How to hire an instrument mechanic

How to hire an instrument mechanic, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The instrument mechanic 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 instrument mechanic 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 instrument mechanic salaries for various positions.

   Type of Instrument Mechanic	Description	Hourly rate
   Instrument Mechanic		$16-38
   Facility Supervisor	A Facility Supervisor is responsible for maintaining an organization's facilities' safety and security to ensure smooth and efficient business operations. Facility Supervisors monitor the adequacy of inventories and handle the budget to purchase materials and equipment for operations... Show more	$12-30
   Electrical Supervisor	The electrical supervisor oversees electricians' performance, training them for the repair and maintenance of equipment. They are responsible for enhancing their skills to create and design electrical operating systems in order to prevent malfunctions causing electric short circuits or shock... Show more	$31-59

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Test Equipment
   • Flow Meters
   • HVAC
   • Transmitters
   • Control Valves
   • PLC
   • Switches
   • Logic Controllers
   • Transducers
   • DCS
   • Perform Routine Maintenance
   • Instrument Calibration
   • FDA
   • Process Control Instrumentation

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead the planning and coordination of QC instrumentation and software qualification to be compliant with best practices.
   • Hire to provide repair and calibration of process control systems such as controllers, transmitters and static measuring devices.
   • Test and repair automatic transfer switches.
   • Work perform in an ISO certify, FDA audit cGMP facility.
   • Complete functional checksof emergency interlock systems, gas monitors, and ISO instrumentation.
   • Work with Siemens S7and Allen Bradley PLC's, troubleshooting input and output signals.

   More instrument mechanic duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average instrument mechanic salary

   $53,646yearly

   $25.79 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level instrument mechanic salary

   $35,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average instrument mechanic salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Alaska	$74,669	$36
   2	New Jersey	$54,886	$26
   3	Idaho	$53,304	$26
   4	Texas	$49,934	$24
   5	Missouri	$40,439	$19
   6	Massachusetts	$34,842	$17

   Average instrument mechanic salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Merck	$72,169	$34.70
   2	Clearwater Paper	$67,565	$32.48
   3	Exelon	$67,408	$32.41	1
   4	Lockheed Martin	$65,619	$31.55	73
   5	Tennessee Valley Authority	$65,537	$31.51
   6	Mallinckrodt	$63,502	$30.53
   7	AdvanSix	$59,200	$28.46	2
   8	University of Alaska	$58,865	$28.30
   9	DuPont	$58,163	$27.96	15
   10	Boston College	$56,136	$26.99	1
   11	Monument Chemical	$55,866	$26.86
   12	NANA	$54,525	$26.21	24
   13	Silestone by Cosentino	$53,979	$25.95

4. Writing an instrument mechanic job description

   A good instrument mechanic 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 an instrument mechanic job description:

   Instrument mechanic job description example

   Clearwater Paper is the country's largest provider of private label tissue to retail grocery chains and a world-class manufacturer of high-quality bleached paperboard and pulp. We help customers strengthen brands and capture market share. We are also an active corporate citizen in the communities where we work and live.
   
   At Clearwater Paper, we have made it a priority to build a clearly defined workplace culture that is consistent companywide. Key aspects of our culture include:
   
   + Clear Values. We embrace and practice integrity, openness and candor; environmental responsibility; a commitment to quality; and a focus on customers.
   
   + Continuous improvement. We believe there are always opportunities to raise the bar and get better. We engage our employees in improving both the business and their performance.
   + Performance driven. We are focused on winning together and on delivering results.
   
   Our customers' success and our success requires everyone to do their part, whether we are finding new ways to be profitable or reducing our environmental footprint. If you are looking for teamwork, a sense of purpose, and a leading company that is growing fast, we are looking for you.
   
   Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, calibration, maintenance, repair, troubleshooting and reliability for instrumentation from gauges to KAPPA analyzers and stack monitors. Trouble shooting electronic, electrical, and pneumatic processes, and communicating and working with other crafts.
   
   Candidates for the Journeyman Instrument Mechanic position must be responsible, safety-conscious individuals. Starting Pay Rate is 90% ($33.11) of regular rate for first year with the ability to move to 95% ($34.95) after secondary skills are mastered. 100% ($36.79) pay after 1 year.
   
   Competitive benefits and 401k after 90 days.
   
   Required education and related experience:
   
   + Successful completion of a federally-approved instrument apprenticeship program or post secondary instrumentation program.
   
   + Minimum of 3 years experience as an instrument mechanic (industrial experience preferred).
   
   + Must be willing and capable of learning and utilizing secondary maintenance skills such as electrician and refrigeration.
   
   + Proficient with DCS / PLC systems, equipment calibration, be able to demonstrate strong. troubleshooting skills and read loop diagrams.
   
   + Familiar with automatic valves and flow meters.
   
   + Experience with Fisher Provox, Allen Bradley PLC's, Delta V systems and Rosemount instrumentation considered a plus.
   
   + Current state of Idaho journeyman electrician's license considered a plus.
   
   + Must be willing and able to work all shifts.
   
   Job offers are contingent upon passing a pre-employment physical and drug test, and a satisfactory background check.
   
   Req No.: 2022-5418
   
   Street: 805 Mill Road

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find instrument mechanics 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 instrument mechanic job on Zippia to find and recruit instrument mechanic candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with instrument mechanic candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 instrument mechanic

   Once you've found the instrument mechanic 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 mechanic 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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