How to hire an engineering technician

How to hire an engineering technician, step by step

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

What does an engineering technician do?

Post an engineering technician job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an engineering technician, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an engineering technician to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an engineering technician that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of engineering technicians.

   Type of Engineering Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Engineering Technician	Industrial engineering technicians help industrial engineers implement designs to use personnel, materials, and machines effectively in factories, stores, healthcare organizations, repair shops, and offices. They prepare machinery and equipment layouts, plan workflows, conduct statistical production studies, and analyze production costs.	$17-46
   Research And Development Technician	A research and development technician specializes in performing mathematical and laboratory operations to support projects concerning products and development. Usually functioning as an assistant to a more experienced researcher, a research and development technician's responsibilities revolve around conducting analysis, building models and prototypes, producing reports, and performing various experiments... Show more	$26-60
   Quality Laboratory Technician	A Quality Laboratory Technician ensures that lab procedures and equipment meet a certain standard, as well as monitors production. They maintain quality service and a safe and healthy work environment through following organization standards.	$14-23

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Technical Support
   • Data Collection
   • Test Equipment
   • Asphalt
   • Construction Projects
   • Construction Materials
   • CAD
   • Hand Tools
   • DOD
   • Prototype
   • Test Results
   • Test Procedures
   • UL
   • Engineering Support

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Used Microsoft SharePoint to manage projects, web base collaboration, alerts and for document management.
   • Achieve UL certification for thermal overload protection used in motor applications.
   • Manage equipment database and organize annual equipment calibration require by internal quality control and ISO standards.
   • Manage and distribute cad standards to contributing design consultants and assist with any design issues as necessary.
   • Maintain engineering lab equipment: troubleshoot and repair any faulty electronic or mechanical malfunctions, and calibrate test equipment.
   • Specialize in software and hardware engineering to military standards and project management of DoD contracts.

   More engineering technician duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your engineering technician job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An engineering technician 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 an engineering technician in North Carolina may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level engineering technician usually earns less than a senior-level engineering technician. Additionally, an engineering technician 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 engineering technician salary

   $60,273yearly

   $28.98 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level engineering technician salary

   $37,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average engineering technician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$85,147	$41
   2	Washington	$82,538	$40
   3	District of Columbia	$77,460	$37
   4	Massachusetts	$69,718	$34
   5	New York	$69,170	$33
   6	Michigan	$68,887	$33
   7	New Jersey	$66,946	$32
   8	Oregon	$65,342	$31
   9	Illinois	$62,954	$30
   10	New Mexico	$62,499	$30
   11	Georgia	$59,504	$29
   12	Texas	$59,069	$28
   13	Pennsylvania	$58,996	$28
   14	Ohio	$57,378	$28
   15	Minnesota	$56,857	$27
   16	Virginia	$55,404	$27
   17	Arizona	$54,417	$26
   18	Colorado	$50,077	$24
   19	Indiana	$49,505	$24
   20	Missouri	$48,864	$23

   Average engineering technician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Western Digital	$145,083	$69.75	136
   2	Meta	$141,058	$67.82	614
   3	BP America Inc	$138,251	$66.47	5
   4	NVIDIA	$134,052	$64.45	5
   5	Pacific Investment Management Company LLC	$130,553	$62.77	1
   6	Google	$128,183	$61.63	100
   7	Finisar	$126,722	$60.92
   8	VMware	$125,783	$60.47
   9	Apple	$125,779	$60.47	82
   10	Xilinx	$124,726	$59.96
   11	Simon Property Group	$124,534	$59.87	3
   12	Hitachi Vantara	$124,099	$59.66
   13	Zoox	$122,761	$59.02	26
   14	ConocoPhillips	$122,505	$58.90	2
   15	California Resources	$122,071	$58.69
   16	Federal National Mortgage Association	$121,591	$58.46	5
   17	Applied Materials	$121,430	$58.38	63
   18	Texas Instruments	$120,994	$58.17	63
   19	Amd	$120,568	$57.97	21
   20	Capital Group	$120,086	$57.73	4

4. Writing an engineering technician job description

   An engineering technician 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 technician job description:

   Engineering technician job description example

   General Purpose of the Job
   
   The primary purpose of the position is to manage and support new model activities. The position will also assist production as directed by the New Model Manager. Must be willing to Travel Domestically / Internationally. This Position also includes, but are not limited to, those set forth below.
   
   Notice:
   This position is expected to move between New Model/UPS and other Engineering division departments at the direction of supervision. This skill-rotation concept is intended to return a high level of experience and knowledge to production support departments after a new model launch.
   
   Essential Duties and Responsibilities
   
   Assist quality with part type layout and changes made to all parts.
   Work with and support manufacturing and engineering departments as directed by the New Model Manager.
   Must have a strong ability to understand and change PLC and Robot programs. Robot teaching is a must.
   Must be able to troubleshoot and problem solve.
   Ability to operate forklifts and manlifts safely.
   Work safely and ensure equipment function meets ANSI and OSHA requirements. Maintain a safe work environment.
   Must have regular attendance and flexible work hours.
   Must be able to work in a team environment.
   Assist in preparations and execution of various required meetings.
   Work with and direct contractors and vendors.
   Update and submit new model documentation to customers.
   Update and manage tasks to a schedule.
   Accountable to control manufacturing parts to local and customer standards.
   Be able to perform effective fixture and driver checks, follow 4M system.
   Carry out tooling confirmation checks such as UES-QA0015.
   Conduct time studies as directed by management.
   Design, modify and install new and transferred tooling as needed.
   Understand customer Minimum process requirements and ensure compliance of MPR standards prior to SOP.
   Compile RFQ (request for quote) data for prototype event builds to determine Maker Layout including Budgeting for each model.
   Must be able to travel by various modes. Must be able to travel internationally.
   Support and perform audits, both internal and external to UPAL

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit engineering technicians, 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.

   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 engineering technician

   Once you've found the engineering technician 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.

   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 engineering technician first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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 technician?