How to hire a software design engineer

How to hire a software design engineer, step by step

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

What does a software design engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the software design engineer you need to hire. Certain software design engineer roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a software design engineer to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a software design engineer that fits the bill.

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

   Type of Software Design Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Software Design Engineer	Software developers are the creative minds behind computer programs. Some develop the applications that allow people to do specific tasks on a computer or another device... Show more	$35-62
   Software Analyst	A software analyst is responsible for creating and designing software programs and applications, as well as modifying existing ones for optimization according to business requirements. Software analysts work with the technical team to draw system codes, analyze programming languages, and ensure the stability and efficiency of software navigation by running multiple quality checks to the system... Show more	$29-47
   Computer Engineer	A computer engineer is someone who examines, designs, and manages computer hardware and software systems. He/She or she helps in solving issues or any concerns that may occur with the computer's hardware and software as well as assists in the innovation of computer technology... Show more	$33-63

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Software Development
   • Python
   • Software Design
   • Java
   • Linux
   • GIT
   • Azure
   • C
   • C++
   • Database
   • Object Oriented Programming
   • Web Services
   • UI
   • Scrum

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Fabricate style sheets to manage the look-and-feel of the site using CSS, bootstrap and XML.
   • Work on HMI (including both GUI and SUI) apps for shell menu and device manage app.
   • Contribute to implementing microservices used to manage entities and maintain a synchronize state between supplier and distributor.
   • Code are developed under Linux using C++.
   • Develop and invent a tool to auto-generate HTML for hypertext navigation of the XML source code for ADT.
   • Participate in the design architecture, documentation, development, and testing using C++ on a UNIX base system.

   More software design engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your software design engineer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A software design engineer salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a software design engineer in Wyoming may be lower than in California, and an entry-level software design engineer usually earns less than a senior-level software design engineer. Additionally, a software design engineer with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average software design engineer salary

   $98,799yearly

   $47.50 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level software design engineer salary

   $74,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average software design engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$127,960	$62
   2	Washington	$107,075	$51
   3	Oregon	$102,292	$49
   4	New York	$95,718	$46
   5	Arizona	$93,269	$45
   6	Virginia	$91,699	$44
   7	Texas	$90,696	$44
   8	Minnesota	$90,670	$44
   9	Maryland	$89,385	$43
   10	District of Columbia	$89,073	$43
   11	Michigan	$86,464	$42
   12	Wisconsin	$83,767	$40
   13	North Dakota	$83,745	$40
   14	Ohio	$82,748	$40
   15	North Carolina	$82,100	$39
   16	Illinois	$80,669	$39
   17	Alabama	$80,489	$39
   18	Utah	$77,699	$37
   19	Nebraska	$75,053	$36
   20	Georgia	$72,807	$35

   Average software design engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apple	$138,720	$66.69	967
   2	Google	$136,186	$65.47	871
   3	Dolby Laboratories	$128,123	$61.60
   4	Barnes & Noble	$123,980	$59.61	7
   5	Animoto	$121,975	$58.64
   6	Playground Global	$120,849	$58.10
   7	Health Nucleus	$120,012	$57.70
   8	Expedia Group	$119,400	$57.40	64
   9	Microsoft	$118,873	$57.15	868
   10	Broadcom	$118,495	$56.97	130
   11	Thoughtworks	$118,058	$56.76	1
   12	PMC-Sierra	$117,928	$56.70
   13	Stryker	$117,771	$56.62	70
   14	STMicroelectronics	$117,444	$56.46
   15	ServiceNow	$116,906	$56.20	78
   16	Texas Instruments	$116,862	$56.18	41
   17	PlayStation	$116,675	$56.09	47
   18	Amgen	$116,432	$55.98	7
   19	Microsemi	$115,210	$55.39
   20	Cloudera	$114,581	$55.09	6

4. Writing a software design engineer job description

   A software design 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 software design engineer job description:

   Software design engineer job description example

   Beyond Limits is seeking a high-energy, creative, and passionate Software Engineer to join our Front-End Design & Engineering team. This entails working with all aspects of front-end design and implementation, interfacing with cutting-edge A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) technologies. As part of the front-end development team, you will build complex UI/UX features and components that bridge the user interface with our back-end processing pipelines and Web APIs. This role has exposure to many different technologies and business verticals creating huge room for learning and professional growth.
   Job Duties/Responsibilities
   Work with the UX designers to understand requirements and build front-end web application components and applications Design and build web applications written in a variety of front-end technologies, including building of reusable UI components in a modularized manner Collaborate in an agile manner with engineers, data scientists, product owners and other cross-functional teams to deliver compelling UI/UX functionality Design new or leverage existing ways to visualize and plot complex multi-dimensional data sets Develop high-performance JavaScript-based front-end functionality using modern design patterns Establish and adhere to best practices in Design Thinking and User-Centric principles
   Minimum Qualifications
   5+ years of applied front-end engineering and design experience B.S. or M.S. in Computer Science or a related degree Proficiency with client-side JavaScript frameworks, preferably React Strong knowledge of wide-ranging front-end technologies Solid understanding of software design and architecture Experience working with data-driven systems and RESTful services Proficiency in performance tuning and profiling of JavaScript code Professional experience developing web applications with HTML, DOM, CSS, JavaScript A strong problem-solver mentality, and an intense curiosity about all things technology
   Preferred Qualifications
   2+ years of direct hands-on React experience Experience with source control and unit test development Visual design skills and tools proficiency with Adobe Sketch, Illustrator, Photoshop, InVision, or Figma Technical ability to translate placeholder designs into engineered reality Please note: This position is located in our Glendale, CA headquarters and is eligible to participate in the company's hybrid 3/2 work model.
   
   About Beyond Limits
   
   Beyond Limits is a pioneering Artificial Intelligence engineering company creating advanced software solutions that go beyond conventional AI. Founded in 2014 with a legacy in space exploration, Beyond Limits is transforming proven technologies from Caltech and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory into advanced AI solutions, hardened to industrial strength, and put to work for forward-looking companies on earth. We leverage this unparalleled innovation portfolio, along with proprietary cognitive technologies, to help companies solve tough, complex, mission-critical problems and transform their business. We apply a unique hybrid approach to AI, combining numeric AI techniques like machine learning with higher order symbolic AI and expert human knowledge to deliver intuitive cognitive reasoning and information. Our cognitive computing technology mimics human thought processes and provides explainable reasoning to aid human-like decision-making.
   
   Beyond Limits provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Beyond Limits complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
   
   Beyond Limits expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of Beyond Limit's employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right software design 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 software design engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit software design 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.

   To find software design engineer candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit software design 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   If your interviews with software design engineer applicants aren't enough to make a decision, you should also consider including a test project. These are often the best, most straightforward, and least bias-prone ways of determining who will likely succeed in the role. If you don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   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 software design engineer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the software design 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 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new software design 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.)

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