How to hire a hardware technician

How to hire a hardware technician, step by step

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

What does a hardware technician do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The hardware technician 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

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

   The following list breaks down different types of hardware technicians and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Hardware Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Hardware Technician	Computer support specialists provide help and advice to people and organizations using computer software or equipment. Some, called computer network support specialists, support information technology (IT) employees within their organization... Show more	$15-34
   Information Technology/Support Technician	An information technology (IT) support technician is a professional who is responsible for providing support and troubleshoots software and hardware problems faced by customers. As for larger organizations that have their own IT department, technicians must work together internally with their IT staff members... Show more	$14-31
   Technician Support Tier	A technician support tier focuses on providing technical support to clients or employees within a company. Typically working in a team setting, a technician support tier addresses technical problems and troubleshoots to identify the root of the issues and perform necessary corrective measures or repairs... Show more	$18-37

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Technical Support
   • Network Printers
   • Desktop Support
   • Test Equipment
   • Switches
   • Teleconferencing
   • RF
   • Workstations
   • Laptop Computers
   • Software Applications
   • Computer System
   • Microsoft Windows
   • Peripheral Equipment

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage resource allocation and work scheduling for UNIX restatement administrators across all the shifts.
   • Manage all customer network equipment including routers, switches, WLC's, AP's, and firewalls.
   • Manage trouble ticket queues in order to keep tickets within SLA's and to expedite high level issues.
   • Work to troubleshoot OS and hardware issue on many computers and peripherals.
   • Test and troubleshoot: reset bios and perform power-on-self-test on servers and PCs, perform power on tests on various electronics.
   • Update LAN spreadsheets with appropriate computer information.

   More hardware technician duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your hardware technician job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A hardware 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 a hardware technician in Mississippi may be lower than in Delaware, and an entry-level hardware technician usually earns less than a senior-level hardware technician. Additionally, a hardware 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 hardware technician salary

   $47,851yearly

   $23.01 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level hardware technician salary

   $32,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

   Average hardware technician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$59,410	$29
   2	New York	$58,132	$28
   3	Illinois	$55,250	$27
   4	Pennsylvania	$52,722	$25
   5	Oregon	$52,175	$25
   6	Nevada	$50,828	$24
   7	Texas	$49,588	$24
   8	Maryland	$48,192	$23
   9	Colorado	$47,829	$23
   10	Georgia	$47,605	$23
   11	North Carolina	$46,487	$22
   12	Virginia	$44,266	$21
   13	Michigan	$44,060	$21
   14	Kansas	$43,724	$21
   15	Arizona	$42,632	$21
   16	Ohio	$41,306	$20
   17	Iowa	$40,182	$19
   18	Florida	$39,108	$19

   Average hardware technician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apple	$107,034	$51.46	36
   2	Compunnel	$86,723	$41.69	8
   3	Applied Materials	$81,671	$39.26	59
   4	TALENT Software Services	$80,434	$38.67
   5	General Dynamics Mission Systems	$79,296	$38.12
   6	HCL Technologies	$71,557	$34.40	55
   7	CVS Health	$68,374	$32.87	22
   8	Intertek	$60,215	$28.95	19
   9	Information Management Group	$55,716	$26.79	1
   10	LSI	$55,219	$26.55
   11	Care New England Health System	$54,047	$25.98
   12	Blue Origin	$53,930	$25.93	46
   13	Leidos	$53,609	$25.77	210
   14	SA Technologies Inc	$53,006	$25.48	9
   15	Lucid Motors	$52,700	$25.34	27
   16	General Dynamics	$52,433	$25.21	132
   17	CDO Technologies	$52,280	$25.13	2
   18	CommScope	$50,274	$24.17	2
   19	Vaisala	$49,579	$23.84
   20	Iowa Department of Transportation	$48,969	$23.54

4. Writing a hardware technician job description

   A hardware 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 a hardware technician job description:

   Hardware technician job description example

   What We Do
   
   Loft Orbital builds “shareable” satellites, providing a fast & simple path to orbit for organizations that require access to space. Powered by our hardware & software products, we operate satellites, fly customer payloads onboard, and handle entire missions from end to end - significantly reducing the lead-time and risk of a traditional space mission.
   
   Our standard interface enables us to fly multiple customer payloads on the same satellite, with capabilities such as earth imagery, weather & climate /science data collection, IoT connectivity, in-orbit demonstrations, and national security missions. Our customers trust us to manage their space infrastructure, so they can focus on what matters most to them: operating their mission and collecting their data.
   
   With 2 satellites on-orbit and a wave of exciting missions launching soon, we are scaling up quickly across our offices in San Francisco, CA | Golden, CO | and Toulouse, France.
   
   Wanna join the adventure?
   
   The tech will be the hands on support, working with the engineer towards successful drawing and manufacturing designs that equate to the build up and test of Lofts Spacecraft and various test equipment, GSE, and simulators. You are the point of contact for activities on the laboratory and manufacturing floor, ensuring the operations and proper support material are ready to execute. Although very hands-on in assembly and test of the hardware, you are also the check and balance to the engineer, owning the activities and showing pride in ownership.
   
   *Research shows that while men apply to jobs where they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women and other marginalized people tend to only apply when they meet 100% of the qualifications. At Loft, we value respectful debate and people who aren't afraid to challenge assumptions. We strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don't ‘check all the boxes.
   Must Haves:Hands-on experience with flight hardware with an emphasis on electrical OR mechanical, strong understanding of the other Meticulously detail orientated and pride in ownership of work performed Trained in FOD awareness and mitigation techniques ESD and cleanroom trained, understanding how to set-up and maintain a lab and manufacturing floor environment Trained in using laboratory equipment and measuring techniques with DMM, O-Scopes, Logic Analyzers, Signal AnalyzersUnderstand how to read engineering drawings and provide feedback to engineering on assembly approaches and Design for Test and Manufacturing guidelines Plus is an understanding of Spacecraft unique test equipment, RF Test Consoles, ConSims, Spacecraft Test Consoles and their operating languages RF Test and integration a plus Plus is running environmental facilities, Vibration, TVAC, or EMI/EMCTake ownership of the manufacturing space, ensuring safe and successful execution of Spacecraft, GSE, Sim, and flat-sat integration and test
   Some of Our Awesome Benefits:Comprehensive dental, medical and vision insurance 401(k) plan and equity Daily catered lunches Cross office travel opportunities between San Francisco, Colorado, and Toulouse, FranceGenerous maternity and paternity leave Off-sites and many happy hours Foreign language classes Relocation assistance (if applicable)
   At Loft, you'll be given the autonomy and ownership to solve significant challenges, but with a close-knit and supportive team at your back. We believe that diversity and community are the foundation of an open culture. We are committed to hiring the best people regardless of background and make their time at Loft the most fulfilling period of their career.
   
   We value kind, supportive and team-oriented collaborators. It is also crucial for us that you are a problem solver and a great communicator. As our team is international, you will need strong English skills to better collaborate, easily communicate complex ideas and convey important messages.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find hardware technicians 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 technician job on Zippia to find and attract quality hardware technician candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting hardware technicians 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.

   Sometimes, it's not enough to interview hardware technician candidates, so you can ask them to do a test project. If you are not a technical person and don't know what a test project should be, you can use these websites:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   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 technician

   Once you have selected a candidate for the hardware technician position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the 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 hardware 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.)

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