How to hire a field sales engineer

How to hire a field sales engineer, step by step

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

What does a field sales engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your field sales 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 a field sales 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

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

   Type of Field Sales Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Field Sales Engineer	Sales engineers sell complex scientific and technological products or services to businesses. They must have extensive knowledge of the products’ parts and functions and must understand the scientific processes that make these products work.	$31-60
   Territory Representative	A territory representative is responsible for selling the company's goods and services within a designated area, negotiating offers with potential clients, and identifying business opportunities according to market trends and customer demands. Territory representatives analyze the sales performance and strategize techniques to reach sales targets by coordinating with the whole sales team... Show more	$14-24
   Sales/Account Representative	A sales account representative is responsible for managing and responding promptly to customer complaints and queries of clients. They focus on customer concerns and contact prospects... Show more	$18-38

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • HVAC
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Technical Support
   • Product Line
   • Trade Shows
   • Semiconductor
   • RF
   • Aerospace
   • Pre Sales
   • Customer Relationships
   • Technical Sales
   • Product Development
   • Switches
   • Demand Creation

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage merchandising and POS materials at the retail store level ensuring meticulous compliance with all current corporate initiative regulations.
   • Assign Vlans on different IP subnets.
   • Test storage configurations utilizing iSCSI over IP in HDS test labs.
   • Work directly with large OEM accounts (agriculture, marine, automotive, mobile off-highway, medical, etc . )
   • Develop account relationships at all levels including procurement, technical and senior management level within the OEM and distributor channels.
   • Consult, repair and troubleshoot electrical/electronic control circuits.

   More field sales engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your field sales engineer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A field sales engineer 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 a field sales engineer in Oklahoma may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level field sales engineer usually earns less than a senior-level field sales engineer. Additionally, a field sales engineer 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 field sales engineer salary

   $90,950yearly

   $43.73 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level field sales engineer salary

   $65,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

   Average field sales engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$125,066	$60
   2	New York	$116,688	$56
   3	Virginia	$115,732	$56
   4	Illinois	$107,565	$52
   5	Oregon	$106,851	$51
   6	Texas	$106,411	$51
   7	Massachusetts	$102,479	$49
   8	Colorado	$99,162	$48
   9	Maryland	$96,467	$46
   10	Georgia	$94,788	$46
   11	Wisconsin	$91,240	$44
   12	Minnesota	$89,112	$43
   13	North Carolina	$84,712	$41
   14	Washington	$81,211	$39
   15	Wyoming	$75,822	$36
   16	Pennsylvania	$74,943	$36
   17	Connecticut	$73,853	$36
   18	Michigan	$73,600	$35
   19	Kansas	$70,505	$34

   Average field sales engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Vuzix	$119,071	$57.25
   2	PNY Technologies	$118,769	$57.10
   3	Altra Industrial Motion	$113,493	$54.56
   4	Intel	$113,167	$54.41	8
   5	Silicon Labs	$108,876	$52.34
   6	Infineon Technologies	$108,417	$52.12	1
   7	Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC	$107,976	$51.91
   8	Patterson Companies	$107,158	$51.52	91
   9	Teradyne	$104,037	$50.02	21
   10	Power Integrations	$103,257	$49.64	3
   11	Analog Devices	$102,049	$49.06	16
   12	Coherent	$101,273	$48.69	8
   13	Keysight Technologies	$100,323	$48.23
   14	J. J. Keller & Associates	$99,988	$48.07	5
   15	Amphenol	$99,812	$47.99	16
   16	McWane	$97,646	$46.95	2
   17	BlackBerry	$97,328	$46.79	2
   18	Monolithic Power Systems	$94,900	$45.63	17
   19	Identiv	$94,329	$45.35
   20	ON Semiconductor	$94,170	$45.27	1

4. Writing a field sales engineer job description

   A job description for a field sales engineer 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 a field sales engineer job description:

   Field sales engineer job description example

   The Customer and Product Training (CAPT) Program is a nine (9) month salaried curriculum that offers recent college graduates comprehensive sales, product and application training for Dodge® mechanical power transmission products. The CAPT Trainee will reside in Greenville, SC where the program is located. Upon completion of the program, the CAPT graduate will be assigned to a Dodge sales territory in the continental United States as a Field Sales Engineer. A Field Sales Engineer is the primary business and technical resource for our customers. Many past CAPT graduates have held leadership positions in the company such as Vice President, Regional Sales manager, Global Product Managers, and much more.
   Duties/Responsibilities:
   
   The program will involve classroom and hands-on training in marketing, customer service, product application, manufacturing, industry specific product solutions and the development of professional selling abilities Develop leadership, interpersonal, and project management skills Demonstrate their ability to effectively apply their training through formal technical presentations, written testing, verbal testing, and exposure to specific customer applications during field visits
   Required Skills/Abilities:
   
   Willingness to re-locate to Greenville, SC for the duration of the 9-month program Willingness to re-locate within the continental United States upon completion of the program High motivation to succeed Strong work ethic Excellent interpersonal communication skills Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office products (PowerPoint, Word and Excel) Mechanical aptitude
   Education and Experience:
   
   Bachelor's Degree preferably in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Technology, Industrial Distribution, or Business-related majors.
   
   Physical Requirements:
   
   Ability to lift 50 lbs. Ability to safely climb equipment Ability to SAFELY work in a manufacturing plant environment Travel (dependent upon the Dodge Sales Territory )
   
   RBC Bearings offers a competitive benefit package.
   
   RBC Bearings is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit field sales engineers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 sales engineer

   Once you've decided on a perfect field sales 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 field sales engineer 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.)

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How much does it cost to hire a field sales engineer?