How to hire an instrument and electrical technician

How to hire an instrument and electrical technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step instrument and electrical technician hiring guide:

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

What does an instrument and electrical technician do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The instrument and electrical 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an instrument and electrical technician to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an instrument and electrical technician that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of instrument and electrical technician salaries for various roles:

   Type of Instrument And Electrical Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Instrument And Electrical Technician	Electrical and electronics installers and repairers install or repair a variety of electrical equipment in telecommunications, transportation, utilities, and other industries.	$25-41
   Technician	Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with... Show more	$11-27
   Repair Technician	A repair technician's role focuses on assessing the problem or damage of a device and implementing solutions for it to function again. Although the extent of a technician's tasks will depend on the device or industry of employment, most of it revolves around troubleshooting, providing technical support, installing and writing programs, detaching and re-attaching wirings, welding, and even thoroughly discussing problems and solutions to clients... Show more	$12-30

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Electrical Equipment
   • Control Systems
   • Transmitters
   • Ladders
   • Preventative Maintenance
   • Control Valves
   • PLC
   • Electrical Systems
   • Process Control
   • Switches
   • Hand Tools
   • Programmable Logic Controllers
   • Ac Dc
   • Plant Equipment

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Supervise and manage several environmental ECAS annual, monthly and weekly reports in cooperation with regional CEMS manager for federal compliance.
   • Maintain transmitters, control valves, analyzers, and microprocessor control system to provide continuous operation of the process unit.
   • Install and maintain SCADA system.
   • Provide end-user training/coaching on SCADA controllers, and software issues.
   • Inspect, clean commutators and replace brushes on DC motors.
   • Troubleshoot buckets, motors, switches, relays, and transformers with DMM and electrical wiring diagrams.

   More instrument and electrical technician duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your instrument and electrical technician job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An instrument and electrical 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 an instrument and electrical technician in Louisiana may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level instrument and electrical technician usually earns less than a senior-level instrument and electrical technician. Additionally, an instrument and electrical 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 instrument and electrical technician salary

   $67,865yearly

   $32.63 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level instrument and electrical technician salary

   $52,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average instrument and electrical technician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$79,962	$38
   2	New Jersey	$77,034	$37
   3	Massachusetts	$75,905	$36
   4	Illinois	$73,636	$35
   5	Iowa	$72,544	$35
   6	Colorado	$71,959	$35
   7	Kansas	$69,427	$33
   8	Indiana	$68,795	$33
   9	Michigan	$67,333	$32
   10	Arizona	$66,266	$32
   11	Wisconsin	$64,416	$31
   12	South Carolina	$62,936	$30
   13	Idaho	$62,591	$30
   14	New York	$61,853	$30
   15	Alabama	$61,800	$30
   16	Louisiana	$61,692	$30
   17	Tennessee	$61,153	$29
   18	Ohio	$61,008	$29
   19	Florida	$60,621	$29
   20	Texas	$59,976	$29

   Average instrument and electrical technician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Phillips 66	$106,366	$51.14	10
   2	CF Industries	$99,655	$47.91	3
   3	BP America Inc	$98,447	$47.33
   4	New Jersey Resources	$94,903	$45.63	1
   5	Bunge	$93,437	$44.92	3
   6	The Coca-Cola Company	$93,061	$44.74	2
   7	OMNOVA Solutions	$92,662	$44.55
   8	NRG Energy	$90,674	$43.59	8
   9	Occidental Petroleum	$87,551	$42.09	11
   10	Celanese	$87,457	$42.05	3
   11	BASF	$87,159	$41.90	4
   12	DTE Energy	$83,684	$40.23	4
   13	Cargill	$83,347	$40.07	5
   14	Zoetis	$82,888	$39.85	4
   15	Air Products	$82,452	$39.64	4
   16	Praxair	$81,600	$39.23
   17	Sun Chemical	$80,673	$38.79
   18	Kellogg	$80,439	$38.67
   19	The J.M. Smucker Co.	$80,057	$38.49	1
   20	Jacobs Engineering Group	$79,437	$38.19

4. Writing an instrument and electrical technician job description

   An instrument and electrical 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 an instrument and electrical technician job description:

   Instrument and electrical technician job description example

   With our strong investment in research and development and our culture of continuous improvement, Hexcel is the industry leader in the manufacturing of advance composite materials, including carbon fiber, woven reinforcements, resins, prepregs, honeycombs and additive manufactured parts. We invite you to join the Hexcel team at various manufacturing sites, sales offices, and R&T centers around the globe. Become a part of the “strength within.”
   
   Hexcel is currently seeking an Instrumentation & Electrical Technician for our Decatur, AL, USA location.
   The selected individuals will be responsible for but not limited to the following obligations:
   Install, set up, troubleshoot, service, and/or modify electrical / instrument equipment and systems, and plant finished product winders.Perform preventive maintenance (PM) and calibration of electrical / instrument equipment and systems.Follow industry best practices, applicable codes/regulations, and/or plant standards (where available) for all work activities.Communicate and work effectively with operators, engineers, other maintenance technicians, and supervision.Provide design input and feedback about new or modified equipment / systems.
   
   Qualifications:
   High School Diploma or GED required; Two year or higher technical degree preferred.Journeyman (or equivalent) instrument technician or electrician with proficiency in both areas.Minimum of 5 years experience in a manufacturing and/or production environment. Related experience in a continuous chemical processing environment preferred.Ability to read, interpret, and constructively use information from manufacturer's literature and manuals, electrical code documents, and other documentation.Ability to read and interpret blueprints and specifications, and to use these along with applicable codes and best practices to efficiently build safe and reliable installations.
   
   Eligible candidate must be: U.S. citizen, U.S. national, a person lawfully admitted for permanent residence, a temporary resident under sections 210(a) or 245(A) of the Act, a person admitted in refugee status, a person granted asylum. Hexcel (NYSE: HXL) is a global leader in advanced composites technology, a leading producer of carbon fiber, and the world leader in honeycomb manufacturing for the commercial aerospace industry.
   
   Hexcel is an Equal Opportunity Employer of Minorities/Females/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, status as protected veteran, or any other protected class.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right instrument and electrical technician for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your instrument and electrical technician job on Zippia to find and recruit instrument and electrical technician 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 instrument and electrical technicians, 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.

   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 instrument and electrical technician

   Once you've found the instrument and electrical technician 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 instrument and electrical 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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How much does it cost to hire an instrument and electrical technician?