How to hire a process control engineer

How to hire a process control engineer, step by step

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

What does a process control engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The process control 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 process control 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 process control engineer that fits the bill.

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

   Type of Process Control Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Process Control 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.	$31-54
   Manufacturing Engineer	Manufacturing Engineers are responsible for handling and developing an efficient manufacturing system or procedure that will help a company produce up to standard products while in adherence to the policies, regulations, and expected cost and schedule. Furthermore, Manufacturing Engineers must also monitor quality control, identify or detect errors, provide and suggest improvements, oversee the procurement of materials involved in the production, and coordinate with various teams or departments within the company to ensure the effectiveness of innovations or new developments.	$28-49
   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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • PLC
   • HMI
   • Control Systems
   • Troubleshoot
   • Allen-Bradley
   • DCS
   • Project Management
   • Control Strategies
   • Continuous Improvement
   • SCADA
   • Capital Projects
   • Technical Support
   • Process Engineering
   • DeltaV

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Design a PID controller to manage temperature and flow disturbances.
   • Obtain referrals, track hospitalized patients, interface with manage care intermediaries/medical personnel.
   • Design PLC base process control systems for hazardous locations waste gas destruction thermal oxidizers used in natural gas processing facilities.
   • Create 3D model designs for new projects using solidworks.
   • Validate process to ensure products meet GMP and GAMP standards.
   • Participate in HAZOP and LOPA meetings to assure all relate comments are properly note.

   More process control engineer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average process control engineer salary

   $87,430yearly

   $42.03 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level process control engineer salary

   $66,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 19, 2026

   Average process control engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$115,327	$55
   2	Texas	$101,622	$49
   3	Kansas	$98,247	$47
   4	Colorado	$97,865	$47
   5	Connecticut	$97,179	$47
   6	Louisiana	$96,946	$47
   7	Michigan	$96,900	$47
   8	Virginia	$95,891	$46
   9	Arizona	$95,276	$46
   10	Georgia	$91,519	$44
   11	Illinois	$90,540	$44
   12	North Carolina	$86,906	$42
   13	Missouri	$85,767	$41
   14	Wisconsin	$81,537	$39
   15	Tennessee	$81,449	$39
   16	Utah	$80,846	$39
   17	New Hampshire	$80,574	$39
   18	Indiana	$80,098	$39
   19	Pennsylvania	$79,581	$38

   Average process control engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Koch Fertilizer	$130,524	$62.75	3
   2	Marathon Petroleum	$125,158	$60.17	70
   3	BP America Inc	$123,725	$59.48	5
   4	Intrepid Potash	$114,829	$55.21	1
   5	Phillips 66	$112,180	$53.93	5
   6	ADM	$108,144	$51.99	62
   7	General Motors	$107,881	$51.87	71
   8	PPG	$107,565	$51.71	11
   9	Caliper Life Sciences	$107,446	$51.66
   10	ASARCO	$106,709	$51.30
   11	Bloom Energy	$106,376	$51.14	8
   12	Air Products	$105,514	$50.73	4
   13	ConocoPhillips	$105,289	$50.62
   14	American Woodmark	$105,250	$50.60	1
   15	CertainTeed	$105,239	$50.60
   16	Air Liquide	$104,536	$50.26	2
   17	Evonik	$102,753	$49.40	12
   18	United States Steel	$102,676	$49.36	18
   19	Tesla	$102,611	$49.33	21
   20	Koch Industries	$102,344	$49.20	3

4. Writing a process control engineer job description

   A process control 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 a process control engineer job description:

   Process control engineer job description example

   Rockwell Automation is a global technology leader focused on helping the world's manufacturers be more productive, sustainable, and agile. With more than 25,000 employees who make the world better every day, we know we have something special. Behind our customers - amazing companies that help feed the world, provide life-saving medicine on a global scale, and focus on clean water and green mobility - our people are energized problem solvers that take pride in how the work we do changes the world for the better.
   
   We welcome all makers, forward thinkers, and problem solvers who are looking for a place to do their best work. And if that's you we would love to have you join us!
   Job Description
   Who we are looking for?
   
   Process Manufacturing Technical 8+ years, those who consider themselves to want to be part of a global team with big engineering challenges to solve. If you are looking to take your career to the next level, this is the opportunity for you.
   
   What is your challenge?
   Role
   
   The role operates as a Global Engineering expert as part of the Advanced Process Control and Optimization team with the purpose to drive Manufacturing improvements in fostering quality improvement, increasing output and contributing to the bottom line across all processing industry customers in Latin America and worldwide, through:
   Expertise deployment for Advanced Process Control and Process Control solutions & improvements Development and deployment of world class practices and functional expertise Identifying and implementing improvement opportunities Basic DCS, Process Control and Instrumentation knowledge
   
   Requirements
   Degree: Chemical Engineering preferred, Engineering OKManufacturing Experience (Technical engineering, Maintenance Management) At least 5 years of experience with a mix of experience in paper and pulp, polymers/plastics/petrochemicals, mining, cement, dairy, etc..Global expert on APC and Optimization applications and projects as demonstrated by significant accomplishments and contributions acquired over a period of minimum 5+ years as an APC Engineer.Availbilty for travelling 40% to 50% of the time mostly in Brazilian territory.
   
   Experience Areas Shall Include Linear And Non-linear Processes, Cost/benefit Analysis, Technical Design, Implementation, Commissioning, Start-up, Maintenance, Sustainability, Trouble Shooting, Failure Analyzing And Overhaul Dedicated To The Advanced Process Control And Optimization Area Of Expertise, With Proven Experience On Project Execution And Maintenance
   APC technology, systems, industry standards and practices, including step testing, model identification, inferential deployment, interfacing and commissioning, cost/benefit analysis,Advanced Solutions and Realtime Optimization technology, systems, industry standards and practices Process Modeling and Optimization. Dynamic and steady-state optimization,Advanced Regulatory control, Control loops performance, monitoring & fine tune Expert systems design and implementation Plant performance, historian and monitoring systems and processes Experience in APC-applications, both linear as non-linear, (polymers) Experience of people management and ability to use influence to achieve results.Flexible and able to re-prioritize tasks based on changing business need.Desire and ability to self-teach new software programs or system
   
   #LI-TB1

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5. Post your job

   To find process control engineers 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 process control engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level process control engineers 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 process control engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit process control engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit process control engineers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   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 process control engineer

   Once you've decided on a perfect process control 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 also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new process control 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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