment, and excellent working conditions, which allow individuals to maximize their potential. Valdes Engineering offers an outstanding benefits package including Medical, Dental, 401K plan, Company paid Long Term and Short Term Disability Insurance, Company paid Life and AD&D Insurance, Pet Insurance, a discounted gym membership and tuition reimbursement.
   EEO/AAE

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find distribution engineers 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 distribution engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit distribution engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting distribution engineers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   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 distribution engineer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the distribution engineer 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 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.

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