How to hire a junior process engineer

How to hire a junior process engineer, step by step

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

What does a junior process engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The junior process engineer 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 a junior process engineer 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 a junior process engineer that fits the bill.

   This list presents junior process engineer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Junior Process Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Junior Process Engineer	Industrial engineers find ways to eliminate wastefulness in production processes. They devise efficient systems that integrate workers, machines, materials, information, and energy to make a product or provide a service.	$25-43
   Engineering Trainee	An engineering trainee is responsible for shadowing engineers in their duties and performing administrative tasks as needed. Engineering trainees assist the engineers in inspecting construction sites and conducting field research... Show more	$20-39
   Mechanical Engineering Internship	One of the primary responsibilities in a mechanical engineering internship is to follow directives from engineers and managers while gaining practical experience. There are instances when an intern must take part in crafting various materials under the supervision of a more experienced colleague, produce reports and paperwork, operate tools and devices, and provide assistance should anyone need... Show more	$15-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • P Id
   • Lean Manufacturing
   • Sigma
   • Autocad
   • Instrumentation Diagrams
   • Product Quality
   • Solidworks
   • R
   • Process Equipment
   • Flow Diagrams
   • ISO
   • CAD
   • Production Process
   • API

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead and assist maintenance in resolving equipment malfunctions, troubleshoot process problems, and organize and implement preventative maintenance procedures.
   • Insure compliance with ISO and OSHA regulations.
   • Monitor and control programmable logic controller (PLC).
   • Maintain responsibility for manufacturing large-scale inorganic chemical synthesis.
   • Systemize the Deviation/CAPA and train on investigations utilizing DMAIC.

   More junior process engineer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average junior process engineer salary

   $69,606yearly

   $33.46 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level junior process engineer salary

   $53,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average junior process engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Texas	$88,773	$43
   2	California	$83,688	$40
   3	Michigan	$77,084	$37
   4	Massachusetts	$76,724	$37
   5	New Jersey	$76,239	$37
   6	Colorado	$74,358	$36
   7	Virginia	$70,053	$34
   8	New York	$69,706	$34
   9	Wisconsin	$68,535	$33
   10	New Hampshire	$64,613	$31
   11	Ohio	$63,403	$30
   12	Oregon	$62,732	$30
   13	Pennsylvania	$55,515	$27

   Average junior process engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Sargent & Lundy	$83,379	$40.09	2
   2	WorleyParsons	$78,188	$37.59	7
   3	CVD Equipment	$77,949	$37.48
   4	Janus International Holding LLC	$77,865	$37.44
   5	Hatch	$76,928	$36.98	5
   6	Tetra Tech	$76,024	$36.55	24
   7	KNIGHT Industries & Associates Inc.	$71,698	$34.47
   8	Goodwin Recruiting	$70,807	$34.04
   9	RCM	$69,056	$33.20
   10	DHL	$69,004	$33.17
   11	Belcan	$67,917	$32.65	25
   12	Hitachi U.S.A.	$67,408	$32.41	31
   13	Palmer Hamilton	$65,340	$31.41
   14	The Reserves Network	$64,376	$30.95	5
   15	Leidos	$63,119	$30.35	106
   16	BAE Systems	$63,066	$30.32	103
   17	Kelly Services	$62,887	$30.23	32
   18	CACI International	$62,003	$29.81	56
   19	Magna International	$55,910	$26.88	37

4. Writing a junior process engineer job description

   A good junior process engineer 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 a junior process engineer job description:

   Junior process engineer job description example

   Today, Electronic Warfare (EW) is a growing enterprise - protecting the warfighter and our national security against ever-adapting threats. Leidos currently has an opening for a Junior Signal Processing Engineer to support EW programs in Arlington, VA or San Diego, CA.
   
   As part of our team, you will focus on improving the robustness and efficacy of sensors and signals in complicated environments. More broadly, you will advance the state of the art in research and advanced applications to support ongoing and future EW programs. You'll simultaneously get to work alongside scientists and experts in these fields to help grow your own knowledge and career.
   
   Taking direction from your Team or Task Lead, while working in small groups or individually, you will:
   Develop, model, and test algorithms in Matlab, Simulink, or C++
   Analyze results from simulation or real data to identify root causes and trends
   Plan and perform analytical and engineering research, design development, participate in testing and other technical assignments Basic Qualifications Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Computer Science, Mathematics or related field 2+ years' experience
   Minimum active SECRET clearance, with ability to obtain TS/SCI
   Experience with tools such as MATLAB, Linux, Mathematica, Python, Simulink - and languages such as C/C++, Java etc.
   Working knowledge of scientific programming and algorithm development
   Experience with radar signal processing
   Demonstrated strong oral and written communication
   Ability to work in a team environment, as well as independently
   Adaptability to new challenges with a strong motivation to grow and learn in new areas Preferred Qualifications Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Computer Science, Mathematics or related field Active TS/SCI clearance preferred Working knowledge areas such as digital filtering, spectral estimation, detection and estimation theory, linear algebra and stochastic processes Experience working in areas of modeling and simulation (M&S), radar, adaptive radar, signals processing, algorithm development, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) or similar fields LInC Electronic Warfare Pay Range: Pay Range $60,450.00 - $93,000.00 - $125,550.00 The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right junior process engineer 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 junior process engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit junior process engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting junior process engineers 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. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 junior process engineer

   Once you've decided on a perfect junior process 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new junior process engineer. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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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How much does it cost to hire a junior process engineer?