How to hire a radio frequency engineer

How to hire a radio frequency engineer, step by step

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

What does a radio frequency engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your radio frequency engineer job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a radio frequency engineer for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

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

   Here's a comparison of radio frequency engineer salaries for various roles:

   Type of Radio Frequency Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Radio Frequency Engineer	Electrical engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the manufacturing of electrical equipment, such as electric motors, radar and navigation systems, communications systems, and power generation equipment. Electronics engineers design and develop electronic equipment, such as broadcast and communications systems—from portable music players to global positioning systems (GPSs).	$32-55
   Controls Designer	Controls designers both design and draft systems of hydraulic, pneumatic, and electrical controls for equipment and machines. The designers make diagrams of the logic system for timing and sequence control... Show more	$33-58
   Electrical Designer	An electrical designer designs and develops electrical circuit and system layouts for electric power distribution. The responsibilities of an electrical designer include assembling electrical panels and leading a team of document control personnel in-charged to identify and organize facility maintenance drawings... Show more	$22-42

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Test Equipment
   • Antenna
   • System Performance
   • System Design
   • Troubleshoot
   • Macro
   • PCB
   • Post Processing
   • GPS
   • Interference
   • Power Meters
   • Transmitters
   • LTE
   • Switches

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage joint projects together with Samsung, Motorola, etc.
   • Lead the development of the security layer of Wi-Fi on Sandbridge's proprietary platform.
   • Assist with live broadcasts, update the community calendar, manage WCJW Facebook page.
   • Process improvement efforts and/or other opportunities to automate these processes with computer applications with C++ and/or Java where applicable.
   • Measure stationary test for DL and UL throughput using iPerf.
   • Advance WLAN troubleshooting on WLAN infrastructures, as well as surveying using AirMagnet.

   More radio frequency engineer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average radio frequency engineer salary

   $88,301yearly

   $42.45 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level radio frequency engineer salary

   $67,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average radio frequency engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$110,838	$53
   2	Maryland	$98,110	$47
   3	Virginia	$96,858	$47
   4	Washington	$96,000	$46
   5	Arizona	$95,816	$46
   6	Texas	$91,445	$44
   7	Colorado	$90,428	$43
   8	New Jersey	$89,751	$43
   9	Nevada	$89,738	$43
   10	Michigan	$89,557	$43
   11	Alabama	$87,674	$42
   12	Florida	$83,657	$40
   13	Pennsylvania	$82,293	$40
   14	Illinois	$82,049	$39
   15	Kansas	$79,652	$38
   16	Indiana	$78,746	$38
   17	Georgia	$78,563	$38
   18	North Carolina	$77,081	$37
   19	New York	$76,270	$37

   Average radio frequency engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$134,270	$64.55	159
   2	Apple	$129,737	$62.37	231
   3	Google	$126,902	$61.01	76
   4	Amazon	$122,199	$58.75	303
   5	Luxim	$121,360	$58.35
   6	Applied Materials	$120,079	$57.73	25
   7	Arrow Electronics	$116,624	$56.07	7
   8	Koch Industries	$115,841	$55.69
   9	NVIDIA	$114,203	$54.91	66
   10	GoPro	$112,917	$54.29
   11	Fitbit	$112,717	$54.19
   12	Palo Alto Networks	$109,716	$52.75	2
   13	Silicon Labs	$109,694	$52.74	1
   14	Infineon Technologies	$109,552	$52.67
   15	Finisar	$109,394	$52.59
   16	Synaptics	$109,366	$52.58	1
   17	Texas Instruments	$108,660	$52.24	21
   18	Netgear	$107,621	$51.74
   19	Renesas Electronics	$107,106	$51.49	10
   20	MaxLinear	$106,600	$51.25	5

4. Writing a radio frequency engineer job description

   A good radio frequency engineer 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 radio frequency engineer job description:

   Radio frequency engineer job description example

   Responsibilities

   • Technical advisement, planning, and guidance on R&D programs supporting Radar technologies.
   • Technical evaluation, development, integration and testing of various Payloads.
   • Analyze project requests, proposals, or engineering data to determine feasibility, productibility, cost, or production time.
   • Review performance reports and documentation from customers and field engineers and inspect malfunctioning or damaged products to determine problem.
   • Develop design criteria for products or systems, including testing methods, production costs, quality standards, and completion dates.
   • Formulate mathematical models or other methods of computer analysis to develop, evaluate, or modify design, according to customer engineering requirements.
   • Technical briefings to the customer and various symposiums.
   • Perform technical evaluation, development, integration and testing of the next generation Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) systems for the Guardrail platform.
   • Collaboration with other DoD services on Open Architecture Technology in support of current and future platforms - Open VPX, Software Defined Radios, etc.
   • Perform data analysis and characterization of airborne Radars, to include next generation systems for the Army.

   Qualifications

   • Requires 12 to 15 years of Engineering experience in Aerial ISR, SIGINT, RF and Radar with BS/BA or 10 to 13 years' experience with MS/MA.

   Peraton Overview

   Peraton drives missions of consequence spanning the globe and extending to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. As the world's leading mission capability integrator and transformative enterprise IT provider, we deliver trusted and highly differentiated national security solutions and technologies that keep people safe and secure. Peraton serves as a valued partner to essential government agencies across the intelligence, space, cyber, defense, civilian, health, and state and local markets. Every day, our employees do the can't be done, solving the most daunting challenges facing our customers.

   An Equal Opportunity Employer including Disability/Veteran.

   For Colorado Residents Colorado Salary Minimum: $96,500
   Colorado Salary Maximum: $233,900
   
   The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position, and is just one component of Peraton's total compensation package for employees. Other rewards may include annual bonuses, short- and long-term incentives, and program-specific awards. In addition, Peraton provides a variety of benefits to employees.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right radio frequency 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 radio frequency engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit radio frequency engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit radio frequency 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 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 radio frequency engineer

   Once you've decided on a perfect radio frequency 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 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.

   To prepare for the new radio frequency engineer 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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How much does it cost to hire a radio frequency engineer?