How to hire a project designer

How to hire a project designer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step project designer hiring guide:

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

What does a project designer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the project designer you need to hire. Certain project designer 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?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a project designer 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 project designer that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of project designers.

   Type of Project Designer	Description	Hourly rate
   Project Designer	Interior designers make interior spaces functional, safe, and beautiful by determining space requirements and selecting decorative items, such as colors, lighting, and materials. They read blueprints and must be aware of building codes and inspection regulations, as well as universal accessibility standards.	$22-42
   Design Consultant	A design consultant is a professional who provides expertise incorporating functionality and aesthetics to a space or product based on the evaluation of the needs of customers or clients. Design consultants may collaborate with other professionals such as architects, graphic designers, or fashion designers to cater to the needs of their customers... Show more	$24-57
   Interior Design Consultant	An interior design consultant is responsible for designing the interior space of a client's property according to their specifications and budget requirements. Interior design consultants draft their initial layouts, including the cost forecasting and resources for the operations, to determine the client's approval or revise plans as necessary... Show more	$20-42

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Revit
   • Sketch
   • Design Concepts
   • Auto CAD
   • SketchUp
   • Design Development
   • Project Management
   • Architectural Design
   • Design Solutions
   • BIM
   • Construction Administration
   • Building Codes
   • Schematic Design
   • Space Planning

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead efforts to redesign and convert existing self-pace and instructor-le course materials into eLearning and web-base formats.
   • Provide 2D AutoCAD and 3D Sketchup drawings for client presentations.
   • Implement AIA layering standards and create file management standards for the office.
   • Calculate size of ductwork, hydronic piping, plumbing, and gas piping.
   • Time management, procedure, and field sketch expertise, must be absolute, and perfect.
   • Prepare and deliver construction documents using Revit and AutoCAD for each project on time and within budget.

   More project designer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average project designer salary

   $64,943yearly

   $31.22 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level project designer salary

   $47,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average project designer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$79,594	$38
   2	District of Columbia	$71,372	$34
   3	Oregon	$71,266	$34
   4	Washington	$70,995	$34
   5	New York	$70,875	$34
   6	Pennsylvania	$66,899	$32
   7	Colorado	$65,606	$32
   8	Massachusetts	$64,339	$31
   9	Connecticut	$63,981	$31
   10	Arizona	$62,536	$30
   11	Missouri	$61,598	$30
   12	Texas	$61,245	$29
   13	North Carolina	$61,117	$29
   14	Minnesota	$60,728	$29
   15	Georgia	$59,664	$29
   16	Maryland	$58,999	$28
   17	Virginia	$57,473	$28
   18	Nevada	$56,769	$27
   19	Illinois	$56,666	$27
   20	Florida	$55,522	$27

   Average project designer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apple	$118,258	$56.85	30
   2	CF Industries	$101,936	$49.01	2
   3	Moody's	$94,420	$45.39
   4	Tesla	$91,130	$43.81	11
   5	Mattel	$83,257	$40.03
   6	ONE Gas	$82,862	$39.84
   7	Verizon Communications	$78,232	$37.61
   8	The Home Depot	$75,498	$36.30	1,049
   9	Cushman & Wakefield	$74,926	$36.02	126
   10	SunPower	$71,931	$34.58
   11	Columbia Sportswear	$70,956	$34.11
   12	HPA, A Cognizant	$70,529	$33.91
   13	UST	$70,318	$33.81
   14	The Office of James Burnett	$70,296	$33.80
   15	Kohler Co.	$69,894	$33.60	2
   16	Dominion Energy	$68,911	$33.13	2
   17	Bialek Environments	$68,563	$32.96
   18	CEI Group	$68,349	$32.86	4
   19	HGA	$67,272	$32.34	30
   20	Kelly Services	$67,241	$32.33	1

4. Writing a project designer job description

   A good project designer 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 project designer job description:

   Project designer job description example

   Interested in making your mark at a 100% employee-owned firm? Wiley|Wilson has 180+ employee-owners serving clients from five offices and we are looking for the right person to grow with us!
   
   As a Project Designer focused on Lighting you will be primarily responsible for providing lighting design and associated engineering (including controls) on projects under the supervision of a Senior Project Engineer or Department Manager. You will be responsible for coordination with other disciplines, client contact and for client satisfaction.
   
   Responsibilities include creating the lighting concept (to include fixture selections, controls and circuiting) for a project and the specifications for how the concept can be implemented.
   
   You will collaborate with other professionals to integrate lighting into the overall project approach. Our lighting designers work closely with project architects to align with the overall vision and with electrical engineers to ensure a complete and functional lighting system.
   
   This position requires a blend of artistic skill and technical knowledge, allowing the designer to envision lighting designs and specify how to execute them. You must have a breadth and depth of knowledge of lighting instruments, computer software for lighting, color theory, graphics and electronics. Beyond design, ongoing duties include training to remain updated on the latest lighting technologies and energy code advancements.
   Sound interesting? Please apply today! What we offer: Competitive salary Employee ownership (ESOP) Work-from-home flexibility (details here) Generous benefits, including: Multiple group health insurance options 401k with up to 6% matching contribution Four weeks of PTO + 9 holidays Tuition reimbursement ...and much more! Requirements : NCQLP Lighting Certification (LC), and/or IALD Certified Lighting Designer (CLD) Proficient in the use of Revit, AutoCAD, ElumTools, AGI-32, COMcheck Excellent communication skills. Must be able to clearly and confidently present lighting design to clients and coordinating disciplines. Candidate must be eligible to work in the United States and to obtain a security clearance Experience: 4-8 years of experience with interior and exterior commercial lighting design required. A successful candidate has likely spent the majority of their professional career in lighting design. Desirable: BS in Electrical Engineering or Architectural Engineering (Lighting/Electrical) LEED credential Well AP credential IES and/or IALD Membership About us: Wiley|Wilson is a full-service architecture-engineering firm, specializing in creating innovative and functional design solutions for our government, institutional, and private-sector clients around the world. Our diverse mix of projects, generous benefits, and focus on professional growth provides a truly unique opportunity for you to elevate your career. As a 100-percent employee-owned company, our 180+ employees share a stake in our success through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). The ownership model, coupled with our focus on service and engagement, creates a distinct company culture. Wiley|Wilson has offices in Alexandria, Lynchburg, Richmond, VA; Raleigh, NC; and Atlanta, GA. Other: EOE/AAP, Disability/Covered veteran, Drug Free Workplace A223, Project Designer - Lighting
   
   Job Posted by ApplicantPro

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right project designer 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.

   To find project designer 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 dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting project designers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   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 project designer

   Once you've decided on a perfect project designer 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 important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new project designer 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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