How to hire an Engineering Associate

How to hire an engineering associate, step by step

Here's a step-by-step engineering associate hiring guide:

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

What does an Engineering Associate do?

Post An Engineering Associate Job For Free, Promote It For A Fee

Post Free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the engineering associate you need to hire. Certain engineering associate 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

   An engineering associate's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, engineering associates 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 engineering associates.

   Type Of Engineering Associate	Description	Hourly Rate
   Engineering Associate	Electrical and electronics engineering technicians help engineers design and develop computers, communications equipment, medical monitoring devices, navigational equipment, and other electrical and electronic equipment. They often work in product evaluation and testing, using measuring and diagnostic devices to adjust, test, and repair equipment... Show More	$23-48
   Research Engineer	Research Engineers are responsible for a wide range of duties, including researching and developing new technologies and prototypes, and finding solutions to improve techniques, procedures, and technologies.	$32-66
   Chemical Engineer	A chemical engineer provides support for chemical operations and testing new processes. The processes they successfully come up with are used to make different products from gas, oil, food, and drink... Show More	$32-57

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common Skills:

   • Python
   • Java
   • CAD
   • C++
   • Project Management
   • UL
   • Technical Support
   • Technical Reports
   • SQL
   • Data Analysis
   • PowerPoint
   • Linux
   • Troubleshoot
   • Windows

   Check All Skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Work closely with project managers, procurement, shipping/receiving, stores, QA and project leads.
   • Manage and analyze the SEO, SEM and analytics programs for both defensive and offensive marketing opportunities.
   • Demonstrate professionalism and the ability to manage projects independently, performing facility layouts within AutoCAD to forecast customer costs.
   • Work in maintaining the database and data analysis of all the records using SQL.
   • Create PowerPoint exhibits for traffic report.
   • Develop test scripts to deal with pop-up windows and alerts.

   More Engineering Associate duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, engineering associates' average salary in utah is 37% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level engineering associates earn 51% less than senior-level engineering associates.
   • Certifications. An engineering associate 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 an engineering associate's salary.

   Average engineering associate salary

   $70,657yearly

   $33.97 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level engineering associate salary

   $49,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2025

   Average engineering associate salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate
   1	California	$89,851	$43
   2	Massachusetts	$78,380	$38
   3	Virginia	$77,399	$37
   4	Oklahoma	$76,217	$37
   5	New Jersey	$75,160	$36
   6	New York	$73,584	$35
   7	Ohio	$73,477	$35
   8	Maryland	$72,597	$35
   9	Washington	$71,728	$34
   10	Michigan	$71,070	$34
   11	District of Columbia	$71,007	$34
   12	Oregon	$69,968	$34
   13	Illinois	$68,433	$33
   14	Texas	$68,168	$33
   15	North Carolina	$66,003	$32
   16	Pennsylvania	$64,314	$31
   17	Georgia	$63,315	$30
   18	Indiana	$63,161	$30
   19	Minnesota	$62,479	$30
   20	Arizona	$61,195	$29

   Average engineering associate salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
   1	The Citadel	$136,047	$65.41
   2	Google	$125,855	$60.51	134
   3	ConocoPhillips	$124,339	$59.78	1
   4	Deutsche Bank	$123,187	$59.22	9
   5	Macy's	$117,793	$56.63
   6	Pacific Gas and Electric	$115,654	$55.60	7
   7	Ernst & Young	$115,369	$55.47	51
   8	Goldman Sachs	$115,251	$55.41	79
   9	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$115,020	$55.30	51
   10	JCPenney	$113,652	$54.64
   11	City National Bank	$112,157	$53.92
   12	Santander Bank	$111,933	$53.81	1
   13	Brocade Services Corporation	$110,734	$53.24
   14	Bridgewater Associates	$109,891	$52.83
   15	Best Buy	$109,537	$52.66	1
   16	Genentech	$108,960	$52.38	20
   17	Phillips 66	$108,671	$52.25	4
   18	Novartis	$107,178	$51.53
   19	Bristol-Myers Squibb	$105,375	$50.66	9
   20	Exxon Mobil	$105,251	$50.60	9

4. Writing an Engineering Associate Job Description

   An engineering associate 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 an engineering associate job description:

   Engineering Associate job description example

   :
   
   The Associate Engineer will provide technical expertise in support of assigned processing plants, treating plants and facilities located in SENM and West Texas. Candidate will also evaluate, scope and execute small to medium capital projects. This position is based out of the ETC office in Midland, TX.
   
   Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
   As an operations engineer, this position will support cryogenic gas processing plants and numerous field gathering facilities in the SENM and West Texas area. Work with plant operations personnel (daily) to help improve plant operations and to troubleshoot equipment issues. Implement entire project cycle for small field generated plant improvement projects including scope, design, development, material procurement, construction and project completion. Communicate with company operations personnel and contractors for small project implementation. Work with Facility Planning group, to obtain simulation results for gathering system expansion projects. Work closely with large capital Project Managers in support of operation's needs. Take part in PSM activities for area facilities. (Help maintain facility drawings, participate in facility PHAs, resolve PHA action items, etc.) Build and maintain facility process simulations and assist senior process engineers to develop solutions that comply with ETC engineering standards, industry codes, appropriate company and safety standards, and good engineering practices. Proactively seek opportunities to broaden and deepen process engineering knowledge base and proficiencies
   
   Requirements:
   Education and/or Experience, Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
   To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily. The requirements for this position are listed below:
   Bachelor's in Engineering. Disciplines in Chemical or Mechanical Engineer preferred 0 - 3 years of experience Experience through an Engineering internship, preferred. Knowledge of Microsoft Products and Engineering Programs Applicant must have a good driving record. Weekly travel will be required (day trips) and a company vehicle will be assigned.
   Working Conditions:
   The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.
   Usually, normal office working conditions. Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time due to prolonged periods of sitting or standing. Occasional overnight travel may be required. Regular visits to industrial/manufacturing settings, which may include exposure to various materials and chemicals, as well as extreme temperature conditions and loud machinery, and require appropriate personal protective equipment.

   Copy This Example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right engineering associate 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 engineering associate job on Zippia to find and recruit engineering associate candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with engineering associate 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.

   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 engineering associate

   Once you've decided on a perfect engineering associate candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your 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.)

   Sign Up To Download Full List

   Sign Up

How much does it cost to hire an engineering associate?