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How to hire a materials engineering technician

Materials engineering technician hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring materials engineering technicians in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a materials engineering technician is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new materials engineering technician to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a materials engineering technician, step by step

To hire a materials engineering technician, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a materials engineering technician:

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

    Before you post your materials engineering technician job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a materials engineering technician for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a materials engineering 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 a materials engineering technician that fits the bill.

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

    Type of Materials Engineering TechnicianDescriptionHourly rate
    Materials Engineering Technician$25-48
    TechnicianTechnicians 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
    Engineering AideAn engineering aide is responsible for assisting the engineering operations by finalizing construction and manufacturing designs, inspecting tools and equipment, and assembling model components according to schematics and blueprints. Engineering aides manage setting-up procedures and conduct quality checks to the outputs, ensuring its efficiency and adherence to internal regulations and business requirements... Show more$21-48
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Asphalt
    • ACI
    • Test Results
    • ASTM
    • Construction Materials
    • Failure Analysis
    • Field Testing
    • SEM
    • Quality Issues
    • Geotechnical
    • Construction Sites
    • Test Procedures
    • CAD
    • Sectioning
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage and distribute cad standards to contributing design consultants and assist with any design issues as necessary.
    • Perform construction material testing on asphalt, concrete, soil and aggregate specimens both in the field and in the laboratory.
    • Assist in geotechnical field investigations and operate geoprobe rig.
    • Direct inbound and outbound logistics operations, such as transportation and warehouse activities, safety performance, and logistics quality management.
    • Work on non-classify and highly-classify scientific instruments using certify NASA soldering procedures.
    More materials engineering technician duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your materials engineering technician job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A materials engineering technician salary can vary based on several factors:
    • Location. For example, materials engineering technicians' average salary in wyoming is 37% less than in california.
    • Seniority. Entry-level materials engineering technicians earn 49% less than senior-level materials engineering technicians.
    • Certifications. A materials engineering technician 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 materials engineering technician's salary.

    Average materials engineering technician salary

    $73,313yearly

    $35.25 hourly rate

    Entry-level materials engineering technician salary
    $52,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 23, 2026

    Average materials engineering technician salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1California$97,251$47
    2Texas$84,488$41
    3New Mexico$79,995$38
    4Utah$78,562$38
    5Indiana$72,845$35
    6Oregon$71,021$34
    7Massachusetts$70,063$34
    8Iowa$68,271$33
    9South Carolina$67,574$32
    10Florida$65,233$31
    11Virginia$64,942$31
    12Colorado$64,131$31
    13Arizona$60,741$29

    Average materials engineering technician salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Tesla$96,807$46.5447
    2Booz Allen Hamilton$87,976$42.3036
    3Intel$86,576$41.6231
    4Thermo Fisher Scientific$82,458$39.6480
    5Woods Services$79,693$38.31
    6Emerson$77,250$37.1463
    7Universal Technical Institute$74,435$35.798
    8Cummins$73,410$35.2929
    9Stantec$72,485$34.85212
    10Amec Foster Wheeler$70,733$34.01
    11Colorado State Express$70,733$34.01
    12Foster Wheeler USA Corporation$70,135$33.72
    13RGA Environmental, A Terracon Company$69,672$33.50154
    14Raytheon Technologies$68,825$33.09150
    15Bunnell Lammons Engineering$68,814$33.0841
    16KTA-Tator$68,563$32.96
    17EPS Buildings$65,409$31.45
    18State of West Virginia$42,037$20.2119
    19State of Colorado$38,330$18.434
  4. Writing a materials engineering technician job description

    A job description for a materials engineering technician role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a materials engineering technician job description:

    Materials engineering technician job description example

    **At Polaris Inc., we have fun doing what we love by driving change and innovation. We empower employees to take on challenging assignments and roles with an elevated level of responsibility in our agile working environment. Our people make us who we are, and we create incredible products and experiences that empower us to THINK OUTSIDE.**

    The material flow engineer is responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining the flow of parts within the factory. This includes determining quantity of parts needed at the operation and method of delivery using lean manufacturing principles. The BOM, demand requirements, and engineering and model year changes must be considered. The material flow engineer will own the Plan For Every Part (PFEP) database and must be able to work effectively with other groups such as manufacturing and packaging engineering, purchasing, planning, and operations to ensure accuracy of the part data and execution of part changes.
    **PFEP**

    + Enter/request new PFEP data

    + Update PFEP data

    + Monitor demand/usage

    + Prepare Model Year (MY) changes

    **Engineering Change Coordination**

    + Maintain change database

    + Run change implementation meeting

    + Send out notices for actions

    **Engineering Change Implementation**

    + Monitor effective dates

    + Recommend effective date changes

    + Track/communicate part availability

    + Follow ECN disposition

    + Determine packaging requirements

    + Coordinate with packaging engineering and manufacturing engineering as needed

    + Prepare containers, labels, documents, locations, etc

    + Implement part with ME/Process Tech

    **Project Leader**

    + Lead CI activities

    + Participate on kaizen/lean teams

    + Lead new product material team

    **Sustaining Tasks**

    + Container/kanban card audits

    + Container, label, document updates

    + Monitor all part replenishment (supermarket, high pick, sequence, kit, etc)

    + Implement container updates based on usage

    **Skills and Experience Required:**

    + Strong analytical skills required

    + Excellent Excel and PowerPoint abilities

    + Bachelor's degree in related field required

    + Ability to effectively influence and work in cooperation with cross functional teams

    + Strong communication, presentation and teamwork skills

    + Strong computer skills and ability to quickly learn new software/applications

    + Experience working with manufacturing, AS400 and Bills of Materials preferred

    _We are an ambitious, resourceful, and driven workforce, which empowers us to THINK OUTSIDE._ _Apply today!_

    **About Polaris**

    As the global leader in Powersports, Polaris Inc. (NYSE: PII) pioneers product breakthroughs and enriching experiences and services that have invited people to discover the joy of being outdoors since our founding in 1954. With annual 2021 sales of $8.2 billion, Polaris' high-quality product line-up includes the Polaris RANGER , RZR and Polaris GENERALâ„¢ side-by-side off-road vehicles; Sportsman all-terrain off-road vehicles; Indian Motorcycle midsize and heavyweight motorcycles; Slingshot moto-roadsters; snowmobiles; and deck, cruiser and pontoon boats, including industry-leading Bennington pontoons. Polaris enhances the riding experience with parts, garments, and accessories, along with a growing aftermarket portfolio. Polaris' presence in adjacent markets includes military and commercial off-road vehicles, quadricycles, and electric vehicles. Proudly headquartered in Minnesota, Polaris serves more than 100 countries across the globe. www.polaris.com

    **EEO Statement**

    Polaris is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will make all employment-related decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, marital status, familial status, status with regard to public assistance, membership or activity in a local commission, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.
  5. Post your job

    To find materials engineering technicians for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any materials engineering technicians they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level materials engineering technicians with the right educational background.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your materials engineering technician job on Zippia to find and recruit materials engineering technician candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Your first interview with materials engineering technician 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 materials engineering technician

    Once you've decided on a perfect materials engineering technician 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.

    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.

    After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new materials engineering technician. 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 materials engineering technician?

Hiring a materials engineering technician comes with both the one-time cost per hire and ongoing costs. The cost of recruiting materials engineering technicians involves promoting the job and spending time conducting interviews. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider the cost of materials engineering technician recruiting as well the ongoing costs of maintaining the new employee.

You can expect to pay around $73,313 per year for a materials engineering technician, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for materials engineering technicians in the US typically range between $25 and $48 an hour.

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