How to hire a senior stack engineer

How to hire a senior stack engineer, step by step

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

What does a senior stack engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

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

   Type of Senior Stack Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Stack 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.	$43-78
   Software Engineering Internship	A software engineer intern is responsible for assisting the technology department's operations, using their class knowledge on performing practical applications. Software engineer interns support software engineers on their processes, shadowing their daily tasks, and performing duties under mentors' supervision... Show more	$14-35
   Sales Engineering Manager	A sales engineering manager specializes in developing systems and procedures to optimize a company's sales operations, aiming for client satisfaction and profit growth. It is their duty to set goals and timelines, establish guidelines, manage different teams, research new business and client opportunities, gather and analyze data to identify the strengths and weaknesses of existing operations, develop sales strategies, and implement solutions against problem areas... Show more	$42-80

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Java
   • JavaScript
   • Python
   • AWS
   • Spring Boot
   • CSS
   • Front End
   • GIT
   • Html Css
   • UI
   • HTML
   • Continuous Integration
   • Microservices
   • Redux

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Co-Ordinate with DevOps team to manage and monitor servers on AWS EC2.
   • Work in a back and front-end WordPress environment to manage company blog content.
   • Manage a team of 5 UI engineers, providing tasking, tracking, and mentoring.
   • Manage technical investigations of software and database problems; coordinating between users and developers, and developing fixes or recommending workarounds.
   • Work on the front end development using JSP, HTML, CSS, JavaScript and AngularJS.
   • Used JavaScript task runners like grunt and gulp.

   More senior stack engineer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, senior stack engineers' average salary in arkansas is 42% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level senior stack engineers 45% less than senior-level senior stack engineers.
   • Certifications. A senior stack 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 senior stack engineer's salary.

   Average senior stack engineer salary

   $122,731yearly

   $59.01 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior stack engineer salary

   $91,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average senior stack engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$152,133	$73
   2	Washington	$137,267	$66
   3	District of Columbia	$133,690	$64
   4	Massachusetts	$128,503	$62
   5	Oregon	$125,172	$60
   6	New York	$123,642	$59
   7	Arizona	$123,176	$59
   8	New Jersey	$122,767	$59
   9	Texas	$121,898	$59
   10	Maryland	$121,807	$59
   11	Connecticut	$119,270	$57
   12	Utah	$116,969	$56
   13	Maine	$116,665	$56
   14	Virginia	$114,350	$55
   15	Delaware	$112,851	$54
   16	Pennsylvania	$111,839	$54
   17	Illinois	$111,817	$54
   18	Georgia	$111,792	$54
   19	Colorado	$110,415	$53
   20	North Carolina	$108,543	$52

   Average senior stack engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$184,406	$88.66	2
   2	Airbnb	$173,934	$83.62
   3	Netflix	$173,433	$83.38
   4	The Daily Muse	$171,472	$82.44
   5	Twitter	$170,119	$81.79	2
   6	Google	$167,646	$80.60	197
   7	Cloudflare	$166,528	$80.06	15
   8	Yelp	$165,808	$79.72
   9	Atlassian	$164,240	$78.96	12
   10	Reddit	$163,910	$78.80	10
   11	NerdWallet	$163,838	$78.77	4
   12	Safeway	$161,825	$77.80
   13	TikTok	$161,414	$77.60	52
   14	Waymo	$161,337	$77.57	64
   15	Bloomberg	$159,610	$76.74	191
   16	Evernote	$158,435	$76.17
   17	ZeroCater	$158,162	$76.04
   18	OpenGov	$157,658	$75.80
   19	New Relic	$157,058	$75.51	2
   20	Pinterest	$157,049	$75.50	4

4. Writing a senior stack engineer job description

   A senior stack 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a senior stack engineer job description:

   Senior stack engineer job description example

   The Full Stack Engineer for Database as a Service (DBaaS) role will be responsible for developing Citi's private database cloud, leveraging the latest web and cloud tech stacks. A successful applicant have experience with front and back end web technologies, CI/CD and containers. Database and infrastructure experience is a plus.
   Responsibilities:
   Engineer and implement back end components for Citi's private cloud. Expand and enhance existing functionality for Citi's DBaaS platform. Develop new front-end features and REST API endpoints using Angular and Sprint boot. Application tuning, performance optimization and maintenance
   
   Qualifications:
   Must have a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering or a related field with software engineering work experience. Experience with Spring Boot, Angular or similar technologies. Experience using databases such as Oracle, PostgreSQL or MongoDB is a plus. Understand all phases of software development, microservices design and development, relational and NoSQL DBs, APIs and containers. Agile development experience, preferably with Scrum. Ability to multi-task in a fast paced environment working with a global team.
   
   Job Family Group:
   Technology
   
   Job Family:
   Systems & Engineering
   
   Time Type:
   Full time
   
   Citi is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.
   
   Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.
   
   Citigroup Inc. and its subsidiaries ("Citi") invite all qualified interested applicants to apply for career opportunities. If you are a person with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation to use our search tools and/or apply for a career opportunity review Accessibility at Citi .
   
   View the " EEO is the Law " poster. View the EEO is the Law Supplement .
   
   View the EEO Policy Statement .
   
   View the Pay Transparency Posting
   
   Effective November 1, 2021, Citi requires that all successful applicants for positions located in the United States or Puerto Rico be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment and provide proof of such vaccination prior to commencement of employment.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right senior stack 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 senior stack engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit senior stack 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 senior stack 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 senior stack engineer

   Once you've found the senior stack 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 senior stack 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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