How to hire a hardware associate

How to hire a hardware associate, step by step

Here's a step-by-step hardware associate hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The hardware associate hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect hardware associate also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents hardware associate salaries for various positions.

   Type of Hardware Associate	Description	Hourly rate
   Hardware Associate	Retail sales workers include both those who sell retail merchandise, such as clothing, furniture, and automobiles, (called retail salespersons) and those who sell spare and replacement parts and equipment, especially car parts (called parts salespersons). Both types of workers help customers find the products they want and process customers’ payments.	$10-28

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Sales Floor
   • Plumbing
   • Stock Merchandise
   • Customer Issues
   • Product Knowledge
   • Customer Assistance
   • Quality Customer Service
   • Safety Policies
   • Pallet Jack
   • Stock Shelves
   • Front End
   • RAN
   • Unload Trucks

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Participate in ordering of all nursery stock and managing inventory.
   • Help patients obtain secondary insurance coverage through Arkansas Medicaid, and/or exploring Arkansas Medicaid options for uninsure or exhaust benefits.
   • Perform weekly demonstrations for (DIY) customers with the latest power tools and hand tools.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, hardware associates' average salary in wyoming is 47% less than in massachusetts.
   • Seniority. Entry-level hardware associates earn 63% less than senior-level hardware associates.
   • Certifications. A hardware associate 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 a hardware associate's salary.

   Average hardware associate salary

   $37,123yearly

   $17.85 hourly rate

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   Entry-level hardware associate salary

   $22,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 23, 2025

4. Writing a hardware associate job description

   A hardware associate 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 a hardware associate job description:

   Hardware associate job description example

   Astranis is connecting the four billion people in the world who do not currently have access to the internet. We are building the next generation of smaller, lower-cost spacecraft to bring the world online.
   
   We are well-funded by some of the best investors in the business and have raised over $350 million to date. We have a world-class team that is passionate about building amazing technology. And we have a fun and collaborative work environment where you will learn a lot and make a huge impact no matter where you are in your career. Just check out our Glassdoor reviews to see what our team has to say about working at Astranis.
   Our team is growing fast. Apply now!
   
   Associate Engineer positions typically last for twelve weeks, and are salaried roles designed for students who have already received a bachelor's degree (or who will have done so before working at Astranis).
   
   As an Associate Engineer, you will have an amazing opportunity to work on hard problems - we pride ourselves on giving everyone at Astranis a chance to do meaningful work on challenging projects, and our Associate Engineers work on projects that are of equal importance and difficulty to the projects we give our full-time employees. Many past Associate Engineers have designed and tested hardware/software that is heading to space on our first satellite, and many now work at Astranis full-time.
   
   If you are still a college student, please apply to join us as an Intern.
   Role:This posting covers working with the payload, avionics, and power systems teams at AstranisWork on a hardware engineering team to build and test flight hardware Design test equipment to validate designs across a wide range of stressed conditions Bringup and debug designs in the lab Write code to help evaluate performance and automate testing of satellite hardware Coordinate assembly, integration and environmental test efforts
   Requirements:Have a four-year degree in electrical or computer engineering (or equivalent technical degree) A passion for hardware development, including working in a fast-paced environment and hands-on design and development Demonstrated ability to personally design, build, and test hardware from scratch US Citizenship or Green Card40 hours per week minimum Must be onsite in San Francisco 3 days a week minimum Don't meet them all? Not a problem. Please apply even if you do not meet all these criteria.
   Bonus:Experience with Altium Designer (or other PCB design software) Experience with SPICE-based simulators (LTSpice, PSPICE, ADS, etc) Experience with PythonComfortable with soldering and rework Familiarity with standard EE lab bench (power supply, oscilloscope, multimeter, etc)
   Availabilities for Fall 2022 and Winter 2023.
   
   U.S. Citizenship, Lawful Permanent Residency, or Refugee/Asylee Status Required
   (To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States, or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3))
   
   Our mission and our products are meant to connect the world and everyone in it, regardless of gender, race, creed, or any other distinction. We believe in a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we encourage all people to join our team and bring their unique perspective to help make us stronger.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find hardware associates for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your hardware associate job on Zippia to find and recruit hardware associate candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as salesjobs, salesheads, allretailjobs.com, sales trax.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit hardware associates, 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 hardware associate

   Once you've found the hardware associate 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.

   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.

   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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