How to hire a staff mechanical engineer

How to hire a staff mechanical engineer, step by step

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

What does a staff mechanical engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the staff mechanical engineer you need to hire. Certain staff mechanical 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

   Hiring the perfect staff mechanical 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.

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

   Type of Staff Mechanical Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Staff Mechanical 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
   Equipment Engineer	The duties of an equipment engineer depend on one's organization or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around designing and developing mechanical and electronic equipment, analyzing and improving existing systems, performing customization according to customers' preferences, installing and removing attachments, and conducting regular maintenance procedures... Show more	$33-65
   Facility Engineer	A facilities engineer specializes in managing and maintaining equipment and machinery in manufacturing plants or similar settings. Duties will revolve around conducting research and analysis through extensive data and blueprints, evaluating systems using various reports, handling issues, providing corrective measures, and performing regular inspections and maintenance... Show more	$30-60

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CAD
   • Mechanical Design
   • Solidworks
   • FEA
   • Mechanical Systems
   • Product Development
   • Project Management
   • HVAC
   • GD
   • IDS
   • Plumbing
   • Ansys
   • CFD
   • Fire Protection

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the development, prototyping, and implementation of tools and processes for production.
   • Provide mechanical design and sustaining engineering expertise to troubleshoot manufacturing defect trends and achieve a more robust and producible product.
   • Solve heat transfer problems relate to air and liquid heat exchangers using ANSYS CFX and thermal calculations.
   • Obtain UL & CSA agency recognition.
   • Collaborate with program managers and senior engineers to complete HVAC designs.
   • Solve fluid mechanic problems using ANSYS CFX and mechanical stress problems using Pro/Mechanica.

   More staff mechanical engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your staff mechanical engineer job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A staff mechanical engineer salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, staff mechanical engineers' average salary in arkansas is 42% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level staff mechanical engineers earn 43% less than senior-level staff mechanical engineers.
   • Certifications. A staff mechanical engineer with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a staff mechanical engineer's salary.

   Average staff mechanical engineer salary

   $108,997yearly

   $52.40 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level staff mechanical engineer salary

   $82,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average staff mechanical engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$148,774	$72
   2	Massachusetts	$114,481	$55
   3	Maryland	$112,514	$54
   4	Arizona	$112,087	$54
   5	Oregon	$111,104	$53
   6	Colorado	$104,799	$50
   7	Virginia	$99,870	$48
   8	Tennessee	$96,872	$47
   9	Illinois	$95,363	$46
   10	Connecticut	$93,555	$45
   11	Texas	$90,396	$43
   12	Georgia	$89,970	$43
   13	Michigan	$88,467	$43
   14	Vermont	$87,204	$42
   15	Ohio	$87,107	$42
   16	Missouri	$86,596	$42
   17	Florida	$81,184	$39

   Average staff mechanical engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Rivian	$145,962	$70.17	39
   2	10x Genomics	$136,245	$65.50
   3	NIO	$135,135	$64.97	2
   4	Twist Bioscience	$134,080	$64.46
   5	Intuitive Surgical	$132,916	$63.90	18
   6	Tesla	$132,839	$63.86	1
   7	Futurewei Technologies	$128,737	$61.89
   8	Western Digital	$126,084	$60.62	20
   9	Lam Research	$120,410	$57.89	8
   10	Colonial Pipeline	$119,001	$57.21	2
   11	BD	$117,984	$56.72	6
   12	Renesas Electronics	$115,408	$55.48	13
   13	Bloom Energy	$113,515	$54.57	15
   14	Intel	$112,777	$54.22	44
   15	General Electric	$112,496	$54.08	290
   16	App Annie	$110,581	$53.16
   17	Altran Corporation	$110,353	$53.05
   18	Goodwin Recruiting	$109,682	$52.73	2
   19	Relativity	$109,556	$52.67	101
   20	Stratolaunch	$109,481	$52.64	8

4. Writing a staff mechanical engineer job description

   A job description for a staff mechanical engineer role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a staff mechanical engineer job description:

   Staff mechanical engineer job description example

   Introduction to Shield AI
   Shield AI's mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Shield AI is a fast growing, venture-backed defense-technology company built around a team of proven executives, distinguished warfighters, and world-class AI engineers. Since 2018, Shield AI's products and people have supported operations around the world with the US Department of Defense and our allies. Most recently, we acquired Heron Systems and Martin UAV as wholly owned subsidiaries of Shield AI. Join our team and shape the future of artificially intelligent systems.
   
   As a Staff Engineer - Mechanical, you will be responsible for leading mechanical design and development projects for Shield AI's autonomous UAV products. You will follow a rigorous design process, as you innovate, prototype, test, and release creative design solutions. You will lead cross-functional teams to ensure the successful development and launch of new products. You will be expected to exemplify technical excellence and be accountable for your work.
   Required qualifications:B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent. 8-12 years of relevant experience in mechanical or electro-mechanical product development. Advanced CAD skill Working knowledge of FEA principles Familiarity with common manufacturing processes Exceptional written and verbal communication You have a demonstrated record of working hard, being a trustworthy teammate, holding yourself and others to high standards, and being kind to others The ability to obtain and maintain a US Secret Security Clearance. US Citizenship is required as only US Citizens are eligible for a security clearance.
   Preferred qualifications:M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent. Experience with aircraft fabrication, assembly, or modification Experience designing tooling and fixtures for carbon composite assembly manufacturing Experience with aircraft range/payload and endurance predictions Experience with aircraft weight and balance tracking Experience with FEM modeling of loads and structural elements Experience with CFD modeling of aircraft and subsystems Experience with production manufacturing techniques for aerospace Understanding of GD&T Effectively manage multiple priorities and deadlines
   #LI-TJ1
   
   If you're interested in being part of our team, apply now!
   
   Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.
   
   To conform to U.S. Government regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find staff mechanical engineers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your staff mechanical engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit staff mechanical engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting staff mechanical 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.

   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 mechanical engineer

   Once you've selected the best staff mechanical engineer candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the 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 staff mechanical 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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How much does it cost to hire a staff mechanical engineer?