How to hire a sustaining engineer

How to hire a sustaining engineer, step by step

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

What does a sustaining engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a sustaining 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

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

   Type of Sustaining Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Sustaining Engineer	Industrial engineers find ways to eliminate wastefulness in production processes. They devise efficient systems that integrate workers, machines, materials, information, and energy to make a product or provide a service.	$32-54
   Reliability Engineer	A reliability engineer is in charge of determining and managing the asset reliability risks of businesses. Reliability engineers are professionals who solve problems related to engineering... Show more	$36-69
   Tool Engineer	A tooling engineer is responsible for creating and adjusting tools or parts for cars, heavy equipment, and other products that need customized or personalized components. Your duties and responsibilities will include creating design blueprints, using computer-aided (CAD) software to develop two- and three-dimensional prints, and validating and evaluating products... Show more	$36-64

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Troubleshoot
   • Lean Six Sigma
   • Lean Manufacturing
   • Sigma
   • Solidworks
   • CAD
   • ISO
   • Engineering Support
   • Windows
   • Technical Support
   • C++
   • Data Analysis
   • Corrective Action
   • Java

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the deployment and implementation of IPX/IGX/BPX switches worldwide.
   • Manage all design and manufacturing operations through strict FDA, MDD quality system requirements.
   • Manage donations tracking and CRM software including outreach emails, mailings, printing, and mailing list management.
   • Manage the manufacturing of defense and aerospace electro-mechanical print circuit boards from prototype to production level.
   • Participate in DFM, DFT, and DFE processes for all new product introduction (s) (NPI).
   • Evaluate and specify perishable tooling for CNC machines.

   More sustaining engineer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, sustaining engineers' average salary in vermont is 35% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level sustaining engineers 40% less than senior-level sustaining engineers.
   • Certifications. A sustaining 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 sustaining engineer's salary.

   Average sustaining engineer salary

   $88,351yearly

   $42.48 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level sustaining engineer salary

   $68,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average sustaining engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$113,804	$55
   2	Washington	$107,852	$52
   3	Michigan	$103,639	$50
   4	Massachusetts	$95,922	$46
   5	Texas	$95,735	$46
   6	Nevada	$94,942	$46
   7	Maryland	$92,821	$45
   8	Utah	$90,033	$43
   9	Louisiana	$89,090	$43
   10	New York	$88,495	$43
   11	Arizona	$88,224	$42
   12	District of Columbia	$87,341	$42
   13	North Carolina	$86,095	$41
   14	Minnesota	$85,294	$41
   15	Illinois	$84,293	$41
   16	Georgia	$83,536	$40
   17	Colorado	$82,106	$39
   18	Missouri	$79,615	$38
   19	West Virginia	$78,273	$38
   20	North Dakota	$74,043	$36

   Average sustaining engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$142,278	$68.40	267
   2	PayPal	$130,638	$62.81	2
   3	Riverbed Holdings, Inc.	$115,976	$55.76
   4	CloudBolt Software	$114,616	$55.10
   5	Chevron	$113,788	$54.71
   6	Zendesk	$110,288	$53.02
   7	Parsons	$109,281	$52.54	20
   8	Dell	$108,244	$52.04	2
   9	TIBCO Software	$107,348	$51.61
   10	Splunk	$106,149	$51.03
   11	NetApp	$104,725	$50.35	3
   12	Juniper Networks	$104,512	$50.25
   13	Five9	$102,698	$49.37
   14	General Motors	$101,884	$48.98	34
   15	Booz Allen Hamilton	$99,346	$47.76	32
   16	Eastman	$98,999	$47.60	3
   17	Aramco Services Company	$98,115	$47.17
   18	Zebra Technologies	$96,672	$46.48
   19	Hitachi Vantara	$96,505	$46.40
   20	Baker Hughes	$96,254	$46.28	5

4. Writing a sustaining engineer job description

   A good sustaining engineer job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a sustaining engineer job description:

   Sustaining engineer job description example

   At Wolfspeed, we do amazing things in a human way.
   
   We know that the achievements of our organization are due to the passion, hard work and creativity of our employees. We celebrate different perspectives to foster excellence across our organization, and our goal is to make diversity a foundation of what we do. We are proudly building an environment where you can bring your authentic self to work.
   
   Enjoy doing things that people say can't be done? Innovation is at the center of everything we do.Hate red tape? We remove roadblocks instead of creating them.Working parent? We provide childcare assistance and paid parental leave.Student? We offer continuing education assistance.Looking for community? There are many ways to get involved, from Employee Resource Groups to local outreach.
   
   Here's the Gist:
   This unique engineering position provides opportunities to learn multiple semiconductor processing tools. You will gain hands-on experience and you will learn how to apply knowledge and engineering judgment in high-volume production environment. You will use your creativity, analytical and problem-solving skills. You will join a diverse cross-functional team of engineers and technicians. Candidates with excellent communication, troubleshooting and problem-solving skills will be given the utmost priority.
   
   The Day-to-Day:
   Sustain and improve critical fab processes for multiple products. Participate in new tools introduction into the fab. Lead improvement projects and provide expertise for new products and process rollouts. Establish relationships across various teams. Lead process technicians and factory operators.
   
   This Job is Right for You if You Have (Minimum Requirements):
   BS or MS in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field Experience/knowledge of statistical analysis, design of experiments.Experience in semiconductor industry is required
   
   To put it legally - Wolfspeed is an equal opportunity employer.
   We recruit, employ, train, compensate and promote regardless of race, sex, religion, color, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation and other protected status as required by law.
   
   We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right sustaining engineer 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 sustaining engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit sustaining engineers 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.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit sustaining engineers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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.

   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 sustaining engineer

   Once you've found the sustaining 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.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with 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 sustaining engineer?