How to hire a project engineer/software engineer

How to hire a project engineer/software engineer, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a project engineer/software 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?

   Yes

   No

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

   This list presents project engineer/software engineer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Project Engineer/Software Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Project Engineer/Software Engineer	Software developers are the creative minds behind computer programs. Some develop the applications that allow people to do specific tasks on a computer or another device... Show more	$43-75
   Software Design Engineer	A software design engineer or SDE is part of a software development enterprise. Software design engineers determine the problems or issues and figure out how to establish programs to ease and automate the situations... Show more	$35-62
   Software Systems Engineer	A software systems engineer is responsible for designing and creating software systems applications and programs according to clients' specifications or business' needs. They work to improve the features of existing applications to boost efficiency and optimal performance... Show more	$38-68

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Software Development
   • Java
   • Project Management
   • Python
   • JavaScript
   • Linux
   • Windows
   • QA
   • Debugging
   • HTML
   • GIT
   • API
   • Web Services
   • DOD

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage technical investigations of software and database problems; coordinating between users and developers, and developing fixes or recommending workarounds.
   • Assist QA team with testing backlog.
   • Champion, teach and employ an agile scrum process laid on top of customer mandate waterfall approach.
   • Design and develop n-tier e-commerce applications, incorporating UI, invoicing, and data transformation, using primarily VB6 and SQL
   • Configure Jenkins for continuous delivery.
   • Introduce continuous integration using Jenkins.

   More project engineer/software engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your project engineer/software engineer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A project engineer/software 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 project engineer/software engineer in Louisiana may be lower than in California, and an entry-level project engineer/software engineer usually earns less than a senior-level project engineer/software engineer. Additionally, a project engineer/software 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 project engineer/software engineer salary

   $118,877yearly

   $57.15 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level project engineer/software engineer salary

   $90,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 19, 2026

   Average project engineer/software engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$156,126	$75
   2	Washington	$148,041	$71
   3	Texas	$128,106	$62
   4	New York	$127,913	$62
   5	Arizona	$120,059	$58
   6	Colorado	$116,906	$56
   7	Virginia	$111,943	$54
   8	Connecticut	$111,687	$54
   9	Maryland	$110,457	$53
   10	Florida	$109,374	$53
   11	Pennsylvania	$109,330	$53
   12	Ohio	$108,665	$52
   13	Georgia	$105,346	$51
   14	Wisconsin	$101,863	$49
   15	Michigan	$100,316	$48
   16	Indiana	$97,863	$47
   17	Illinois	$91,833	$44

   Average project engineer/software engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$179,951	$86.51	1,441
   2	Google	$161,293	$77.54	1,152
   3	In-Q-Tel	$145,425	$69.92	1
   4	Amazon	$144,013	$69.24	1,423
   5	Motion Recruitment	$131,705	$63.32	50
   6	Navistar	$130,043	$62.52	1
   7	HIROTEC AMERICA	$128,454	$61.76
   8	Persado	$128,038	$61.56
   9	Honeywell	$127,321	$61.21	136
   10	Aptiv	$127,052	$61.08	11
   11	CNH Industrial	$127,052	$61.08	9
   12	Pas	$127,052	$61.08
   13	Itential	$127,052	$61.08	2
   14	Arrive Logistics	$126,862	$60.99
   15	Markem-Imaje	$126,797	$60.96
   16	Faith Technologies, Inc.	$126,707	$60.92	8
   17	Hexagon Lincoln	$126,139	$60.64	4
   18	KBR	$124,621	$59.91	160
   19	TechnipFMC	$121,115	$58.23	5
   20	Stellartech Research	$117,493	$56.49

4. Writing a project engineer/software engineer job description

   A project engineer/software 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 project engineer/software engineer job description:

   Project engineer/software engineer job description example

   How brave are you? We are a high-tech company providing machine tools and laser technology, and are looking for people who can face new challenges with a fresh mind. As an independent family company, we offer you the freedom and trust to put your brave ideas into practice. With you on board, we would like to power ahead with the digital networking of the manufacturing industry. Our passion and creative drive ensure that we are an innovative force - across the globe at over 70 TRUMPF locations.
   
   The Software Support Engineer would be a part of the TRUMPF software group that focuses on Industry 4.0 software solutions for the next generation Smart Factory. The group is responsible to detail, implement and fully support Oseon, TruTops Fab, and programming software (including TruTops Boost and MetaCAM) solutions for TRUMPF customers
   Support TRUMPF's TruTops Oseon system & TruTops Boost programming software.
   Integration of software for next generation Smart Factory automation systems.
   Plan, implement & update software solutions at customer sites. Provide customer training.
   Assess process value chain and adapt TRUMPF software solutions to customer needs.
   Support customers with questions and troubleshooting over phone, email, and sometimes onsite.
   Communicate and coordinate with other teams working on the same project.
   Provide software support for in-house production at TRUMPF Smart Factory in Chicago area.
   Up to 50% travel for projects in USA, Canada and Mexico.
   
   Experience
   
   2 years experience in a Software Systems or Software Support Engineering position.
   Understanding of SQL as well as MS SQL Server, efficiency with Windows Server operating systems, knowledge of system networking, and familiarity with client-server software.
   Excellent presentation and communication skills.
   Experience with CAD/CAM programming software for machine tools is highly desirable.
   Understanding of ERP systems, as well as the integration process with the aforementioned software solutions is highly desirable.
   Knowledge of sheet metal manufacturing value stream and CNC machine technology desirable
   
   Education
   
   Bachelor's degree or higher in Information Systems, Industrial Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Science or related field.
   
   TRUMPF is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, disability, veteran status, or other protected class.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find project engineer/software engineers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your project engineer/software engineer job on Zippia to find and attract quality project engineer/software engineer candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit project engineer/software 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.

   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.

   Sometimes, it's not enough to interview project engineer/software engineer candidates, so you can ask them to do a test project. If you are not a technical person and don't know what a test project should be, you can use these websites:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   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 engineer/software engineer

   Once you've selected the best project engineer/software engineer candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new project engineer/software 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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