How to hire a product development technician

How to hire a product development technician, step by step

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

What does a product development technician do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The product development technician 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 product development technician 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 product development technician that fits the bill.

   This list presents product development technician salaries for various positions.

   Type of Product Development Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Product Development Technician	Electrical and electronics engineering technicians help engineers design and develop computers, communications equipment, medical monitoring devices, navigational equipment, and other electrical and electronic equipment. They often work in product evaluation and testing, using measuring and diagnostic devices to adjust, test, and repair equipment... Show more	$29-53
   Validation Technologist	A validation technologist works with a process chief and applies validation methods to complete tasks and carry out installations. They perform operational protocol duties and do reviews daily... Show more	$18-31
   Quality Laboratory Technician	A Quality Laboratory Technician ensures that lab procedures and equipment meet a certain standard, as well as monitors production. They maintain quality service and a safe and healthy work environment through following organization standards.	$14-23

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • R
   • Product Development
   • Lab Equipment
   • Troubleshoot
   • Test Equipment
   • Data Collection
   • Prototype
   • Catheter
   • Technical Support
   • Test Data
   • Product Design
   • Quality Standards
   • Test Procedures
   • RF

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage daily QC meetings to ensure all handbag products fully adhere to BULGA standards.
   • Manage design control including FMEA risk analysis, surgeon clinical input documentation, design verification and validation activities.
   • Determine instrument detection limits for ICP.
   • Analyze RF, analog and digital test failures to the component level.
   • sample development/ skus/ allocation/ delivery charts, plm, trim sheets ...).
   • Perform differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to detect thermal events in products.

   More product development technician duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, product development technicians' average salary in nebraska is 40% less than in texas.
   • Seniority. Entry-level product development technicians earn 45% less than senior-level product development technicians.
   • Certifications. A product development technician 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 product development technician's salary.

   Average product development technician salary

   $82,950yearly

   $39.88 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level product development technician salary

   $61,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average product development technician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Texas	$106,612	$51
   2	Maryland	$105,161	$51
   3	Massachusetts	$104,183	$50
   4	Connecticut	$94,923	$46
   5	North Carolina	$94,553	$45
   6	Washington	$89,633	$43
   7	New York	$88,960	$43
   8	District of Columbia	$86,447	$42
   9	Illinois	$85,144	$41
   10	Georgia	$84,997	$41
   11	New Mexico	$84,601	$41
   12	California	$84,377	$41
   13	Indiana	$81,068	$39
   14	Ohio	$81,021	$39
   15	Colorado	$79,260	$38
   16	Missouri	$78,567	$38
   17	Michigan	$76,078	$37
   18	Florida	$75,469	$36
   19	Minnesota	$74,354	$36
   20	Oklahoma	$70,865	$34

   Average product development technician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Western Digital	$126,936	$61.03	10
   2	Amazon	$125,854	$60.51	324
   3	Other World Computing	$98,342	$47.28
   4	Corning Incorporated	$95,317	$45.83	37
   5	Intel	$95,087	$45.71	6
   6	Philips Lighting North America	$93,214	$44.81
   7	AMETEK	$92,063	$44.26	12
   8	BASF	$90,452	$43.49	6
   9	FactSet	$88,570	$42.58	2
   10	SABIC Innovative Plastics	$87,720	$42.17
   11	STAAR® Surgical Co	$85,466	$41.09
   12	DIVERSANT	$84,530	$40.64
   13	EMD Millipore	$84,376	$40.57
   14	Brady	$84,373	$40.56	16
   15	Protingent	$83,284	$40.04	4
   16	Fortive	$81,930	$39.39	18
   17	Solvay America Inc	$81,676	$39.27
   18	CSL Plasma	$81,566	$39.21	10
   19	Goodyear	$81,520	$39.19	2
   20	Lube-Tech	$81,498	$39.18	1

4. Writing a product development technician job description

   A good product development technician job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a product development technician job description:

   Product development technician job description example

   At Henkel, you can be a game changer and craft your career. Unleash your entrepreneurial spirit by bringing your ideas to life within a global team. Our leading brands and technologies, along with our high-performing businesses will provide you with countless opportunities to develop your skills and explore new paths. Your career at Henkel will contribute to a more sustainable future, while you grow within our vibrant, diverse culture of trust and belonging. If you're up for challenging the status quo, join our team of pioneers and make your mark on the future with us.
   Do you dare to make an impact?
   YOUR ROLE
   As Product Development Technician, you will be part of a highly motivated team that develops functional coatings for the Automotive Electronic Vehicle market Assemble battery cells and manage cell cycling equipment Prepare and apply coating formulations Supports Product Development team in key ADP/MOC projects by executing testing and generation of data Tabulate, plot and interpret data, and maintain meticulous and up-to-date records in electronic laboratory notebook Present results and project status to stakeholders Plan and organize projects, and support laboratory needs including equipment calibrations, ordering of materials, and overall laboratory cleanliness Maintain a safe laboratory, follow safe practices, and ensure products and processes comply with all regulatory requirements
   
   YOUR SKILLS
   Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or other relevant discipline Prior 1-3 years of laboratory experience preferred Ability to multi-task and handle multiple projects simultaneously Strong teamwork skills and demonstrated ability to collaborate with others Excellent communication, organizational, and mechanical skills Strong problem-solving skills Ability to multi-task and manage time efficiently
   Henkel does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firms or employment agencies. Unsolicited referrals and resumes are considered Henkel property and therefore, Henkel will not pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited referral. At Henkel's request only, preferred vendors may be invited to refer talent for specific open positions. In these cases, a fully-executed agreement with Henkel must be in place and current.
   
   All employees applying for an internal position must have a discussion with his/her manager about their interest in a job posting opportunity. The discussion will not preclude the employee from interviewing if their skills meet the job requirements.
   
   Henkel is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and other legally protected characteristics.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find product development technicians 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 technicians they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level product development technicians 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 technician job on Zippia to find and recruit product development technician 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 technicians, 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.

   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 product development technician

   Once you've found the product development technician 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.

   To prepare for the new product development technician 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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How much does it cost to hire a product development technician?