How to hire a Staff Software Engineer

How to hire a staff software engineer, step by step

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

What does a Staff Software Engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

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

   A staff software engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, staff software 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 presents staff software engineer salaries for various positions.

   Type Of Staff Software Engineer	Description	Hourly Rate
   Staff Software 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	$48-89
   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
   Test Engineer	Test engineers are professionals who observe and record the quality of products, which includes functionality, durability, speed, and safety. They are responsible for checking the materials and procedures thoroughly throughout the production cycle... Show More	$28-50

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common Skills:

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

   Check All Skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage source code and integration for team with git, svn and Jenkins.
   • Utilize JavaScript, AJAX and HTML markup to create, edit and manage filters.
   • Lead the functional verification test team for the security component of IBM z/OS WebSphere.
   • Lead the development of QDSS windows driver and tool chain to use QDSS features for windows platform.
   • Lead a 5-person development team for the BCRS customer recovery solution system in Maximo 7.1 and J2EE.
   • Work with QA for different eBay modules to review and automate tests for testing new functionality on site.

   More Staff Software Engineer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, staff software engineers' average salary in kansas is 47% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level staff software engineers 46% less than senior-level staff software engineers.
   • Certifications. A staff software 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 staff software engineer's salary.

   Average staff software engineer salary

   $136,653yearly

   $65.70 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level staff software engineer salary

   $100,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 26, 2025

   Average staff software engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate
   1	California	$156,567	$75
   2	Washington	$154,064	$74
   3	Oregon	$138,471	$67
   4	New York	$127,959	$62
   5	District of Columbia	$125,030	$60
   6	New Jersey	$116,727	$56
   7	Texas	$113,334	$54
   8	Massachusetts	$112,846	$54
   9	Ohio	$111,584	$54
   10	Maine	$111,317	$54
   11	Georgia	$109,705	$53
   12	North Carolina	$108,565	$52
   13	Illinois	$108,122	$52
   14	Colorado	$105,121	$51
   15	Arkansas	$103,787	$50

   Average staff software engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
   1	Airbnb	$216,728	$104.20	43
   2	Brex	$214,565	$103.16	110
   3	Credit Karma	$211,593	$101.73	21
   4	Flexport	$210,474	$101.19	4
   5	Coinbase	$207,397	$99.71	55
   6	The Walt Disney Company	$205,888	$98.98	742
   7	Crunchbase	$202,833	$97.52
   8	Wealthfront	$202,235	$97.23	8
   9	Squarespace	$201,617	$96.93	12
   10	Thumbtack	$197,162	$94.79	8
   11	HBO	$195,902	$94.18
   12	StubHub	$195,559	$94.02	78
   13	Asana	$194,563	$93.54	8
   14	Course Hero	$194,359	$93.44	3
   15	Google	$193,956	$93.25	680
   16	Warner Bros.	$193,843	$93.19	47
   17	Twitter	$192,761	$92.67	147
   18	Chegg	$191,826	$92.22
   19	Marin Software	$191,761	$92.19
   20	Instacart	$191,373	$92.01	16

4. Writing a Staff Software Engineer Job Description

   A staff software 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 software engineer job description:

   Staff Software Engineer job description example

   H-E-B is one of the largest, independently owned food retailers in the nation operating over 420+ stores throughout Texas and Mexico, with annual sales generating over $34 billion. Described by industry experts as a daring innovator and smart competitor, H-E-B has led the way with creative new concepts, outstanding service and a commitment to diversity in our workforce, workplace and marketplace. H-E-B offers a wealth of career opportunities to our 145,000+ Partners (employees), competitive compensation and benefits program and comprehensive training that lead to successful careers. Responsibilities: Since H-E-B Digital Technology's inception, we've been investing heavily in our customers' digital experience, reinventing how they find inspiration from food, how they make food decisions, and how they ultimately get food into their homes. This is an exciting time to join H-E-B Digital--we're using the best available technologies to deliver modern, engaging, reliable, and scalable experiences to meet the needs of our growing audience. If you enjoy taking on new challenges, working in a rapidly changing environment, learning new skills, and applying it all to solve large and impactful business problems, we want you as part of our team.
   
   Our Partners thrive The H-E-B Way. In the Principal SE Engineer job, that means you have a...
   HEART FOR PEOPLE... you use diplomacy and communication to achieve brand consensus on technical approaches
   HEAD FOR BUSINESS... you impact business with utmost proficiency in technology, process, and leadership
   PASSION FOR RESULTS... you can break down complex initiatives and dependencies that span multiple teams to ensure well-scoped delivery estimates
   
   What you’ll do Contributes to team initiatives and projects through application of expertise in system design, architecture, and software development Works with team technical leadership and program management in clearly understanding and scoping tasks necessary to fulfill the committed deliverables for a project Works with team technical leadership on the design, architecture and implementation of assigned projects meeting commitments for scope, timelines, and assuring high quality Provides mentorship and leadership to junior team members in the areas of software development best practices Recommends changes to processes and tools based on industry standards, patterns and best practices Who you are You have exposure to multiple software development technology stacks and methodologies You have experience in the architectural design of system component building blocks that are incorporated into larger end-to-end products and solutions You have 7+ years of software development experience You have 2+ years of experience in a mentorship role Specific to IAM You have experience participating in the analysis of engineering level requirements for a comprehensive end-to-end IAM solution You have experience participating in the design, architecture, and implementation of a comprehensive end-to-end IAM solution You are engaged in the IAM Community and stay aware of new IAM tools, solutions, and process improvements. You have participated in the analysis and selection of a full suite of IAM vendor applications that comprise a comprehensive end-to-end IAM solution You have exposure to several of the areas that must be addressed by IAM solutions including: On boarding and off-boarding Authentication and authorization User entitlement Request and approval processes Access provisioning and de-provisioning Rule enforcement Logging, reporting, and auditing Access review and certification Account reconciliation Error and exception handling Nice to have: IMI CIMP certification
   
   Who We Are
   H-E-B is one of the largest, independently owned food retailers in the nation, operating over 400 stores throughout Texas and Mexico, with annual sales generating over $26B
   We hire talented people (116,000+ Partners), and give them autonomy to be creative in how they impact the business
   We're a Partner-driven company with a Bold Promise - Because People Matter
   We embrace Diversity and Inclusion as core values, and support them with thriving company-wide programs
   We're a truly original Texas-based company that created the Spirit of Giving to help Texas communities every day
   Once eligible, our Partners become Owners in the company. 'Partner-owned' means our most important resources--People--drive the innovation, growth, and success that make H-E-B The Greatest Retailing Company DEVS3232 #LI-LV1 10-2019

   Copy This Example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find staff software 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 software engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit staff software engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit staff software 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   If your interviews with staff software 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 staff software engineer

   Once you've found the staff software 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new staff software engineer. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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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