How to hire a product developer

How to hire a product developer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step product developer hiring guide:

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

What does a product developer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The product developer 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

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   Hiring the perfect product developer 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 product developers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Product Developer	Description	Hourly rate
   Product Developer	Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers plan programs to generate interest in products or services. They work with art directors, sales agents, and financial staff members.	$30-59
   Sales And Marketing Manager	Marketing managers are experts in marketing a product or business. They take charge of a lot of responsibilities in the business... Show more	$20-74
   Marketing Director	Marketing directors are responsible for the overall branding and marketing direction of the company. They are in charge of identifying goals and strategies related to marketing... Show more	$32-92

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Product Development
   • R
   • Develop User
   • C++
   • Project Management
   • Java
   • Product Line
   • PLM
   • Product Management
   • Product Design
   • JavaScript
   • Sketch
   • Market Research
   • HTML

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Target select electrical engineer database to yield increase and additional sales leads.
   • Implement CI and CD pipelines for the product using Jenkins and perl scripts.
   • Perform statistical analysis to generate technical reports and communicate results to company leaders through technical reviews and PowerPoint presentations.
   • Lead integration and deployment of various modules with UI.
   • Review and approve cutting dies and CNC files before release to production.
   • Redesign and update the UI for the product to improve the overall customer experience.

   More product developer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average product developer salary

   $88,629yearly

   $42.61 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level product developer salary

   $63,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average product developer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$123,459	$59
   2	Arizona	$98,388	$47
   3	Oregon	$96,740	$47
   4	Washington	$96,366	$46
   5	Texas	$91,732	$44
   6	Pennsylvania	$91,208	$44
   7	Virginia	$91,106	$44
   8	Connecticut	$90,054	$43
   9	North Carolina	$88,626	$43
   10	Massachusetts	$88,481	$43
   11	New York	$86,821	$42
   12	Ohio	$86,469	$42
   13	Indiana	$82,145	$39
   14	Illinois	$80,995	$39
   15	Iowa	$76,431	$37
   16	Missouri	$75,333	$36
   17	Colorado	$74,143	$36
   18	Florida	$73,764	$35
   19	Georgia	$72,078	$35
   20	Nebraska	$71,638	$34

   Average product developer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	The Citadel	$162,131	$77.95	2
   2	Apple	$139,506	$67.07	90
   3	Macy's	$121,758	$58.54	3
   4	Bloomberg	$115,502	$55.53	69
   5	Amazon	$114,869	$55.23	503
   6	Citi	$112,134	$53.91	52
   7	Nordstrom	$109,767	$52.77	11
   8	HealthTap	$107,285	$51.58
   9	Epicor	$107,098	$51.49
   10	Fanatics	$105,846	$50.89	20
   11	Forever 21	$105,589	$50.76
   12	Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.	$104,212	$50.10	33
   13	Davidson Kempner	$103,817	$49.91
   14	Starbucks	$103,802	$49.90	10
   15	VF	$102,725	$49.39	4
   16	BMC Software	$101,670	$48.88	2
   17	Levi Strauss & Co.	$101,514	$48.80	4
   18	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$100,385	$48.26	568
   19	Micron Technology	$99,965	$48.06	37
   20	Koch Industries	$99,950	$48.05	1

4. Writing a product developer job description

   A job description for a product developer 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 product developer job description:

   Product developer job description example

   Fanatics is building a leading global digital sports platform to ignite and harness the passions of fans and maximize the presence and reach for hundreds of partners globally. Optimizing these long-standing partnerships, a database of more than 80 million global consumers and a trusted, recognizable brand name, Fanatics is expanding beyond its position as a global leader for licensed sports merchandise to now becoming a next-gen digital sports platform, featuring an array of offerings for fans across the sports ecosystem.
   
   The Fanatics family of companies currently includes Fanatics Commerce, a vertically-integrated licensed merchandise business that has changed the way fans purchase their favorite team apparel, jerseys, headwear and hardgoods through a tech-infused approach to making and quickly distributing fan gear in today's 24/7 mobile-first economy; Candy Digital, a digital collectibles company that is partnering with prominent sports properties, including MLB and MLBPA, to build an official NFT ecosystem; Fanatics Collectibles, a transformative company that is building a new model for the hobby and giving collectors an end-to-end collectibles experience; and Fanatics Betting & Gaming, a mobile betting, gaming and retail sportsbook platform. Additional ventures that will build out Fanatics' footprint across the broader digital sports landscape will be rolled out soon. Fanatics' partners include all major professional sports leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, MLS, PGA) and hundreds of collegiate and professional teams, which include several of the biggest global soccer clubs.
   
   As a market leader with more than 8,000 employees, and hundreds of partners, suppliers, and vendors worldwide, we take responsibility for driving toward more ethical and sustainable practices. We are committed to building an inclusive Fanatics community, reflecting and representing society at every level of the business, including our employees, vendors, partners and fans. Fanatics is also dedicated to making a positive impact in the communities where we all live, work, and play through strategic philanthropic initiatives.
   
   At Fanatics, we're a diverse, passionate group of employees aiming to ignite pride and passion in the fans we outfit, celebrate and support. We recognize that diversity helps drive and foster innovation, and through our IDEA program (inclusion, diversity, equality and advocacy) at Fanatics we provide employees with tools and resources to feel connected and engaged in who they are and what they do to support the ultimate fan experience.
   
   As the Product Developer, you will utilize your knowledge related to product patterns, fit, and construction while working closely with design and merchandising to understand the creative vision of each project and translate concepts into product. You will work closely with all in-house teams, along with oversea vendors to ensure production. In Product Creation and Development, you will be involved in the first stages of creating new products, commercialization and getting them to the consumers. This involves everything from idea generation, materials and construction, materials sourcing, product testing and product confirmation.
   
   ResponsibilitiesDevelops product for assigned leagues within the channel of distribution.Manage development projects from insights, through concepts, validation and into seasonal integrations in collaboration with project teams.Work with Design to proactively manage the styling, material and trim requirements relative to manufacturability, performance, quality, cost, lead-times and minimums.Maintain cost and master bill of materials during development process.Ensure the delivery and evaluation of quality lab dips/print strike-offs and communicate comments to vendor.Communicate information and any issues to all related internal parties as well as to overseas mills, agents, and manufacturers.International and domestic travel as required to achieve a high level of product and technology development, including visits to manufacturing facilities, R&D partners and consumers to assist in the creation, development, commercialization and integration of product.Strong verbal and written communication skills, with an advanced ability to communicate new ideas, concepts and functional expertise within project teams and to external stakeholder Excellent interpersonal skills that inspire and build trust resulting in effective working relationships across the company.Create strong team interaction with Merchandising, Design, Production, Planning, Materials Research, and Quality to ensure a coordinated and efficient process.Foster and maintain key partnerships with vendors.Create and maintain dashboarding of product development metrics for corporate transparency and executive review.Review and continuously update standard operating procedures in partnership with team for best departmental efficiencies and practices.Work on special projects as assigned.
   
   RequirementsBachelors degree or equivalent in a related field5-7 years relevant experience in apparel product development and management Technical knowledge of fabric, construction, and product engineering Knowledge of factory operations as they relate to costing and manufacturing limitations Experience working with vendors in Asia and South/Central AmericaUnderstanding of apparel and raw material testing Working knowledge of tariffs and duty rates Understanding of supply chain logistics Familiar with industry standard development processes/procedures, quality standards and compliance regulations.Ability to introduce and implement new processes and procedures Ability to communicate across multiple cultural and experience levels, internal and external Proven leadership skills and communication skills are a must Strong computer skills in excel, word and necessary systems needed Travel required
   
   Ensure your Fanatics job offer is legitimate and don't fall victim to fraud. Fanatics never seeks payment from job applicants. Feel free to ask your recruiter for a phone call or other type of communication for interview, and ensure your communication is coming from a Fanatics or Fanatics Brand email address. For added security, where possible, apply through our company website at www.fanaticsinc.com/careers
   
   Tryouts are open at Fanatics! Our team is passionate, talented, unified, and charged with creating the fan experience of tomorrow. The ball is in your court now.
   
   Fanatics is committed to responsible planning and purchasing (RPP) practices, working with its business partners across its global and multi-layered supply chain, to ensure that planning, sourcing, and purchasing decisions, along with other supporting processes, do not impede or conflict with the fulfillment of Fanatics' fair labor practices.
   NOTICE TO CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS/APPLICANTS: In connection with your application, we collect information that identifies, reasonably relates to or describes you (“Personal Information”). The categories of Personal Information that we collect include your name, government issued identification number(s), email address, mailing address, other contact information, emergency contact information, employment history, educational history, criminal record, and demographic information. We collect and use those categories of Personal Information about you for human resources and other business management purposes, including identifying and evaluating you as a candidate for potential or future employment or other types of positions, recordkeeping in relation to recruiting and hiring, conducting criminal background checks as permitted by law, conducting analytics, and ensuring compliance with applicable legal requirements and Company policies.

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5. Post your job

   To find product developers 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 product developers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level product developers 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.

   To find product developer candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as swipe files, exit five, marketinghire, american marketing association.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit product developers, 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.

   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 product developer

   Once you've found the product developer 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.

   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 product developer. 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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