How to hire an equipment engineer

How to hire an equipment engineer, step by step

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

What does an equipment engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your equipment engineer job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an equipment engineer for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   An equipment engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, equipment 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 equipment engineer salaries for various roles:

   Type of Equipment Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Equipment Engineer	Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest engineering disciplines. Mechanical engineers design, develop, build, and test mechanical and thermal sensors and devices, including tools, engines, and machines.	$33-65
   Mechanical Engineer	Mechanical Engineers oversee the development of various mechanical devices in different industries. Most of the responsibilities will revolve around crafting, improving, or designing technologies by utilizing extensive expertise in the subject; they identify and detect errors, provide in-depth analysis, and resolve issues... Show more	$27-46
   Mechanical Design Engineer	A mechanical design engineer specializes in designing various mechanical devices that will be vital in developing machinery or large structures. One of their primary responsibilities revolves around conducting thorough research and analysis, establishing layouts and prototypes, producing progress reports, and working alongside fellow engineers and skilled professionals... Show more	$28-46

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Equipment Performance
   • Semiconductor
   • Project Management
   • CAD
   • Preventive Maintenance
   • Technical Support
   • Process Engineering
   • Equipment Maintenance
   • Maintenance Procedures
   • Process Equipment
   • PLC
   • API
   • SPC
   • Solidworks

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Translate all the information relate to the machines in order to get accomplish to all the ISO regulations.
   • Manage Jenkins security by providing specific access to authorize developers/testers using project base matrix authorization strategy.
   • Assist with trouble-shooting and repair of CVD and PVD systems.
   • Perform daily SPC (statistical process control) trend monitoring to identify/troubleshoot defect/thickness issues and implementing proper actions are taken.
   • Design, standardize and upgrade all electrical, pneumatic process instrumentation, PID, PLC.
   • Optimize PLC ladder logic and HMI interfaces to maximize throughput efficiency while minimizing down time.

   More equipment engineer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, equipment engineers' average salary in pennsylvania is 42% less than in louisiana.
   • Seniority. Entry-level equipment engineers earn 49% less than senior-level equipment engineers.
   • Certifications. An equipment 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 an equipment engineer's salary.

   Average equipment engineer salary

   $97,539yearly

   $46.89 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level equipment engineer salary

   $69,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average equipment engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$117,401	$56
   2	Oklahoma	$108,890	$52
   3	Texas	$108,684	$52
   4	Washington	$106,980	$51
   5	Arizona	$103,396	$50
   6	Virginia	$103,144	$50
   7	Nevada	$102,025	$49
   8	Alabama	$97,830	$47
   9	Oregon	$96,544	$46
   10	Utah	$96,161	$46
   11	New York	$92,902	$45
   12	North Carolina	$90,812	$44
   13	Georgia	$90,372	$43
   14	Colorado	$90,256	$43
   15	Ohio	$87,796	$42
   16	Minnesota	$83,505	$40
   17	Pennsylvania	$78,537	$38

   Average equipment engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Cheniere Energy	$145,273	$69.84	2
   2	Apple	$138,608	$66.64	585
   3	Amazon	$136,004	$65.39	538
   4	BP America Inc	$133,373	$64.12	6
   5	Google	$131,669	$63.30	168
   6	NexTier Oilfield Solutions	$124,634	$59.92
   7	Western Digital	$123,905	$59.57	38
   8	Sumitomo Electric Carbide	$122,203	$58.75	10
   9	Boehringer Ingelheim	$120,639	$58.00	8
   10	Lumileds	$117,553	$56.52
   11	Tejas Tubular	$115,280	$55.42
   12	Psk Llp	$114,364	$54.98
   13	Joby Aviation	$110,686	$53.21	42
   14	Skyworks	$109,702	$52.74	1
   15	Danbury Hospital	$108,624	$52.22	1
   16	Quidel	$108,309	$52.07
   17	HollyFrontier	$108,137	$51.99
   18	Linde Engineering North America	$107,681	$51.77
   19	ICONMA	$107,575	$51.72
   20	Parsons	$107,051	$51.47	68

4. Writing an equipment engineer job description

   A good equipment 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 equipment engineer job description:

   Equipment engineer job description example

   CMC Materials is searching for a technically strong, hands-on Equipment Engineer. As an Equipment Engineer you will work in a team environment to ensure safe working conditions, maintain equipment, and drive improvement. The Equipment Engineer supports a broad range of process and facilities equipment across three manufacturing areas. The engineer will work closely with the manufacturing team, process engineers, maintenance technicians and the quality team to sustain day-to-day operations and drive continuous improvement. Responsibilities include: Maintaining reliable manufacturing systems while improving production rates, efficiencies, yields, and costs. Identifying and implementing all vital safety procedures required for efficient repairs and maintenance of production equipment.
   
   Developing innovative solutions to equipment performance issues within prescribed change control requirements. Performing routine and preventative maintenance. Maintain and upgrade existing facilities systems, such as HVAC, compressed gases, and chilled water. Project lead equipment and facilities upgrades, ranging from $20k to $2M. Improving equipment reliability by delivering the necessary availability to support required production volumes while maintaining and improving quality standards.
   
   Developing and driving thorough preventative maintenance procedures. Maintaining accurate and reliable equipment performance records and metrics. Identifying and ensuring spare parts and consumables are available as vital. Crafting and maintaining accurate specifications and work instructions for equipment maintenance. Developing effective OCAP procedures.
   
   Training and certifying maintenance personnel. Researching and purchasing new manufacturing equipment as necessary. Qualifications: Education: BS in Electrical or Mechanical engineering or equivalent required Experience: Demonstrated ability in a high volume manufacturing environment. (3+ years)
   
   Technical: Experience with AC and DC electrical circuits, hydraulic systems, pneumatics, compressed air and N2 systems and other equipment related systems. Experience with sensor (Proximity, retro-reflective, level, atmospheric, temperature, etc.) operation and troubleshooting. Experience with air/hydraulic cylinder repair, diagnostics and maintenance. Confirmed ability to develop documents such as maintenance work instructions, procedure manuals and safety instructions including LO/TO. Ability to write and present routine reports and technical information
   
   Flexibility in acceptance of assignments and schedules and ability to deal efficiently with changes in priorities Able to work independently with minimal direction and possess excellent follow-up skills. At CMC, we offer Compensation Competitive Salary plus bonus opportunity Global Organization and Global exposure
   
   401k plan significant match program Benefits Medical, Dental, Vision and Insurance beginning on day 1 Generous Paid Time Off & Parental Leave Program Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) Educational Assistance Program and Training
   And more... At Entegris/CMC we are committed to providing equal opportunity to all employees and applicants. Our policy is to recruit, hire, train, and reward employees for their individual abilities, achievements, and experience without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, marital or military status.Entegris/CMC strongly encourages all of its employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. At Entegris/CMC, COVID-19 vaccination is preferred but not required at this time.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting equipment 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.

   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.

   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 equipment engineer

   Once you've decided on a perfect equipment engineer 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.

   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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How much does it cost to hire an equipment engineer?