How to hire an engineering programmer

How to hire an engineering programmer, step by step

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

What does an engineering programmer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the engineering programmer you need to hire. Certain engineering programmer 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 programmer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, engineering programmers 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 presents engineering programmer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Engineering Programmer	Description	Hourly rate
   Engineering Programmer	Computer programmers write and test code that allows computer applications and software programs to function properly. They turn the program designs created by software developers and engineers into instructions that a computer can follow.	$31-66
   Sap/Abap Developer	An SAP/ABAP developer is responsible for designing and creating software programs and applications through the SAP and ABAP programming codes. They conduct multiple diagnostic tests for newly-created and existing applications to ensure adherence to quality standards and requirements... Show more	$37-65
   Mainframe Developer	A mainframe developer specializes in designing and developing information technology systems. Their responsibilities include performing system installations and modifications, creating test structures, gathering and analyzing data, conducting risk assessments, providing support for project requirements, and implementing plans such as disaster recovery and interface layout... Show more	$33-56

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • C++
   • Troubleshoot
   • PC
   • Java
   • Debugging
   • Architecture
   • Python
   • CNC
   • HTML
   • Object Oriented Programming
   • Technical Support
   • C Net
   • Unity
   • JavaScript

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Restructure websites using HTML and CSS.
   • Work on Java and JavaScript in implementing the interfaces.
   • Design and write C++, parallel vtk-base visualization application for studying tera-scale data.
   • Repair and upgrade PC and network of the enterprise.
   • Lead design group to migrate from Autocad to Solidworks.
   • Design touch panel interfaces for use with Crestron and AMX systems.

   More engineering programmer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, engineering programmers' average salary in hawaii is 49% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level engineering programmers earn 52% less than senior-level engineering programmers.
   • Certifications. An engineering programmer 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 programmer's salary.

   Average engineering programmer salary

   $95,776yearly

   $46.05 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level engineering programmer salary

   $66,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

   Average engineering programmer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$131,013	$63
   2	Washington	$118,008	$57
   3	Oregon	$104,528	$50
   4	New Jersey	$101,899	$49
   5	Nevada	$100,880	$49
   6	North Carolina	$95,967	$46
   7	New York	$93,772	$45
   8	Maryland	$93,096	$45
   9	Massachusetts	$89,667	$43
   10	Texas	$87,136	$42
   11	Illinois	$85,834	$41
   12	North Dakota	$84,913	$41
   13	Ohio	$84,136	$40
   14	Louisiana	$83,913	$40
   15	Wisconsin	$79,389	$38
   16	Michigan	$76,061	$37
   17	Nebraska	$73,124	$35
   18	Florida	$70,351	$34
   19	Georgia	$68,950	$33
   20	Indiana	$68,855	$33

   Average engineering programmer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$163,990	$78.84	3,146
   2	The Walt Disney Company	$125,583	$60.38	183
   3	Rockstar Games	$111,992	$53.84	6
   4	PlayStation	$110,172	$52.97	40
   5	Insomniac Games	$105,856	$50.89
   6	Ready At Dawn Studios	$105,716	$50.83
   7	Take-Two Interactive Software	$105,382	$50.66	2
   8	2k	$105,212	$50.58	2
   9	Epic Games	$105,157	$50.56	26
   10	Marchon Eyewear	$105,028	$50.49
   11	ZeniMax Media	$104,853	$50.41	15
   12	ArenaNet	$104,673	$50.32
   13	Gearbox Software	$104,243	$50.12	3
   14	Sony Electronics	$103,743	$49.88	10
   15	Activision Blizzard	$101,771	$48.93	2
   16	Shipcom Wireless	$98,193	$47.21
   17	Aditi Consulting	$93,532	$44.97
   18	Randstad North America, Inc.	$90,898	$43.70	23
   19	Axient	$90,827	$43.67
   20	Epoch.com	$88,608	$42.60

4. Writing an engineering programmer job description

   A job description for an engineering programmer 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 an engineering programmer job description:

   Engineering programmer job description example

   Axient is currently seeking a MSBE/Digital Engineer/Programmer Joureyman to support our customer in El Segundo, CA.
   Responsibilities
   
   * Support Model Based Systems Engineering/modeling and simulation/ digital engineering in support of US Space Force. Space Systems Integration Office (USSF SSIO).
   * Provide support to a variety of tasks and projects, to include but not limited to:
   * Create and document for the Government an analytic framework for modeling and simulating potential SoS and FoS materiel solutions and concepts in appropriate scenarios in order to evaluate and recommend modernization changes.
   * Create analytic tooling and perform trade study assessments of, and recommend changes to, candidate surface, air, and space mission systems
   * Design, develop, and test critical software applications in all phases of product development and operational deployment
   * Translate customer and system requirements into robust software design with a test-driven approach
   * Interact with Systems Engineers and Government Customers to understand/define life-cycle requirement needs
   * Ensure software quality by performing thorough requirements analysis, design and code reviews
   * Successfully communicate project plans, tracking details, status updates and risk mitigation plans to the cross-functional team
   * Support engineering management analysis and provide the "control" of ZA engineering processes to ensure disciplined processes are in place and pedigreed and highly credible products are being generated within ZA.
   * Support development of a capability to procure, use, and maintain Model-Based Systems Engineering software and tools.
   * Investigate and solve bugs, system issues
   * Support the develop and use of digital engineering environment tools - devise internal integration of SMC/ZA Models and SSC digital environment including functional installation, set-up, and maintenance of Mod Sim software for any Digital Engineering Ecosystem SSC participates in.
   * Provide innovative solutions
   
   Qualifications
   
   * Experience:
   * At least 3 years of combined industry, federal government experience, or SETA/FFRDC supporting federal government acquisition with a focus on MS&A, Digital Engineering or programming.
   * Must be well versed in programming languages and able perform all duties independently.
   
   * Skills:
   * Knowledge and use of C#, coding programs, CAMEO, Python, SysML, and/or Sparx Enterprise Architect (EA)
   
   * Education:
   * Must have a minimum of a Bachelor's Degree in a related field such as Computer Science, Engineering
   
   * Clearance: TS & SCI-eligible
   
   Must meet applicable COVID safety requirements and protocols

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find engineering programmers 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 engineering programmers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level engineering programmers 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.

   To find engineering programmer candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit engineering programmers, 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.

   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.

   Sometimes, it's not enough to interview engineering programmer candidates, so you can ask them to do a test project. If you are not a technical person and don't know what a test project should be, you can use these websites:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   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 programmer

   Once you've selected the best engineering programmer 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 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 engineering programmer. 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 an engineering programmer?