How to hire a project sales engineer

How to hire a project sales engineer, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The project sales 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 project sales engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, project 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 presents project sales engineer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Project Sales Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Project Sales Engineer	Sales 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.	$29-61
   Field Applications Engineer	The 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
   Application Engineer	An application engineer is responsible for creating and re-designing system applications based on clients' specifications and sales demands. Application engineers run diagnostic tests on software programs, identify areas of improvement, install necessary updates, upgrade optimization, revise system codes, and provide technical support for customers' needs... Show more	$33-60

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • HVAC
   • Retrofit
   • CRM
   • Technical Support
   • Product Development
   • Engineering Design
   • Project Management
   • Business Development
   • Sales Presentations
   • R
   • Extrusion
   • Control Systems
   • Sales Support
   • Product Knowledge

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage inbound domestic and international logistics and domestic shipping with respect to carrier selection, forwarding, brokering and expediting.
   • Skil in designing industrial HVAC systems, flow diagrams, and modifying new requirements.
   • Market HVAC products to various engineers & contractors by consistently visiting their offices and conducting presentations.
   • Develop project estimates, schedules, and proposals base on the information provide in the RFP.
   • Web development in tandem with developers, including work flow management, page design, and testing for in-home web-base CRM.
   • Create comprehensive compiler documentation supporting Linux and Unix versions.

   More project sales engineer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average project sales engineer salary

   $89,563yearly

   $43.06 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level project sales engineer salary

   $62,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average project sales engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Virginia	$114,724	$55
   2	Texas	$112,151	$54
   3	Illinois	$107,751	$52
   4	California	$102,217	$49
   5	Ohio	$92,799	$45
   6	Florida	$91,405	$44
   7	Wisconsin	$90,965	$44
   8	Georgia	$87,754	$42
   9	North Carolina	$85,536	$41
   10	Pennsylvania	$76,160	$37
   11	Washington	$75,888	$36
   12	Michigan	$74,733	$36
   13	Indiana	$72,149	$35
   14	Kansas	$71,081	$34
   15	Kentucky	$69,532	$33
   16	Missouri	$67,965	$33

   Average project sales engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	AAEON	$108,314	$52.07
   2	Lenovo	$100,164	$48.16
   3	Wartsila Holding Inc	$91,952	$44.21
   4	Saft America Inc	$89,534	$43.05	1
   5	HCS Holdings Inc	$88,902	$42.74
   6	MULTIVAC, Inc.	$88,902	$42.74
   7	Randstad North America, Inc.	$88,803	$42.69	4
   8	Phoenix Contact	$88,568	$42.58	75
   9	Mazak	$87,493	$42.06
   10	MAG	$85,298	$41.01
   11	EMCOR Group	$84,102	$40.43	48
   12	All•Tech	$82,567	$39.70
   13	Johnson Controls	$78,815	$37.89	14
   14	Crane Co.	$78,276	$37.63	10

4. Writing a project sales engineer job description

   A job description for a project sales engineer role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a project sales engineer job description:

   Project sales engineer job description example

   McClure Company has been voted one of the best companies to work for in Pennsylvania, consecutively, since 2009!
   
   We have 100% paid for medical, dental & vision benefits for employees and eligible dependents! Check out our other great benefits at www.mcclureco.com/careers!:
   HVAC Service Project Sales Engineer Job Summary::
   This position is responsible for the development, estimation, design coordination, sale, project management, and close-out of HVAC and plumbing related projects.
   
   HVAC Service Project Sales Engineer Essential Functions::
   - Build rapport with existing client base to facilitate new project opportunities
   - Perform calculations, duct sizing, pipe sizing and equipment selection to resolve customer needs
   - Understand various plumbing and mechanical codes such as ASHRAE, SMACNA, NFPA
   - Apply formulas for HVAC calculations such as air changes per hour, OA load and BTU conversion
   - Create custom solutions to directly address complex customer issues
   - Provide scope, budgets and estimates for projects
   - Manage and coordinate field labor to ensure project success
   - Coordinate and manage subcontractors for timely delivery of scope items
   - As necessary create drawings for field personnel to work from
   - Act as technical expert for both internal and external customers
   - Establish industry contacts that lead to sales
   - Develop sales and marketing proposals for customer on technical products and services
   - Act to close deals and finalize contracts
   - Maintain up-to-date understanding of industry trends and technical developments
   - Other duties as assigned
   
   HVAC Service Project Sales Engineer: experience, technical skills & attributes required:
   - Five to Ten (5-10) years of experience recommended
   - Understanding of HVAC/R and Plumbing including
   - Clean rooms, industrial applications, chiller & boilers, BMS controls, system design
   - Understanding of CAD drawings and takeoffs
   - Professional, dynamic presence and ability to communicate with people of all levels
   - Excellent written and verbal skills at technical and professional level
   - Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with quotas and goals
   - Basic computer and keyboarding skills
   
   Authorization to work in the United States indefinitely without restriction or sponsorship
   
   Position is full-time Monday - Friday
   
   McClure Company is an Equal opportunity employer. This Company considers candidates regardless of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.
   
   IND123

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit project 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 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 project sales engineer

   Once you've found the project 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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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