How to hire a professional engineer

How to hire a professional engineer, step by step

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

What does a professional engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The professional 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

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

   Type of Professional Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Professional Engineer	Civil engineers design, build, supervise, operate, and maintain construction projects and systems in the public and private sector, including roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and systems for water supply and sewage treatment.	$30-56
   Structural Designer	A Structural Designer designs, develops, and supervises the construction of new buildings and bridges, or extensions to existing properties or other structures. They review and update construction drawings as well as communicate project problems and flaws to managers.	$22-40
   Civil Designer	A Civil Designer plans, scales, and drafts drawings and maps for roads, bridges, and other construction projects. They work with engineers and project managers in determining material, labor, and other costs of the assigned projects.	$19-38

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Civil Engineering
   • Project Management
   • PE
   • Revit
   • Civil 3D
   • Engineering Design
   • Cost Estimates
   • Stormwater
   • Business Development
   • CAD
   • Technical Reports
   • Construction Projects
   • Construction Management
   • Geotechnical

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage custom product design & generate all require documentation for both customer and manufacturing groups using AutoCAD rel.
   • Create transmittals & submittals in Prolog.
   • Perform fit checks design using SolidWorks.
   • Review site plans for compliance with NCDOT policy.
   • Maintain the BOM data base and process engineering changes.
   • Create customer manuals, BOM s, and schematics.

   More professional engineer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, professional engineers' average salary in hawaii is 45% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level professional engineers 47% less than senior-level professional engineers.
   • Certifications. A professional 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 professional engineer's salary.

   Average professional engineer salary

   $86,348yearly

   $41.51 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level professional engineer salary

   $63,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average professional engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$113,768	$55
   2	Massachusetts	$94,223	$45
   3	Alabama	$92,730	$45
   4	Texas	$89,574	$43
   5	Washington	$89,103	$43
   6	New York	$88,042	$42
   7	Virginia	$87,116	$42
   8	Oregon	$87,014	$42
   9	Arizona	$86,397	$42
   10	Oklahoma	$82,758	$40
   11	Louisiana	$82,203	$40
   12	North Carolina	$81,703	$39
   13	Minnesota	$81,168	$39
   14	Colorado	$80,050	$38
   15	Wisconsin	$79,779	$38
   16	Illinois	$79,472	$38
   17	New Mexico	$75,988	$37
   18	Georgia	$72,651	$35
   19	Florida	$72,072	$35
   20	Nebraska	$68,023	$33

   Average professional engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Bayer	$111,570	$53.64	4
   2	Abbott	$105,911	$50.92	12
   3	Chevron	$103,797	$49.90
   4	AT&T	$102,647	$49.35	4
   5	Pfizer	$100,215	$48.18	11
   6	Oak Ridge National Laboratory	$97,244	$46.75	3
   7	Peabody Energy	$94,547	$45.46
   8	Halliburton	$93,127	$44.77	2
   9	Northrop Grumman	$92,491	$44.47	22
   10	Ingram Micro	$89,934	$43.24	1
   11	IBM	$89,771	$43.16	33
   12	Sandia National Labs	$89,555	$43.06
   13	Siemens	$89,278	$42.92	11
   14	McAdams	$88,800	$42.69	10
   15	Randstad North America, Inc.	$88,444	$42.52	1
   16	Rockwell Automation	$88,350	$42.48	7
   17	CyberCoders	$88,087	$42.35	2
   18	Samsung Electronics Device Solutions (Semiconductor & Display)	$88,064	$42.34	17
   19	Lakeland Electric	$87,528	$42.08
   20	Evonik	$87,178	$41.91	3

4. Writing a professional engineer job description

   A professional 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 professional engineer job description:

   Professional engineer job description example

   We are seeking an experienced EIT (3-4 years post college) or early career PE (0-3 years of licensure) to work in our Meridian, Twin Falls, or Pocatello, ID office locations. This position will work closely with experienced Engineers and Project Managers to develop and deliver a variety of surface transportation projects for our local, state, and federal clients.

   
   

   This position will include:

   · Develop the plans and specifications for primarily transportation projects for local, state, and federal clients, including projects with both local and federal aid funds.

   · Collaborate with traffic engineers, structural engineers, and other specialty disciplines to deliver a comprehensive package of reports, studies, and drawings to our clients.

   · Operate the CAD (Microstation/OpenRoads) to effectively produce layouts and models of transportation projects using current standards.

   · Draft/write technical reports and studies including but not limited to design criteria, drainage, geometry, etc.

   · Work in a team setting, reporting to and taking direction from a Senior PE, to deliver projects primarily in southern Idaho, but potentially across Idaho, Washington, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah.

   · Mentor younger staff including technicians, EIT's and other PE's, depending on experience.

   · Interface with clients in meetings and represent J-U-B at open houses, public hearings, etc.

   Requirements:

   Qualifications:

   · Bachelor's degree (B.S.) in Civil Engineering or equivalent is required.

   · Certification as Engineer-in-Training (passed Fundamentals of Engineering Exam) required.

   · Minimum 3 years of Transportation Engineering work as an EIT. If PE, we'd love 0-3 years of experience with licensure.

   · MicroStation experience is required.

   · Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment and collaborate with a variety of co-workers and teams.

   
   

   Salary Range: $69,000 - $95,000/ Determined by experience, licensure, and education. In addition to your great salary, J-U-B also offers a competitive benefit package including bonuses for qualified employees, a flexible work schedule, and the ability to work in a team-centered, collaborative, and supportive atmosphere.

   
   
   

   PI192756497

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right professional engineer for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your professional engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit professional engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit professional 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 professional engineer

   Once you've decided on a perfect professional 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 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 professional 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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