How to hire a staff engineer

How to hire a staff engineer, step by step

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

What does a staff engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a staff engineer, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   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 staff 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 staff engineer that fits the bill.

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

   Type of Staff Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Staff 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.	$33-80
   Research And Development Engineer	Research and development engineers generally execute research and tests on product ideas, develop new products, and perform redesigns. They are employed in many industries, including manufacturing, electrical, and science-based companies... Show more	$35-64
   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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Java
   • Python
   • Architecture
   • Software Development
   • Project Management
   • API
   • CAD
   • Linux
   • Product Development
   • Data Analysis
   • Windows
   • System Design
   • Microservices
   • JavaScript

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage complete design flow: schematic creation, layout design, PCB fabrication, parts procurement and assembly.
   • Develop and manage technical procedures for quality control to comply with ISO laboratory accreditation.
   • Implement a process for reusing SilverStream Java custom reports and UI code on a ColdFusion server saving 1.5 man-years of development.
   • Develop and document communication stack API, enabling parallel development of third-party stack and UI interface.
   • Participate in relocating network infrastructure, server farm, network monitoring and IP telephony to another data center.
   • Web pages contain HTML and JavaScript.

   More staff engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your staff engineer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A staff 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 staff engineer in Florida may be lower than in California, and an entry-level staff engineer usually earns less than a senior-level staff engineer. Additionally, a staff 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 staff engineer salary

   $107,530yearly

   $51.70 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level staff engineer salary

   $69,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 24, 2025

   Average staff engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$129,368	$62
   2	Arizona	$100,770	$48
   3	Massachusetts	$99,733	$48
   4	District of Columbia	$99,574	$48
   5	Maine	$97,894	$47
   6	Maryland	$90,790	$44
   7	Washington	$88,898	$43
   8	Oregon	$87,105	$42
   9	Colorado	$84,885	$41
   10	New York	$84,245	$41
   11	Virginia	$82,511	$40
   12	Texas	$82,385	$40
   13	New Jersey	$81,990	$39
   14	Illinois	$81,590	$39
   15	Minnesota	$80,607	$39
   16	Michigan	$78,723	$38
   17	North Carolina	$78,190	$38
   18	Indiana	$74,315	$36
   19	Ohio	$71,651	$34
   20	Georgia	$71,065	$34

   Average staff engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Flexport	$194,299	$93.41	14
   2	Lyft	$193,083	$92.83	16
   3	Google	$188,316	$90.54	868
   4	The Walt Disney Company	$185,722	$89.29	276
   5	eBay	$182,983	$87.97	33
   6	Grubhub	$182,839	$87.90	2
   7	Instacart	$182,325	$87.66	38
   8	Twitter	$182,246	$87.62	8
   9	Zenefits	$178,768	$85.95
   10	Eventbrite	$176,672	$84.94
   11	Reddit	$175,857	$84.55	38
   12	VMware	$175,666	$84.45	1
   13	Medallia	$175,060	$84.16
   14	Uber Technologies	$175,027	$84.15	2
   15	TripActions	$174,882	$84.08
   16	HBO	$173,852	$83.58
   17	PayPal	$170,797	$82.11	50
   18	Apple	$170,020	$81.74	1,022
   19	Box	$169,455	$81.47	3
   20	Minted	$169,389	$81.44	2

4. Writing a staff engineer job description

   A staff 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 staff engineer job description:

   Staff engineer job description example

   The Infatuation is hiring a Staff Engineer for Platform to help drive decisions on authentication, database design and application programming interface (API). Candidates for this role should have a strong intuition and drive on how to intentionally design and improve relationships between systems and technology.
   Primary responsibilities:
   Lead thetechnical design, implementation, and iteration of systems, while contributing directly to codebase Work closely with the Engineering Manager to help maintain System Roadmap and improve the development process Actively participate in peer code reviews while upholding a principled and high standard of code quality Make architecture and software design decisions to drive consistent, reliable delivery of product requirements Mentor and motivate the software development team to meet delivery goals and objectives
   Required skills:
   Extensive experience writing in a statically typed programming language Demonstrable knowledge establishing robust and scalable production systems using CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure as code, and monitoring in a cloud environment Demonstrable knowledge of web architecture patterns such as API design, data pipelines and design patterns Proven leadership experience in a distributed, multi-disciplinary software development team in an Agile environment Ability to work in a hybrid environment with three days in the office per week Experience with Golang, Postgres (SQL)/GORM, Kubernetes/Docker, Google Cloud Platform, ElasticSearch, or GraphQL preferred Bachelor's Degree in computer science or related field preferred
   
   JPMorgan Chase & Co., one of the oldest financial institutions, offers innovative financial solutions to millions of consumers, small businesses and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under the J.P. Morgan and Chase brands. Our history spans over 200 years and today we are a leader in investment banking, consumer and small business banking, commercial banking, financial transaction processing and asset management.
   
   We recognize that our people are our strength and the diverse talents they bring to our global workforce are directly linked to our success. We are an equal opportunity employer and place a high value on diversity and inclusion at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute, including race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital or veteran status, pregnancy or disability, or any other basis protected under applicable law. In accordance with applicable law, we make reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as any mental health or physical disability needs.
   
   The health and safety of our colleagues, candidates, clients and communities has been a top priority in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. JPMorgan Chase was awarded the "WELL Health-Safety Rating" for all of our 6,200 locations globally based on our operational policies, maintenance protocols, stakeholder engagement and emergency plans to address a post-COVID-19 environment.
   
   As a part of our commitment to health and safety, we have implemented various COVID-related health and safety requirements for our workforce. Employees are expected to follow the Firm's current COVID-19 or other infectious disease health and safety requirements, including local requirements. Requirements include sharing information including your vaccine card in the firm's vaccine record tool, and may include mask wearing. Requirements may change in the future with the evolving public health landscape. JPMorgan Chase will consider accommodation requests as required by applicable law.
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veterans

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5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with staff engineer candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of 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.

   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 staff engineer

   Once you've decided on a perfect staff 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 also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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 staff engineer?