How to hire a Field Engineer

How to hire a field engineer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step field engineer hiring guide:

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

What does a Field Engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

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

   A field engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, field 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.

   This list presents field engineer salaries for various positions.

   Type Of Field Engineer	Description	Hourly Rate
   Field 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).	$24-47
   Mechanical Engineering Internship	One of the primary responsibilities in a mechanical engineering internship is to follow directives from engineers and managers while gaining practical experience. There are instances when an intern must take part in crafting various materials under the supervision of a more experienced colleague, produce reports and paperwork, operate tools and devices, and provide assistance should anyone need... Show More	$15-25
   Electrical Engineer Internship	The electrical engineer internship offers tasks to undergraduate engineering students related to electrical systems analysis and branch circuiting, site investigations, lighting calculations, and design drawings by complementing theoretical knowledge with practical duties on the job to gain experience and increase marketability. Through the internship, the undergraduate engineering students may develop professional aptitude, strengthen their character, and may increase their confidence in their work as it prepares them for what to expect in their field.	$21-43

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common Skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Project Management
   • Azure
   • Technical Support
   • Test Equipment
   • PC
   • OSHA
   • Oil Gas
   • Control Systems
   • Onsite
   • Electronic Equipment
   • Customer Sites
   • Work Ethic

   Check All Skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Promote from original position as a staff engineer managing a variety of geotechnical engineering activities to a field engineer inspector position.
   • Assign IP addresses to the correct users.
   • Install VMware servers and configure to customer needs.
   • Recommend improvements to HSE tools, processes, and policies.
   • Operate, troubleshoot and maintain million-dollar MX-20HD camera surveillance systems.
   • Install boards and drives, as well as windows operating system.

   More Field Engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the field engineer job description is a good way to get more applicants. A field 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 a field engineer in Indiana may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level field engineer. Additionally, a field engineer with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average field engineer salary

   $71,874yearly

   $34.55 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level field engineer salary

   $51,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 16, 2025

   Average field engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate
   1	California	$96,562	$46
   2	Washington	$93,902	$45
   3	District of Columbia	$84,196	$40
   4	Massachusetts	$82,618	$40
   5	Virginia	$80,228	$39
   6	Pennsylvania	$79,123	$38
   7	North Carolina	$78,029	$38
   8	Maryland	$76,845	$37
   9	New York	$76,044	$37
   10	Texas	$71,617	$34
   11	Illinois	$71,535	$34
   12	Michigan	$69,702	$34
   13	Louisiana	$69,494	$33
   14	North Dakota	$69,194	$33
   15	Oklahoma	$69,075	$33
   16	Minnesota	$67,738	$33
   17	Oregon	$67,648	$33
   18	Florida	$66,933	$32
   19	Alaska	$66,469	$32
   20	Georgia	$65,113	$31

   Average field engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
   1	Meta	$136,556	$65.65	34
   2	Apple	$134,854	$64.83	261
   3	Microsoft	$127,517	$61.31	54
   4	ConocoPhillips	$116,278	$55.90	2
   5	AIG	$115,588	$55.57	16
   6	T.D. Williamson	$101,986	$49.03	4
   7	Chevron	$101,613	$48.85	5
   8	Koch Industries	$101,221	$48.66
   9	Caterpillar	$99,468	$47.82	46
   10	United Communications	$97,413	$46.83
   11	Boehringer Ingelheim	$97,327	$46.79	2
   12	Guitar Center	$96,233	$46.27	1
   13	Amazon	$95,655	$45.99	179
   14	Carestream	$93,324	$44.87	6
   15	Baker Hughes	$92,736	$44.58	83
   16	Hilti	$92,453	$44.45	12
   17	Halliburton	$91,340	$43.91	21
   18	Mears Transportation Group	$88,844	$42.71	2
   19	Crown Equipment	$87,817	$42.22	129
   20	Corning Incorporated	$87,702	$42.16	11

4. Writing a Field Engineer Job Description

   A good field 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 a field engineer job description:

   Field Engineer job description example

   This is a commissioned sales position. Your responsibilities will include but not be limited to:
   Responsible for giving product presentations to the customer describing how Intel products provide the optimum solution to their application.Develop a clear understanding of Intel's business practices including pricing, forecasting, T/Cs, Distribution and Business Code of Ethics.During customer's product design, responsible for design assistance including onsite visits to review designs, examine customer problems and provide suggestions on optimal ways to use Intel products.Manage relationships between Intel and customers by establishing relationships with key individuals at accounts.Identify and develop new opportunities within accounts. Give product demonstrations and execute benchmarks to show product capabilities and ease of use.Understand competitor's strengths and weaknesses relative to the appropriate technical strategy.Communicate strategies to appropriate field and factory personnel to obtain required support and coordination.Assist the customer throughout the development cycle to ensure successful completion of the product.Provide timely feedback to the factory on product and strategy issues to ensure the Intel is capable of responding to and/or anticipating changes needed to maintain success.Provide training and account strategy support for distributors. Requires thorough knowledge of business practices and procedures in order to perform non repetitive, analytical work.Provide solutions to a wide range of difficult problems.
   
   The ideal candidate should exhibit the following behavioral traits:
   Presentation and interpersonal skills, comfortable presenting technical solutions to customers
   
   Qualifications:
   You must possess the below minimum qualifications to be initially considered for this position. Preferred qualifications are in addition to the minimum requirements and are considered a plus factor in identifying top candidates. Experience listed below would be obtained through a combination of your school work/classes/research and/or relevant previous job and/or internship experiences. This is an entry level position and will be compensated accordingly.
   
   Minimum Qualifications:
   Bachelor's Degree in Electronics Engineering o related field or equivalent 4+ years of industry experience3+ months of Experience in FPGA, ASIC, ASSP, CPU or DSP or digital design including embedded system design (HW and SW) Regular Business travel required
   
   Preferred Qualifications:
   Proficient in the use of FPGA development tools
   
   Job Type:
   College Grad
   
   Shift:
   Shift 1 (United States of America)
   
   Primary Location:
   US, California, San Jose
   
   Additional Locations:
   
   Intel strongly encourages employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Intel aligns to federal, state, and local laws and as a contractor to the U.S. Government is subject to government mandates that may be issued. Intel policies for COVID-19 including guidance about testing and vaccination are subject to change over time.
   
   Business group:
   The Programmable Solutions Group (PSG) was formed from the acquisition of Altera. As part of Intel, PSG will create market-leading programmable logic devices that deliver a wider range of capabilities than customers experience today. Combining Altera's industry-leading FPGA technology and customer support with Intel's world-class semiconductor manufacturing capabilities will enable customers to create the next generation of electronic systems with unmatched performance and power efficiency. PSG takes pride in creating an energetic and dynamic work environment that is driven by ingenuity and innovation. We believe the growth and success of our group is directly linked to the growth and satisfaction of our employees. That is why PSG is committed to a work environment that is flexible and collaborative, and allows our employees to reach their full potential.
   
   Posting Statement:
   All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military and veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by local law, regulation, or ordinance.
   
   Position of Trust
   N/A
   
   Work Model for this Role
   This role will be eligible for our hybrid work model which allows employees to split their time between working on-site at their assigned Intel site and off-site. In certain circumstances the work model may change to accommodate business needs.

   Copy This Example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right field engineer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with field engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit field engineers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your field engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit field engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting field 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.

   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 field engineer

   Once you've decided on a perfect field 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.

   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.)

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How much does it cost to hire a field engineer?