How to hire a research engineer

How to hire a research engineer, step by step

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

What does a research engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

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

   Type of Research Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Research Engineer	Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest engineering disciplines. Mechanical engineers design, develop, build, and test mechanical and thermal sensors and devices, including tools, engines, and machines.	$32-66
   Product Development Engineer	A Product Development Engineer is responsible for creating and testing new product designs. They collaborate with market researchers to evaluate market needs, existing competition, and potential costs.	$30-54
   Mechanical Design Engineer	A mechanical design engineer specializes in designing various mechanical devices that will be vital in developing machinery or large structures. One of their primary responsibilities revolves around conducting thorough research and analysis, establishing layouts and prototypes, producing progress reports, and working alongside fellow engineers and skilled professionals... Show more	$28-46

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Python
   • Java
   • Software Development
   • C
   • C++
   • Data Analysis
   • Research Projects
   • Linux
   • Technical Reports
   • Data Collection
   • Prototyping
   • System Design
   • R
   • Windows

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead and organize the whole system debugging, test, and integration.
   • Prepare research proposals for the synthesis of small molecules to attain designate department goals.
   • Lead a team of software QA test engineers in the prioritization and assignment of tasks and the solving of technical problems.
   • Develop several LabVIEW applications used for data acquisition and logging.
   • Balance multiple embed system design and prototyping projects relate to jet engine diagnostics and prognostics.
   • Utilize high dexterity to assemble fuel cell hardware.

   More research engineer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, research engineers' average salary in kansas is 52% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level research engineers 51% less than senior-level research engineers.
   • Certifications. A research 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 research engineer's salary.

   Average research engineer salary

   $96,945yearly

   $46.61 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level research engineer salary

   $67,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 23, 2025

   Average research engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$133,556	$64
   2	Washington	$117,302	$56
   3	New York	$104,058	$50
   4	Massachusetts	$96,168	$46
   5	Oregon	$95,314	$46
   6	Maryland	$93,702	$45
   7	Pennsylvania	$89,699	$43
   8	Virginia	$88,070	$42
   9	Michigan	$83,932	$40
   10	Arizona	$83,653	$40
   11	Texas	$83,148	$40
   12	Illinois	$80,506	$39
   13	Indiana	$76,817	$37
   14	Wisconsin	$75,944	$37
   15	Ohio	$75,870	$36
   16	Georgia	$71,763	$35
   17	South Carolina	$71,126	$34
   18	Kansas	$59,743	$29

   Average research engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	The Citadel	$169,510	$81.50	11
   2	Meta	$154,091	$74.08	922
   3	ByteDance	$152,450	$73.29	6
   4	Google	$144,689	$69.56	245
   5	Apple	$144,645	$69.54	499
   6	Houzz	$143,428	$68.96	1
   7	Zoox	$141,291	$67.93	44
   8	Waymo	$140,521	$67.56	62
   9	Microsoft	$138,588	$66.63	358
   10	StumbleUpon	$138,437	$66.56
   11	PayPal	$138,050	$66.37	12
   12	Amazon	$137,023	$65.88	556
   13	eBay	$136,678	$65.71	12
   14	Cornerstone Research	$135,882	$65.33
   15	Neuralink IT Solutions	$134,959	$64.88	7
   16	Didi Chuxing	$133,974	$64.41
   17	Fitbit	$133,939	$64.39
   18	Palo Alto Networks	$133,933	$64.39	83
   19	Cloudflare	$133,797	$64.33	11
   20	Gracenote	$131,816	$63.37

4. Writing a research engineer job description

   A research 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 research engineer job description:

   Research engineer job description example

   Want to research and develop improvements to the core algorithms that power the Netflix product and business experience? Our Growth and Notifications Algorithms Engineering team is looking for passionate and talented applied machine learning experts to lead the way by researching and developing the next generation of algorithms used to drive the Netflix experience. The personalization systems we build drive key product and business areas including notifications, marketing, acquisition, payment and many other key user experiences.
   
   In this role, you will conduct applied research by conceptualizing, designing, implementing, and validating potential algorithmic improvements. This includes running offline experiments and building online A/B tests to run in production systems. To be successful in this role, you need a strong machine learning background, solid software development skills, a love of learning, and to collaborate well in multi-disciplinary teams. You will need to exhibit strong communication and leadership skills, an ability to set priorities, and an execution focus in a dynamic environment.
   
   If you are ready to make a difference at a company that matters, and if you want to work on machine learning and data in a company that strongly believes in both, then we would love to talk to you.
   For more details about what we are working on, read these blog posts.
   
   To learn more about our research work, you can visit our research page here.
   
   What we are looking for:Experience in successfully applying machine learning to large-scale user-facing real world problems Strong mathematical skills with knowledge of statistical methods Strong software development experience in languages such as Scala, Java, Python, C++ or C#Great interpersonal skills PhD or MS in Computer Science, Statistics, or related field
   Preferred, but not required, additional areas of experience:Experience in Recommendation Systems, Personalization, Search, Computational Advertising or Natural Language Processing Experience using Deep Learning, Bandits, Probabilistic Graphical Models, or Reinforcement Learning in real applications Experience in optimization algorithms and numerical computation Experience with Spark, TensorFlow, Keras, and PyTorchExperience with cloud computing platforms and large web-scale distributed systems Open source contributions
   Netflix's culture is an integral part of what makes us successful, and we approach diversity and inclusion seriously and thoughtfully. We are an equal opportunity employer and celebrate diversity, recognizing that bringing together different perspectives and backgrounds helps build stronger teams. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right research engineer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with research engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit research engineers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your research engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit research 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 research 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.

   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 research engineer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the research engineer position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new research engineer. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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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How much does it cost to hire a research engineer?