How to hire a photonics engineer

How to hire a photonics engineer, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your photonics engineer 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 photonics engineer 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?

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   Hiring the perfect photonics engineer 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of photonics engineers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Photonics Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Photonics Engineer		$31-68
   Engineer	Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects... Show more	$31-62
   Optical Engineer	An Optical Engineer designs optical devices to be used in eyewear, telescopes, cameras, and lasers. They ensure that optical and electronic components meet all given specifications.	$33-67

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Modulators
   • LabVIEW
   • Fiber Optic
   • Mems
   • C
   • C++
   • Device Performance

   Responsibilities:

   • Apply technical knowledge in electromagnetic theory and microwave technology to plan and manage projects concern with ground-base radar systems.
   • Focuse on DFM, serviceability, and reliability.
   • Use of special optics and non-linear optical materials with UV, visible and near IR lasers.
   • Hand build custom waveguide and MEMS devices from bare GaAs/AlGaAs and Si substrates using tailor process flows.
   • Develop and institute LabVIEW test programs and physical design validations.
   • Conduct geotechnical and environmental subsurface investigations.

3. Make a budget

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

   Average photonics engineer salary

   $96,918yearly

   $46.60 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level photonics engineer salary

   $65,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average photonics engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Mexico	$117,878	$57
   2	Washington	$112,469	$54
   3	California	$112,417	$54
   4	Arizona	$111,463	$54
   5	Massachusetts	$110,831	$53
   6	Texas	$107,104	$51
   7	Delaware	$101,300	$49
   8	Virginia	$95,521	$46
   9	Montana	$93,532	$45
   10	South Carolina	$91,850	$44
   11	New York	$90,867	$44
   12	Florida	$81,302	$39
   13	Wisconsin	$80,456	$39

   Average photonics engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$153,173	$73.64	10
   2	Apple	$148,354	$71.32	7
   3	Google	$139,381	$67.01	6
   4	Cisco	$126,473	$60.80	9
   5	Physical Sciences	$109,479	$52.63
   6	Acacia Communications	$101,700	$48.89
   7	FARO Technologies	$101,690	$48.89
   8	Skorpios Technologies	$101,226	$48.67
   9	Elenion Technologies	$101,035	$48.57
   10	AEVA	$101,029	$48.57	7
   11	*n/a*	$100,909	$48.51
   12	Maple Leaf Services	$99,863	$48.01
   13	Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.	$98,746	$47.47
   14	Coriant Operations Inc	$98,729	$47.47
   15	Luxtera	$95,222	$45.78
   16	Draper	$94,317	$45.34
   17	Atlantic Services Group	$94,075	$45.23
   18	Thorlabs	$93,267	$44.84	1
   19	Aurora	$92,925	$44.68	8
   20	GlobalFoundries	$89,544	$43.05	1

4. Writing a photonics engineer job description

   A photonics 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a photonics engineer job description:

   Photonics engineer job description example

   + Determine design approaches and parameters
   
   + Perform system analysis to determine feasibility of design within time and cost constraints
   
   + Utilize modeling tools and equipment to establish operating data, conduct experimental tests, and evaluate results
   
   + Select components and equipment based on analysis of specifications and reliability
   
   + Perform simulations and present design reviews to peer engineers
   
   + Write scripts to control synthesis and build tools
   
   Optical Engineering
   
   + Perform optical design and analysis on advanced telescopes, calibrators, unique optical test sets
   
   + Develop optical budgets and sensitivities including wavefront error, MTF, line of sight, and throughput
   
   + Perform analyses to show compliance to optical requirements and specifications for imaging systems, assemblies, component drawings, coatings, etc.
   
   + Perform tolerancing analyses to assess manufacturability and optical alignment
   
   + Provide optical modeling, analysis and metrology support during system alignment, integration and testing
   
   + Perform other unique modeling tasks, such as: spectral tuning/splitting, polarization, phase retrieval, image simulation, etc.
   
   + Support the development of optical technologies and architectural concepts to support the company's current and new business opportunities
   
   Qualifications:
   
   + Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Materials Engineering, Materials Science Engineering or related field
   
   + GPA of 3.0 or greater
   
   Preferred Skills:
   
   + Knowledge and/or experience with VHDL, MCM, HFSS, Network, Power, Analog, Antennas, Controls, ENE, RF, Photonics, Modem, EDA, DSP, MATLAB, Communication Systems, FPGA, Aerospace industry or Optical Engineering
   
   + Knowledge of Code V and/or Zemax software tools
   
   + Excellent communication, technical writing and presentation skills
   
   + Knowledge of FRED, Matlab, Python
   
   + Knowledge of and/or understanding circuit analysis and operational concepts
   
   + Familiarity with various computing environments (LINUX/Windows)
   
   L3Harris Technologies is proud to be an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. L3Harris is committed to treating all employees and applicants for employment with respect and dignity and maintaining a workplace that is free from unlawful discrimination. All applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or other related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, characteristic or membership in any other group protected by federal, state or local laws. L3Harris maintains a drug-free workplace and performs pre-employment substance abuse testing and background checks, where permitted by law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting photonics 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.

   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 photonics engineer

   Once you've decided on a perfect photonics 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.

   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 photonics 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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