How to hire a staff programmer

How to hire a staff programmer, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The staff programmer 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 staff programmer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, staff programmers 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.

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

   Type of Staff Programmer	Description	Hourly rate
   Staff Programmer	Computer programmers write and test code that allows computer applications and software programs to function properly. They turn the program designs created by software developers and engineers into instructions that a computer can follow.	$40-71
   Sap/Abap Developer	An SAP/ABAP developer is responsible for designing and creating software programs and applications through the SAP and ABAP programming codes. They conduct multiple diagnostic tests for newly-created and existing applications to ensure adherence to quality standards and requirements... Show more	$37-65
   Mainframe Developer	A mainframe developer specializes in designing and developing information technology systems. Their responsibilities include performing system installations and modifications, creating test structures, gathering and analyzing data, conducting risk assessments, providing support for project requirements, and implementing plans such as disaster recovery and interface layout... Show more	$33-56

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Database
   • COBOL
   • DB2
   • PL/SQL
   • Mainframe
   • HTML
   • SQL Server
   • Unix
   • Web Services
   • Management System
   • JCL
   • C
   • C++
   • CICS

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Achieve improved efficiency and cost reduction goals through efforts and expertise provide in multiple LPAR eliminations and data center consolidations.
   • Provide technical support to team members on CICS, DB2, and design relate issues.
   • Develop UNIX shell script which calls the application.
   • Develop subsequent functionality using HTML, JavaScript, CSS, and AJAX.
   • Fast-Pace environment of office and production users of PC software and hardware.
   • Develop and support batch SAS reports, in support of ECAT routing system.

   More staff programmer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, staff programmers' average salary in hawaii is 48% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level staff programmers earn 43% less than senior-level staff programmers.
   • Certifications. A staff programmer 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 programmer's salary.

   Average staff programmer salary

   $112,979yearly

   $54.32 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level staff programmer salary

   $85,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average staff programmer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$140,798	$68
   2	California	$131,911	$63
   3	Oregon	$125,890	$61
   4	Connecticut	$125,510	$60
   5	Michigan	$120,814	$58
   6	North Carolina	$102,401	$49
   7	New Jersey	$99,002	$48
   8	Illinois	$96,538	$46
   9	Georgia	$94,331	$45
   10	Kentucky	$93,006	$45
   11	Texas	$89,478	$43

   Average staff programmer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	The Walt Disney Company	$149,258	$71.76	1
   2	PlayStation	$137,211	$65.97	1
   3	Nordstrom	$120,707	$58.03
   4	Lucid Motors	$119,213	$57.31	20
   5	Edwards Lifesciences	$113,851	$54.74
   6	Qualcomm	$110,516	$53.13	6
   7	Extreme Networks	$109,843	$52.81	3
   8	The American Insurance Company Corp	$107,401	$51.64
   9	Illumina	$106,352	$51.13
   10	Mindlance	$103,596	$49.81	2
   11	Blonder Tongue Laboratories	$101,380	$48.74
   12	ON Semiconductor	$97,662	$46.95
   13	NI	$96,306	$46.30
   14	Peoria Park District	$86,387	$41.53
   15	University of Michigan	$80,794	$38.84	7
   16	IBM	$79,939	$38.43	8
   17	Eastern Kentucky University	$67,804	$32.60

4. Writing a staff programmer job description

   A job description for a staff programmer 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 programmer job description:

   Staff programmer job description example

   Leading the future in luxury electric and mobility
   At Lucid, we set out to introduce the most captivating, luxury electric vehicles that elevate the human experience and transcend the perceived limitations of space, performance, and intelligence. Vehicles that are intuitive, liberating, and designed for the future of mobility.
   
   We plan to lead in this new era of luxury electric by returning to the fundamentals of great design - where every decision we make is in service of the individual and environment. Because when you are no longer bound by convention, you are free to define your own experience.
   
   Come work alongside some of the most accomplished minds in the industry. Beyond providing competitive salaries, we're providing a community for innovators who want to make an immediate and significant impact. If you are driven to create a better, more sustainable future, then this is the right place for you.
   
   In this role, you will have the opportunity to get involved in board bring-up activities, package and Create Software Development packages for the Application Development, Source code organization for efficient build process. Ideal candidate would be with proficient knowledge in Board Support Packages and Yocto Build Environment. Working experience in WiFi, LTE, GPS modules is a plus.
   The Role Design and develop complex platform software for the Telematics Control Unit and other connected components. Be responsible for development of highly reliable and critical electric vehicle components Be responsible for development and integration of device drivers Provide design, development and debug support for integrating individual functions into the control unit Ensure optimization of platform software through design reviews and code reviews Develop a design and/or product validation test program to ensure robustness of design
   Qualifications Minimum 10 years of experience in developing Board Support Packages and platform development. Proficiency in C/C++ programming languages Strong Linux Kernel fundamentals Experience with developing software and device drivers for Embedded Linux Experience with board bring-up Good understanding of Secure Boot, File System Encryption Experience in ARM and TEE Environment Experience with bootloaders and recovery OS development Experience with Real Time Operating Systems and architectures Experience in reading schematics and data sheets Knowledge of embedded software update processes Working knowledge of device drivers and peripherals such as I2C, UART, SPI, PCIe, RGMII, SGMII Working knowledge of Yocto Linux and writing BitBake Recipes. Experience integrating 3rd party device drivers Experience with on-chip debugging tools and troubleshooting both software and hardware Education Requirements: MS/BS minimum in the areas of Computer Science, Computer engineering
   At Lucid, we don't just welcome diversity - we celebrate it! Lucid Motors is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and expression, marital status, and any other characteristic protected under applicable State or Federal laws and regulations.
   
   Notice regarding COVID-19 protocols
   At Lucid, we prioritize the health and wellbeing of our employees, families, and friends above all else. In response to the novel Coronavirus all new Lucid employees, whose job will be based in the United States may or may not be required to provide original documentation confirming status as having received the prescribed inoculation (doses). Vaccination requirements are dependent upon location and position, please refer to the job description for more details.
   
   Individuals in positions requiring vaccinations may seek a medical and/or religious exemption from this requirement and may be granted such an accommodation after submitting a formal request to and the subsequent review and approval thereof by our dedicated Covid-19 Response team.
   
   To all recruitment agencies: Lucid Motors does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our careers alias or other Lucid Motors employees. Lucid Motors is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right staff programmer 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 staff programmers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit staff programmers 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 staff programmer 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 staff programmers, 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.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with a staff programmer applicant. In those cases, having candidates complete a test project can go a long way in figuring out who's the most likely to succeed in the role. If you aren't a technical person and 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 staff programmer

   Once you've found the staff programmer 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.

   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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new staff programmer. 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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