How to hire an optical design engineer

Optical design engineer hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring optical design engineers in the United States:

In the United States, the median cost per hire an optical design engineer 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 optical design engineer to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire an optical design engineer, step by step

To hire an optical design engineer, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire an optical design engineer:

Here's a step-by-step optical design engineer hiring guide:

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

What does an optical design engineer do?

An optical design engineer is an optics specialists who uses their scientific skills to design solutions and solve optical problems. Optical design engineers are essential in the field of laser technology, telescopes, optical lenses, and fiber optics. You will be responsible for designing and building devices that enable better utilization of optics technology and requires in-depth scientific optical knowledge as well as high technical design abilities. Optical design engineers are problem solvers in the field of optics.

Learn more about the specifics of what an optical design engineer does

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Identify your hiring needs

The optical design 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?

An optical design engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, optical design engineers 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.

This list shows salaries for various types of optical design engineers.

Type of Optical Design Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
Optical Design Engineer	Electrical engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the manufacturing of electrical equipment, such as electric motors, radar and navigation systems, communications systems, and power generation equipment. Electronics engineers design and develop electronic equipment, such as broadcast and communications systems—from portable music players to global positioning systems (GPSs).	$34-60
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
Radio Frequency Engineer	A radio frequency engineer, also known as RF engineer, specializes in designing and developing communication systems using radio waves. One of their primary responsibilities revolves around creating networks and systems and testing equipment... Show more	$32-55

Create an ideal candidate profile
Common skills:
- Optical Design
- MATLAB
- Zemax
- Optical Systems
- Light Analysis
- DOD
- Laser
- Optical Components
- Solidworks
- System Design
- Asap
- Design Reviews
- IR
- Fiber Optic
Check all skills
Responsibilities:
- Manage automation projects including purchasing, scheduling fabrication and assembly, debugging, and delivery to customer.
- Handle cost analysis, quotes, BOM.
- Programme GE touch screen operator interfaces (HMI) and design operator control consoles.
- Enhance machine efficiency by designing and testing HMI screens to maximize ease of operation.
- Support many FLIR production programs with boresight, MTF, thermal focus and tolerance analysis.
- Used knowledge of C/C++, ZEMAX, and MetroPro to add new design and analysis capabilities.
More optical design engineer duties

Make a budget

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

Average optical design engineer salary

$94,750yearly

$45.55 hourly rate

Entry-level optical design engineer salary

$71,000 yearly salary

Updated January 21, 2026

Average optical design engineer salary by state

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	California	$131,102	$63
2	Washington	$123,651	$59
3	Colorado	$108,589	$52
4	Arizona	$103,598	$50
5	Florida	$103,252	$50
6	Massachusetts	$98,064	$47
7	Texas	$87,662	$42
8	New York	$84,840	$41
9	Nebraska	$72,711	$35

Average optical design engineer salary by company

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
1	Meta	$142,825	$68.67	264
2	Apple	$139,056	$66.85	407
3	Google	$130,946	$62.95	173
4	Cisco	$115,289	$55.43	49
5	Amazon	$110,745	$53.24	202
6	Texas Instruments	$108,334	$52.08	25
7	OmniVision Technologies	$106,224	$51.07	17
8	KLA	$105,411	$50.68	36
9	Tesla	$105,162	$50.56	14
10	Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.	$99,290	$47.74
11	Intel	$98,414	$47.31	97
12	Keysight Technologies	$97,759	$47.00
13	Corning Incorporated	$97,539	$46.89	14
14	Magic Leap	$97,264	$46.76	2
15	Koch Industries	$94,575	$45.47	3
16	ASML Holding	$94,516	$45.44	2
17	IonQ	$94,191	$45.28	5
18	Eaton	$93,807	$45.10	51
19	Randstad North America, Inc.	$91,864	$44.17	4
20	Crystal Equation	$91,045	$43.77

Writing an optical design engineer job description
An optical design engineer 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. Below, you can find an example of an optical design engineer job description:
Optical design engineer job description example
San Diego,California,United States

Hardware

+ You will have 5+ years experience in the area of lens design, metrology and integration.

+ Experience in lens design, tolerance analysis

+ Experience in Stray light analysis

+ Experience in lens characterization methodology and instrumentation

+ Proficiency with ZEMAX, CODE V, FRED, LightTool, etc.

+ Ability to perform comprehensive optical and image quality characterization of the lens and the camera module

+ Support metrology methodology for camera lens testing and develop appropriate test charts and methods for camera evaluation

+ Work with the assembly and packaging groups to support integration of camera lens into module

**Description**

Design new lenses, characterize and integrate into CMOS imager sensor based camera modules. Complete analysis of the optical element's influence on the image quality characteristics of the camera module. Work closely with lens supplier for prototype design, evaluation and MTF testing. Drive development of advanced metrology methods.

**Education & Experience**

MS or PhD degree in Optics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Material Science, Manufacturing, or equivalent work experience

**Additional Requirements**

**Apple Footer**

Apple is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We take affirmative action to ensure equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. Learn more about your EEO rights as an applicant (Opens in a new window) .

Apple will not discriminate or retaliate against applicants who inquire about, disclose, or discuss their compensation or that of other applicants. United States Department of Labor. Learn more (Opens in a new window) .

Apple is required to comply with a COVID-19 vaccination mandate issued by the New York City Department of Health. We will verify the vaccination status of all New York City team members who are working at an Apple Store, office, or partner store in New York City. New York City Department of Health Learn more (Opens in a new window) .

Apple will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable law. If you're applying for a position in San Francisco, review the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance guidelines (opens in a new window) applicable in your area.

Apple participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations as required by law. Learn more about the E-Verify program (Opens in a new window) .

Apple is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to applicants with physical and mental disabilities. Apple is a drug-free workplace. Reasonable Accommodation and Drug Free Workplace policy Learn more (Opens in a new window) .
Post your job
To find the right optical design engineer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:
- Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
- Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with optical design engineers they would recommend.
- Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit optical design engineers who meet your education requirements.
- Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.
Post your job online:
- Post your optical design engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit optical design engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
- Use field-specific websites.
- Post a job on free websites.
Interview candidates
Recruiting optical design 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.
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.
Send a job offer and onboard your new optical design engineer
Once you have selected a candidate for the optical design engineer 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.
After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new optical design 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.
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 optical design engineer?

Recruiting optical design engineers involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

The median annual salary for optical design engineers is $94,750 in the US. However, the cost of optical design engineer hiring can vary a lot depending on location. Additionally, hiring an optical design engineer for contract work or on a per-project basis typically costs between $34 and $60 an hour.

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Hiring optical design engineers FAQs

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Updated January 21, 2026

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How to hire an optical design engineer