How to hire an electronic system engineer

How to hire an electronic system engineer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step electronic system engineer hiring guide:

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

What does an electronic system engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the electronic system engineer you need to hire. Certain electronic system 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

   Hiring the perfect electronic system 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 electronic system engineers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Electronic System Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Electronic System 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).	$32-59
   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
   Staff Design Engineer	Staff design engineers are tasked to assess the efficiency of instruments, technologies, and equipment by collaborating with the engineering team to plan, design, and develop technologies efficiently. Their responsibilities include building and setting up, as wells as improving systems and procedures... Show more	$42-87

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • RF
   • C++
   • EW
   • Data Analysis
   • DOD
   • System Design
   • Power Electronics
   • Test Equipment
   • Embedded Systems
   • DSP
   • System Integration
   • System Architecture
   • Design Reviews
   • Computer System

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Apply technical knowledge in electromagnetic theory and microwave technology to plan and manage projects concern with ground-base radar systems.
   • Perform EMC tests for new products and prototypes.
   • Support vehicle level durability, EMC and impact tests.
   • Develop functional- test systems for module burn-in and PCB testing.
   • Evaluate PCB layout and perform new board analysis, and analog development.
   • Support design and development of a financial and health care system for DOD.

   More electronic system engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the electronic system engineer job description is a good way to get more applicants. An electronic system engineer salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an electronic system engineer in Kentucky may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level electronic system engineer. Additionally, an electronic system engineer with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average electronic system engineer salary

   $92,086yearly

   $44.27 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level electronic system engineer salary

   $68,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average electronic system engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$128,370	$62
   2	Texas	$105,094	$51
   3	Maryland	$99,343	$48
   4	Michigan	$98,213	$47
   5	Florida	$96,854	$47
   6	Virginia	$94,018	$45
   7	Colorado	$91,910	$44
   8	Illinois	$90,755	$44
   9	Minnesota	$89,141	$43
   10	Arizona	$85,145	$41
   11	Georgia	$83,429	$40
   12	Ohio	$82,687	$40
   13	Alabama	$80,736	$39
   14	New York	$80,071	$39
   15	Indiana	$79,885	$38
   16	Wisconsin	$67,732	$33

   Average electronic system engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Randstad North America, Inc.	$101,484	$48.79	4
   2	Johnson & Johnson	$100,188	$48.17	23
   3	3M Company	$99,752	$47.96	7
   4	Tesla	$99,691	$47.93	22
   5	ASML Holding	$99,548	$47.86	2
   6	Bosch USA	$99,372	$47.77	8
   7	BorgWarner	$98,362	$47.29	8
   8	Gulfstream Aerospace	$97,980	$47.11
   9	Honeywell	$97,861	$47.05	36
   10	Mobis America Inc.	$97,181	$46.72	3
   11	Electrolux	$97,181	$46.72
   12	(i)Structure	$97,181	$46.72
   13	Aptiv	$97,181	$46.72	1
   14	General Electric	$97,126	$46.70	179
   15	PDS Tech	$97,066	$46.67	3
   16	TAK Communications	$96,979	$46.62
   17	Latitude 36	$96,392	$46.34
   18	Valeo Financial Advisors	$95,953	$46.13
   19	Delphi Auto Parts	$95,899	$46.11
   20	Caterpillar	$95,898	$46.10	13

4. Writing an electronic system engineer job description

   A good electronic system engineer 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 an electronic system engineer job description:

   Electronic system engineer job description example

   For over 60 years, customers have turned to L3Harris capabilities in Electronic Warfare (EW) to dominate the electromagnetic spectrum. We provide the knowledge, technology, and techniques needed for mission success against threats across air, land and sea domains. We have and continue to deliver high-performing EW systems that meet/exceed the performance, cost, schedule needs of our military customers. We provide the EW systems that you'll find on platforms such as the B-52, C-130, F-16, F/A-18, CV-22, and many others.
   
   And, best of all, we're looking to grow our team! We're looking for Systems Engineers to help us design, develop, integrate, test, and deliver electronic warfare systems to our customers and support their on-going operations.
   
   The ideal candidate would demonstrate unrelenting tenacity to overcome challenges/obstacles and learn along the way so that he/she can do it faster and better the next time around.
   If you believe you fit the bill, we'd love to meet you and talk about your future at L3Harris!
   
   Essential Functions:
   Support/lead concept of operation development and requirements analysis, decomposition, and generation at various levels of the system Support/lead requirements traceability and development of test plans to cover requirements Support/lead integration and test of electronic warfare systems and related hardware/software/firmware subsystems/sub-components/products Support/lead data analysis and modeling and simulation to find underlying root cause of issue and/or to guide design Present work to multi-disciplinary team and internal/external customers
   Qualifications:
   Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Systems Engineering or related technical discipline with a minimum of 9 years of relevant experience or Master's degree in Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Systems Engineering or related technical discipline with a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience Ability to obtain Interim Secret Security Clearance, U.S. Citizenship required Hands-on experience with commercial RF/EE test equipment and devices (e.g. signal generator, spectrum analyzer, oscilloscope, network analyzer, attenuators, amplifiers, etc.) Experience generating requirements at various levels of the system and flowing down requirements to sub-systems/sub-components Experience with data analysis and/or modeling and simulation (e.g. with MATLAB/python) Experience working on aerospace/defense electronic systems (e.g. electronic warfare systems, radar, missile guidance, missile defense)
   Preferred Additional Skills:
   Active/current Secret security clearance desired Exposure to concepts in signal processing, logic design, computer architecture Experience leading a multi-disciplinary engineering team (spanning systems, software, firmware, hardware, mechanical, etc.) Effective communicator in a multi-disciplinary team environment Organized and detail-oriented Rational DOORs sys ML/MBSE

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit electronic system engineers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 electronic system engineer

   Once you've selected the best electronic system 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   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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