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How to hire a product sales engineer

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

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

How to hire a product sales engineer, step by step

To hire a product sales engineer, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire a product sales engineer, you should follow these steps:

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

What does a product sales engineer do?

Production sales engineer positions will require good judgment and business sense, resilience, and even, in an increasing capacity, foreign language skills, as well as teamwork and problem-solving skills. Those who choose this career path will be called upon to provide pre-sales technical assistance and product education, as well as make technical presentations and demonstrations. They will also be required to form liaisons with the sales team and other technical experts and solve any issues clients may have.

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

    Before you start hiring a product sales engineer, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

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

    This list shows salaries for various types of product sales engineers.

    Type of Product Sales EngineerDescriptionHourly rate
    Product Sales EngineerSales engineers sell complex scientific and technological products or services to businesses. They must have extensive knowledge of the products’ parts and functions and must understand the scientific processes that make these products work.$32-60
    Outside SalesAn outside sales representative is responsible for generating the company's sales and revenues by offering goods and services to existing and potential clients, responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns about the products, and researching on possible leads. Outside sales representatives monitor the current industry trends to identify new business opportunities that would help the business adjust to market changes to achieve profitability goals... Show more$26-50
    Field Applications EngineerThe field applications engineer works with regional sales managers, company customers, and manufacturer's representatives to design and manage technical methods for quality control to ensure compliance with the ISO laboratory accreditation. They are technically expert and knowledgeable about sales techniques to boost sales and to develop new organizational objectives by maintaining their relationship with the consultants, inspectors, subcontractors, and potential clients regularly... Show more$38-68
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Product Sales
    • UL
    • Product Development
    • Sales Process
    • Trade Shows
    • CRM
    • Switchboards
    • Account Management
    • Product Line
    • Business Development
    • Market Trends
    • Product Demonstrations
    • Product Knowledge
    • Pre Sales
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage inbound domestic and international logistics and domestic shipping with respect to carrier selection, forwarding, brokering and expediting.
    • Maintain opportunity pipeline and sales forecast in CRM.
    • Stimulate customer satisfaction score (CSAT) from 55 to 85 out of 100 by CRM.
    • Close a key sale to a large OEM account that are pending for more than twelve months prior to employment.
    • Review project specifications and blueprints, determine best HVAC equipment, system design, and pricing for the RFP proposal response.
    • Maintain strong understanding of competitive HVAC equipment and gather pricing feedback from contractors and engineers.
    More product sales engineer duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your product sales engineer job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A product sales engineer can vary based on:

    • Location. For example, product sales engineers' average salary in missouri is 49% less than in california.
    • Seniority. Entry-level product sales engineers 47% less than senior-level product sales engineers.
    • Certifications. A product sales engineer with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a product sales engineer's salary.

    Average product sales engineer salary

    $92,735yearly

    $44.58 hourly rate

    Entry-level product sales engineer salary
    $67,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 13, 2025

    Average product sales engineer salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1California$124,259$60
    2Illinois$103,573$50
    3New York$98,389$47
    4Maryland$97,257$47
    5Texas$96,578$46
    6Massachusetts$96,208$46
    7Colorado$95,032$46
    8Florida$92,495$44
    9Ohio$91,877$44
    10Georgia$88,725$43
    11Pennsylvania$85,156$41
    12North Carolina$84,690$41
    13Washington$82,935$40
    14Nevada$75,292$36
    15Minnesota$70,682$34
    16Oklahoma$67,674$33
    17Alabama$66,682$32
    18Michigan$64,016$31

    Average product sales engineer salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Google$129,813$62.4199
    2Comverse Technology$113,845$54.73
    3Jm$110,374$53.0644
    4Nucor$102,184$49.138
    5ITW$98,941$47.5799
    6Cognex$94,746$45.5511
    7Bentley Systems$92,795$44.613
    8Xcel Energy$92,166$44.313
    9SPIROL$91,072$43.781
    10Alto Products$90,310$43.42
    11United Electric Controls$88,732$42.66
    12Universal Electronics$87,928$42.27
    13Apptivo$85,939$41.32
    14Invoca$85,521$41.12
    15W.W.Williams$84,560$40.65
    16Siemens$83,603$40.1952
    17Smith Power Products$82,012$39.43
    18MAG$81,819$39.34
    19Randstad North America, Inc.$79,961$38.449
    20Oracle$78,668$37.822,913
  4. Writing a product sales engineer job description

    A product sales 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a product sales engineer job description:

    Product sales engineer job description example

    Our Segmented Walls, Concrete Block and Masonry Supply Sales position starts at $700 - $1000 a week, depending on experience. We also offer excellent benefits , including medical ($400 deductible), dental vision, a 401(k) plan with up to a 4.5% match, paid holidays, 100%-company-paid life insurance, 100% company-paid short- and long-term disability, significant employee discounts for all products we sell, weekly pay, and more! Also, this position is eligible for bonus pay !

    ABOUT R.W. SIDLEY, INC. CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL SOLUTIONS

    Established in 1933 as a mining and manufacturing company, we have continued to build our company from our original core products of silica sand and bank gravel. Having grown to several locations across Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania, we provide a range of construction materials and services to countless businesses in the construction industry throughout the Midwest as well as to homeowners in our local areas. We manufacture and supply bulk aggregates, industrial minerals, ready-mix concrete, masonry block products, structural and architectural precast components, and other building supplies.

    You don't find a great work culture like ours every day. We have a great family vibe that welcomes positive, hardworking, and friendly people who enjoy being part of a cohesive team . We have an informal work environment but are serious about what we do. Our employees are too busy being productive and building relationships with our customers to get bogged down in office politics. We really care about our employees and that is reflected in the top pay and generous benefits that we offer. We want them to succeed and feel valued. They appreciate that they are treated with respect and not micromanaged . To hear more, be sure to check out our employee reviews on Glassdoor!

    QUALIFICATIONS FOR SEGMENTED WALLS, CONCRETE BLOCK & MASONRY SALES

    • Knowledge of the market
    • Strong math and analytical skills
    • Innovative problem-solving skills
    • Customer focus
    • Excellent organizational and planning skills
    • Relates to all customer segments and creates a good first impression
    • Self-starter capable of delivering on goals with minimal supervision
    • Strong computer skills
    • Ability to lift up to 100 pounds and willingness to roll up sleeves and get the job done

    RESPONSIBLITIES, INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

    • Responsible for professionally representing RWS to customers & achieving financial objectives
    • Identify current and future customer requirements
    • Introduce RWS block & supply product lines and distribute samples to potential customers
    • Develop the home builder's customer base by chasing footer and mason leads
    • Attend pre-bid meetings for upcoming bid projects
    • Responsible for creating project quotes and their accuracy
    • Customer contact for all sample and document submittals required
    • Strive to obtain a Purchase Order for all projects
    • Work with the team to verify product specs, stock, customer orders, delivery & customer satisfaction
    • Visit project job sites to ensure customer satisfaction
    • Responsible for taking the lead in the resolution of customer complaints for Block & Supply

    Do you have a strong work ethic? Are you known for going above and beyond? Do you have a winning attitude and approachable personality? Do you take pride in your work? If so, you might just be perfect for this experienced Segmented Walls, Concrete Block & Masonry Sales job.

    WORK SCHEDULE

    This full-time position generally works Monday - Friday, 8:00AM to 5:00PM, with some flexibility, depending on projects.

    READY TO JOIN OUR SIDLEY TEAM?

    We understand your time is valuable and that is why we have a very quick and easy application process. If you feel that you would be right for this entry-level or experienced job, please fill out our initial 3-minute, mobile-friendly application . We look forward to meeting you!



    Job Posted by ApplicantPro
  5. Post your job

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

    To successfully recruit product sales 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. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

    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 sales engineer

    Once you've found the product sales 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 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 sales 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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How much does it cost to hire a product sales engineer?

There are different types of costs for hiring product sales engineers. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new product sales engineer employee.

Product sales engineers earn a median yearly salary is $92,735 a year in the US. However, if you're looking to find product sales engineers for hire on a contract or per-project basis, hourly rates typically range between $32 and $60.

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