How to hire a plumbing designer

How to hire a plumbing designer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step plumbing designer hiring guide:

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

What does a plumbing designer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the plumbing designer you need to hire. Certain plumbing designer roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   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 plumbing designer 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 plumbing designer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Plumbing Designer	Description	Hourly rate
   Plumbing Designer	Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest engineering disciplines. Mechanical engineers design, develop, build, and test mechanical and thermal sensors and devices, including tools, engines, and machines.	$20-40
   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
   Chief Engineer	A chief engineer is responsible for monitoring the engineering department's overall operations, ensuring performance efficiency, and everyone's strict compliance with the safety standards and regulatory procedures. Chief engineers manage the distribution of the tasks to the team, communicate with the clients and management for instructions and specifications, monitor expenses and forecast sales reports, analyze and approve designs, negotiate contracts, and process disputes... Show more	$31-85

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Revit
   • Plumbing
   • Fire Protection
   • MEP
   • HVAC
   • Water Systems
   • System Design
   • NFPA
   • Domestic Water
   • Aided Design
   • BIM
   • Equipment Selection
   • Commercial Buildings
   • Load Calculations

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead the development of BIM modeling content for the architecture team as a direct report to the executive and lead architects.
   • Provide reports, coordination of shop drawings, review between MEP and structural.
   • Create plans from schematic design through construction documents using AutoCad and Revit for all MEP systems.
   • Generate BIM plans for clients, as well as AUTOCADD drawings.
   • Create sketch sheets to answer RFI's and construction conflicts.
   • Update HVAC drawings for reference book used by installers to be hand out at a conference.

   More plumbing designer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your plumbing designer job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A plumbing designer salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, plumbing designers' average salary in montana is 38% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level plumbing designers earn 49% less than senior-level plumbing designers.
   • Certifications. A plumbing designer 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 plumbing designer's salary.

   Average plumbing designer salary

   $61,468yearly

   $29.55 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level plumbing designer salary

   $43,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average plumbing designer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$84,451	$41
   2	Massachusetts	$73,985	$36
   3	New Mexico	$72,646	$35
   4	District of Columbia	$71,400	$34
   5	New York	$68,021	$33
   6	Texas	$66,358	$32
   7	Maryland	$65,611	$32
   8	Arizona	$65,562	$32
   9	Rhode Island	$62,600	$30
   10	Illinois	$61,755	$30
   11	Tennessee	$60,825	$29
   12	Nevada	$60,006	$29
   13	Pennsylvania	$59,972	$29
   14	North Carolina	$59,213	$28
   15	Florida	$59,102	$28
   16	South Carolina	$58,319	$28
   17	Missouri	$56,207	$27
   18	Colorado	$55,950	$27
   19	Washington	$55,837	$27
   20	Georgia	$55,307	$27

   Average plumbing designer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Belcan	$82,731	$39.77	2
   2	EXP	$70,119	$33.71	10
   3	GPAC	$68,725	$33.04
   4	Raymond	$67,751	$32.57	3
   5	Smith Seckman Reid	$67,274	$32.34	7
   6	Ross & Baruzzini	$66,585	$32.01
   7	Randstad North America, Inc.	$66,222	$31.84	1
   8	Henderson Engineers	$65,974	$31.72
   9	TLC Engineering Solutions	$65,221	$31.36
   10	Jordan & Skala Engineers	$63,917	$30.73	10
   11	Halff Associates	$63,859	$30.70	7
   12	Bridgers & Paxton	$63,704	$30.63	6
   13	Amec Foster Wheeler	$63,684	$30.62
   14	LVI Holding Corporation	$63,684	$30.62
   15	ColonialWebb	$63,676	$30.61
   16	Farnsworth Group	$63,524	$30.54	21
   17	Harley Ellis Devereaux	$63,190	$30.38	39
   18	Affiliated Engineers	$63,167	$30.37
   19	Page Southerland Page	$63,136	$30.35
   20	DLR Group	$62,938	$30.26	30

4. Writing a plumbing designer job description

   A plumbing designer 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 plumbing designer job description:

   Plumbing designer job description example

   Watch your work come to life in landmark projects around the world when you partner with Syska Hennessy Group! As a global leader in consulting, engineering, and commissioning services, we specialize in MEP, information and communication technology, architectural lighting, vertical transportation, and commissioning. We are seeking an experienced Plumbing Engineer/Designer IV to join our team in Atlanta, GA.
   
   Our dynamic work environment provides the optimal setting to take your career to the next level. From our supportive culture, diverse workforce, competitive compensation, to our flexible work schedules and fun social events, it is everything you will need for an exciting, challenging, and rewarding career.
   Job Responsibilities
   
   As a Plumbing Designer/Engineer IV, you will work on a variety of projects, from small to large, providing a technical leadership in plumbing design. You will represent the Firm in all interactions with clients, contractors, architects, and other project team members.
   
   Additional Responsibilities:
   
   Establishing design standards and criteria for projects, preparing calculations, reports, and specifications
   Performing fire suppression system selection, preparing preliminary designs, and creating performance specifications
   Consulting on areas such as the preparation of existing facility diligence, sustainability analyses, and feasibility reports
   Producing drawings consistent with client requirements and standards
   Taking responsible charge for the projects you will manage
   Conducting business development activities as needed
   Participating in various trade organizations and preparing presentations
   Establishing project budgets and schedules
   Participating in QA/QC process of completed work by staff
   Mentoring and training more junior staff
   Partner with Southeast leadership to assist with retaining and the recruitment of talent
   
   Job Requirements
   
   This is a great opportunity for a Plumbing Engineer/Designer IV with Commercial, Institutional, and Large Infrastructure Design experience. The ideal candidate will also have design experience in Aviation and Healthcare. In addition to your engineering experience, to succeed in this role, you will need a solid knowledge of systems design for various projects with the ability to communicate design concepts via sketches and renderings.
   
   Additional requirements:
   
   Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering; exceptional candidates may substitute with significant years of experience
   Minimum of seven (7) to ten (10) years of relevant experience in the Plumbing Design field
   Experience with the latest version of REVIT is a must
   A working knowledge of the various applications of fire suppression systems gained through both formal training (NFPA 99) and project experience
   Solid knowledge of Mechanical / Plumbing trades, building codes, and drawings/documents
   Detailed knowledge of equipment from various manufacturers and the ability to make proper selections independently
   Ability to independently perform fire suppression hydraulic calculations to support design and estimate construction costs and evaluate the feasibility of construction
   Certified Plumbing Designer (CPD) Certification, highly preferred
   
   Benefits
   
   As a Senior Plumbing Engineer/Designer with Syska Hennessy Group, you will be part of a global firm with an amazing history! We are committed to being the best, to advancing engineering design practice, and to supporting our clients with integrity. To make all of that happen, we rely on the talent, drive, enthusiasm, and the total job satisfaction of the great people who work here.
   
   As a member of our highly collaborative team, we provide you with a flexible benefits package that reflects our respect for your workplace contributions, professional goals, and personal priorities. The personal benefits program at Syska Hennessy Group includes:
   
   Medical, Dental, Vision insurance
   401(k) retirement plan
   Individual and Dependent Life Insurance
   Short- and Long-Term Disability
   Health Wellness Programs, including gym discounts, flu shots, and biometric screenings
   Tuition Reimbursement
   Training and professional development courses
   Professional Development Incentive Bonuses
   Opportunities for community outreach through internal networks
   A generous paid time off program (PTO)
   Transit/parking program
   Monthly business phone stipend
   Work from home Fridays
   
   At Syska, we promote an environment that is committed to embedding diversity and equality into the core of our business and culture. We empower our employees so they can take ownership for their work and development and strive to continually improve themselves and our firm. Syska is a place where you can build an exceptional career and have a lasting impact on the world.
   
   COVID-19 Vaccination require for for new hires
   
   Syska Hennessy Group | Integrating the best minds and technology to help clients create exceptional environments

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5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting plumbing designers 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 to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you 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 plumbing designer

   Once you've found the plumbing designer 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.

   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.

   To prepare for the new plumbing designer 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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