How to hire a staff test engineer

How to hire a staff test engineer, step by step

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

What does a staff test engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The staff test engineer 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

   Hiring the perfect staff test 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 test engineer salaries for various roles:

   Type of Staff Test Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Staff Test Engineer		$41-73
   Quality Assurance	The primary role of quality assurance specialists is to inspect the quality system's implementation and perform quality assurance audits. They are responsible for monitoring and recording results from procedures and processes within manufacturing industries... Show more	$13-44
   Quality Assurance Lead	A quality assurance lead, also known as QA Lead, is responsible for conducting necessary quality tests and analyses for software program and development. As a quality assurance lead, they must take the lead in ensuring quality during development by proactively performing critical evaluations, troubleshooting, and providing precise documentation... Show more	$34-59

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • C++
   • Data Analysis
   • Test Results
   • RF
   • Test Equipment
   • Test Cases
   • Linux
   • Test Solutions
   • Test Coverage
   • Product Development
   • Windows
   • Technical Support
   • Test Software
   • Test Procedures

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Construct and manage a complete VMware environment for testing multiple Openstack instances of different configurations.
   • Conduct subsystem / system level payload digital / rf testing of major communications satellite programs.
   • Log bugs find during test execution and determine root cause using Microsoft Windbg debugging tool.
   • Execute debugging and verify analog, digital test circuits using oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzer, and logic analyzer.
   • Lead planning, design, implementation, and execution of RF performance/parametric, stability, and functional validation & verification activities.
   • Develop automated temperature-cycle calibrations for analog and digital transducers.

   More staff test engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the staff test engineer job description is a good way to get more applicants. A staff test engineer salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a staff test engineer in South Carolina may be lower than in Oregon, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level staff test engineer. Additionally, a staff test engineer with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average staff test engineer salary

   $115,935yearly

   $55.74 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level staff test engineer salary

   $87,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average staff test engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$138,149	$66
   2	Washington	$134,692	$65
   3	Utah	$119,041	$57
   4	Kansas	$116,455	$56
   5	Pennsylvania	$109,298	$53
   6	Ohio	$108,182	$52
   7	Arizona	$105,945	$51
   8	North Carolina	$105,944	$51
   9	New York	$103,861	$50
   10	Michigan	$103,188	$50
   11	Colorado	$102,199	$49
   12	Illinois	$101,279	$49
   13	Georgia	$100,543	$48
   14	Texas	$100,180	$48
   15	Massachusetts	$99,525	$48
   16	Wisconsin	$99,156	$48

   Average staff test engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Google	$180,847	$86.95	179
   2	LinkedIn	$159,575	$76.72	30
   3	Palo Alto Networks	$149,561	$71.90	77
   4	Synaptics	$148,402	$71.35	1
   5	Rivian	$147,433	$70.88	63
   6	Juniper Networks	$146,804	$70.58
   7	GoPro	$146,652	$70.51
   8	Futurewei Technologies	$144,554	$69.50
   9	SonicWall	$140,803	$67.69
   10	Tesla	$139,151	$66.90	8
   11	Broadcom	$137,782	$66.24	44
   12	Lucid Motors	$137,478	$66.10	33
   13	LSI	$137,192	$65.96	1
   14	Motion Recruitment	$134,702	$64.76	11
   15	National Semiconductor	$134,536	$64.68
   16	Neiman Marcus Group	$133,183	$64.03
   17	Robert Half	$132,339	$63.62	360
   18	Samsung Electronics Device Solutions (Semiconductor & Display)	$132,309	$63.61	27
   19	Altran Corporation	$132,215	$63.56
   20	Portland General Electric	$132,200	$63.56	3

4. Writing a staff test engineer job description

   A staff test 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. Below, you can find an example of a staff test engineer job description:

   Staff test engineer 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.
   
   The Role Lead the test process to implement test standards, best practices and workflows as required Own the test process of Hardware In the Loop (HIL) level, including commissioning, test plan and automation Collaborate with Controls, Software and other Design engineers, create test cases and derive test procedures / sequences based on requirements and feature listings Lead test automation strategy, develop scripts and software to perform automated testing cycles Support any qualification of test setups necessary to validate results Jointly own approval of test software, test procedures and test cases with product and controls/design engineers and perform test setup / software validation testing during the off-hours maintenance windows Develop and plan test runs according to the integration release plan Support test runs at various levels of integration, and document test results Report and escalate issues as appropriate and participate in triaging of issues with different teams Participate in the design of a world class engineering effort to bring electric vehicles to a new level of refinement
   Qualifications 10+ Years of Industry experience in SW Development for Automation and Testing.Experience in writing and documenting maintainable Python Code.Experience in C/C++ and Shell Scripting.Experience in working with Linux based Embedded Systems.Prior Automotive experience is a big plus, including familiarity with automotive protocols such as CAN, UDS, DoIP etc.Experience in creating feature based test plans and implementing them in automation.Experience in Network Programming (Socket Programming), Vector Tools is a plus.Familiarity with Git is a must.Experience with performing White Box, Black Box, Functional, System, and Regression Tests through manual and automated testing.Experience in creating Hardware-in-Loop (HIL) Test setups to perform automation.
   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 staff test engineers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any staff test engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level staff test engineers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your staff test engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit staff test 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

   Recruiting staff test 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with a staff test engineer 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 test engineer

   Once you've decided on a perfect staff test 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 staff test 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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