How to hire a senior engineer

How to hire a senior engineer, step by step

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

What does a senior engineer do?

Post a senior engineer job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The senior 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

   Hiring the perfect senior engineer also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of senior engineers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Senior Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior 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.	$39-69
   Lead Design Engineer	A Lead Design Engineer produces design solutions that can be purchased, installed, and commissioned effectively. They are also responsible for the cost-effectiviness and safety of new designs.	$39-68
   Management Engineer	A management engineer specializes in designing and developing systems to optimize business or establishment procedures. Their duties typically revolve around coordinating with various departments to obtain necessary data, conducting observations and inspections to determine the strengths and weaknesses of existing processes, executing maintenance checks to ensure the efficiency of services, and performing research and analysis to come up with the ideal solutions... Show more	$31-60

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Java
   • Python
   • Architecture
   • JavaScript
   • API
   • GIT
   • Windows
   • Linux
   • SR
   • Azure
   • Project Management
   • UI
   • Troubleshoot
   • CSS

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Tune the TCP/IP, NFS and CIFS for 1Gb and 10Gb Ethernet to achieve performance goals.
   • Manage multiple releases of a global CRM initiative with on time and within budget deployment.
   • Implement and support migration tool used to automate promotion of code throughout all SDLC environments.
   • Manage & lead process analysis, design, & ERP implementation engagements at various client locations.
   • Design, lead design, or participate in design of five T/R modules for phase array antennas.
   • Create customized shell scripts to start-up and shut-down WebLogic admin and manage servers and integrate them with the OS.

   More senior engineer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average senior engineer salary

   $108,743yearly

   $52.28 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior engineer salary

   $82,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 22, 2025

   Average senior engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$138,997	$67
   2	Washington	$128,657	$62
   3	Arizona	$118,050	$57
   4	District of Columbia	$116,661	$56
   5	Oregon	$114,031	$55
   6	Massachusetts	$109,190	$53
   7	New York	$106,579	$51
   8	Texas	$105,476	$51
   9	Utah	$102,054	$49
   10	Colorado	$100,547	$48
   11	Virginia	$100,514	$48
   12	Maine	$99,650	$48
   13	Illinois	$98,649	$47
   14	Georgia	$94,926	$46
   15	Minnesota	$94,693	$46
   16	Pennsylvania	$93,536	$45
   17	Michigan	$92,995	$45
   18	Florida	$92,718	$45
   19	Nebraska	$89,396	$43
   20	North Carolina	$89,291	$43

   Average senior engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Roku	$177,138	$85.16	22
   2	Airbnb	$175,215	$84.24	8
   3	Flexport	$169,754	$81.61	15
   4	Thrive Global	$168,746	$81.13
   5	Twitter	$167,941	$80.74	10
   6	Netflix	$167,093	$80.33	25
   7	ByteDance	$164,582	$79.13	17
   8	Lyft	$163,374	$78.55	12
   9	Google	$162,550	$78.15	869
   10	eBay	$161,479	$77.63	43
   11	StubHub	$161,268	$77.53	95
   12	Flipboard	$160,524	$77.17
   13	CrowdStrike	$160,070	$76.96	57
   14	Reddit	$159,811	$76.83	39
   15	Strava	$158,234	$76.07	8
   16	Shyp	$157,772	$75.85
   17	Credit Karma	$157,270	$75.61	2
   18	Microsoft	$157,257	$75.60	1,106
   19	Anaplan	$156,566	$75.27	6
   20	Eventbrite	$156,352	$75.17

4. Writing a senior engineer job description

   A good senior 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 senior engineer job description:

   Senior engineer job description example

   •10+ years Developer experience

   •Meet DoD 8570 IAT Level II requirements including one of the following: Security+ CE, CND, SSCP, GSEC, GICSP, CySA+, or CCNA

   Required Skills:

   •Experience deploying and managing RedHat Open Shift in a cloud environment

   •Experience with Amazon Web Services

   •Python framework and Shell scripting

   •Linux distributions: RedHat, CentOS

   •CI/CD orchestration tools: GitLab CI, Jenkins

   •Experience with one or more Javascript Frameworks (React, Angular, JQuery)

   •Serverless and Microservice development

   •Container technology: Docker, Kubernetes, and Cloud Native Computing Foundation ecosystem in general

   Desired Certifications:

   •Red Hat Certified Specialist in OpenShift

   •Amazon SAP on AWS

   #Rover

   Scheduled Weekly Hours:

   40

   Travel Required:

   None

   Telecommuting Options:

   Hybrid

   Work Location:

   USA VA Springfield

   Additional Work Locations:

   USA MO St. LouisCOVID-19 Vaccination: GDIT does not have a vaccination mandate applicable to all employees. To protect the health and safety of its employees and to comply with customer requirements, however, GDIT may require employees in certain positions to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Vaccination requirements will depend on the status of the federal contractor mandate and customer site requirements.We are GDIT. The people supporting some of the most complex government, defense, and intelligence projects across the country. We deliver. Bringing the expertise needed to understand and advance critical missions. We transform. Shifting the ways clients invest in, integrate, and innovate technology solutions. We ensure today is safe and tomorrow is smarter. We are there. On the ground, beside our clients, in the lab, and everywhere in between. Offering the technology transformations, strategy, and mission services needed to get the job done.GDIT is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status, or any other protected class.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting senior engineers 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.

   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 senior engineer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the senior 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.

   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 senior 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a senior engineer?