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How to hire a product development engineer

Product development engineer hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring product development engineers in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a product development 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 product development engineer to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a product development engineer, step by step

To hire a product development engineer, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a product development engineer:

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

What does a product development engineer do?

A Product Development Engineer is responsible for creating and testing new product designs. They collaborate with market researchers to evaluate market needs, existing competition, and potential costs.

Learn more about the specifics of what a product development engineer does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    First, determine the employments status of the product development engineer you need to hire. Certain product development engineer 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?

    A product development engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, product development 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.

    Here's a comparison of product development engineer salaries for various roles:

    Type of Product Development EngineerDescriptionHourly rate
    Product Development EngineerMechanical 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.$30-54
    EngineerEngineers 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
    Mechanical EngineerMechanical Engineers oversee the development of various mechanical devices in different industries. Most of the responsibilities will revolve around crafting, improving, or designing technologies by utilizing extensive expertise in the subject; they identify and detect errors, provide in-depth analysis, and resolve issues... Show more$27-46
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • CAD
    • Solidworks
    • Product Development
    • Project Management
    • Data Analysis
    • Product Design
    • Prototype
    • R
    • C++
    • FEA
    • UL
    • Test Methods
    • ISO
    • Medical Devices
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage design control including FMEA risk analysis, surgeon clinical input documentation, design verification and validation activities.
    • Manage project from conceptual design through final debugging and animal/clinical testing resulting in a new business unit within the company.
    • Create java test template design to vary equation specs and loop pattern bursts.
    • Develop and maintain websites in HTML, CSS and JAVA script by writing, debugging, and testing.
    • Set up, troubleshot and maintain the Linux and Unix machines used in the development, build and test of ADINA.
    • Participate in engineering DFMEA activities.
    More product development engineer duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your product development engineer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A product development engineer salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

    For example, the average salary for a product development engineer in Oklahoma may be lower than in California, and an entry-level product development engineer usually earns less than a senior-level product development engineer. Additionally, a product development engineer with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

    Average product development engineer salary

    $86,075yearly

    $41.38 hourly rate

    Entry-level product development engineer salary
    $64,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 20, 2025

    Average product development engineer salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1California$119,584$57
    2Washington$107,132$52
    3Massachusetts$93,578$45
    4Oregon$88,455$43
    5Virginia$88,146$42
    6New York$86,675$42
    7Texas$85,144$41
    8Illinois$83,973$40
    9New Jersey$83,271$40
    10Michigan$81,529$39
    11New Hampshire$81,394$39
    12Pennsylvania$79,502$38
    13Minnesota$76,726$37
    14Georgia$75,413$36
    15North Carolina$73,404$35
    16Ohio$73,161$35
    17Indiana$72,074$35
    18Florida$70,116$34
    19Kansas$69,437$33
    20Mississippi$62,921$30

    Average product development engineer salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Amazon$121,283$58.31694
    2NVIDIA$115,627$55.59126
    3Exxon Mobil$114,505$55.0530
    4Stripe$111,996$53.8424
    5Western Digital$106,733$51.3111
    6Koch Industries$106,080$51.007
    7LinkedIn$103,972$49.9910
    8NuvoSun$102,919$49.48
    9AT&T$101,991$49.0326
    10KLA$101,782$48.9351
    11PBS$101,254$48.681
    12Hanesbrands$98,779$47.49
    13Unirac$98,314$47.271
    14Quidel$98,136$47.18
    15Lumileds$97,725$46.98
    16Micron Technology$97,078$46.6796
    17Caterpillar$96,677$46.48109
    18Dell$96,167$46.237
    19Entegris$95,431$45.8818
    20MiaSol$95,230$45.78
  4. Writing a product development engineer job description

    A job description for a product development engineer 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 development engineer job description:

    Product development engineer job description example

    The PD Engineer will be a lead and mastery in Catheter/Shaft reflow design & manufacturing, articulation/Steerable device design & manufacturing, Injection molded plastic design and analysis, progressive stamping die sheet metal design and analysis, design for manufacturing, ASME Y14.5 and ASME Y14.100 and Tolerance Analysis.

    In addition, the PD Engineer will perform stress analysis using classical methods, Castigliano's theorem, and SolidWorks Simulation, lead design reviews, phase reviews, PFMEA, DFMEA, and similar reviews, 3D modeling, CAD design using SolidWorks, produce and review product documentation including drawings, proposals, and technical reports, each ensuring compliance with ISO 13485.

    Preferred Skills

    Our preferred candidate is someone who has skills preparing and presenting product, process, and troubleshooting reports to all levels of management internally and externally. This person will have knowledge of the evaluation of manufacturing fabrication processes and the ability to create and oversee the performance of electrical/mechanical test schemes and devices, experience with automated and manual methods of manufacturing, assembly and troubleshooting processes.

    What we expect from you:

    Our preferred candidate will have a minimum of Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent experience in similar role with at least 10 years in a leadership role in a R&D or design manufacturing environment with significant exposure to design of thin-walled plastic injection molded parts, reflow catheters, articulating/steerable devices and electromechanical systems.

    Our ideal candidate will have experience transitioning/supporting domestic and off-shore manufacturing and the ability to obtain a passport/visa and travel domestically and internationally as required.

    This candidate will have the ability to read, analyze, and interpret technical materials as well as the ability to write reports and procedure manuals. In addition, this candidate will have the ability to apply advanced mathematical concepts and operations. In addition, they will have the ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to a wide range of intellectual and practical problems and to deal with nonverbal symbolism and with a variety of abstract and concrete variables.

    What's in it for you:

    • Flexible Schedule
    • Competitive salary and seasonal bonus
    • Generous 401k plan with Employer Match and Profit Sharing.
    • Monthly training hour allotment to continue your skill advancement.

    What you should know about us:

    We believe there is a better way to bring medical devices to market. We use an engineer-to-engineer approach to develop custom interconnect solutions for medical devices that improve the quality of one's life'. Join us in our mission to be the leading provider of custom engineered solutions for top medical device manufacturers. ATL has operations in China, Costa Rica, Taiwan, UT-USA, plus remote staff in strategic global locations... and we're growing!

    Our Values:

    Customer Centric : We create a positive customer experience by utilizing our expertise through development and throughout the product lifecycle Humility : We seek to gain further knowledge to promote mutual growth and understanding Accountability : We commit to the success and well-being of our customers and employees by being accountable for our words and actions Transparency : We build trusting relationships with our customers and employees by being open and honest Solutions Driven : We work as a team with our customers to achieve results

    COVID Statement

    ATL Technology is a Critical Manufacturer, therefore our employees are Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers. ATL has implemented COVID related policies and procedures to maintain a safe environment and prevent disruptions to our operations. Please contact ATL Human Resources for additional information.



    Job Posted by ApplicantPro
  5. Post your job

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

    During your first interview to recruit product development engineers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

    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 development engineer

    Once you've found the product development engineer 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 also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new product development engineer. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

  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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How much does it cost to hire a product development engineer?

Before you start to hire product development engineers, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire product development engineers pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

The median annual salary for product development engineers is $86,075 in the US. However, the cost of product development engineer hiring can vary a lot depending on location. Additionally, hiring a product development engineer for contract work or on a per-project basis typically costs between $30 and $54 an hour.

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