The best engineering staffing agencies in Dallas-Fort Worth in 2026 are Apollo Technical, Randstad, Choice Specialists, CornerStone Staffing, Actalent, Yoh, Insight Global, The Judge Group, KORE1, Kelly Engineering and Korn Ferry.
DFW employers compete for engineers against defense, semiconductor, telecom and data center projects, so the right agency is the one that already knows your discipline and your side of the Metroplex.
Below we compare all 11 on DFW presence, hiring models, disciplines and honest limitations.
A note on bias: Apollo Technical wrote this list and ranks itself first. We list our own limitations the same way we list everyone else’s. Facts about every other firm come from its own website or a named source, checked in September 2026. No firm paid to be included.
Key takeaways
- Best specialist for DFW engineering hires: Apollo Technical, which recruits only engineering, IT and supply chain talent and places engineers and CAD designers on contract, contract-to-hire or direct hire.
- Best for multi-site plant and engineering hiring at scale: Randstad.
- Best for large contract programs: Actalent and Yoh.
- Best for engineering leadership searches: Korn Ferry.
- DFW architecture and engineering jobs pay a mean of $51.45 an hour, in line with the national mean of $51.36 (BLS, May 2025 data).
Dallas engineering staffing agencies at a glance
| # | Agency | DFW presence | Hiring models | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apollo Technical | Dallas recruiting team, 214.257.7733 | Contract, contract-to-hire, direct hire | Specialist engineering and CAD hires |
| 2 | Randstad | LBJ Freeway, North Dallas | Temporary, flex-to-perm, permanent, project services | Multi-site employers wanting scale |
| 3 | Choice Specialists (Burnett) | Dallas office | Temporary, temp-to-hire, direct hire | Local, employee-owned generalist |
| 4 | CornerStone Staffing | Dallas and Fort Worth offices | Temporary, temp-to-hire, direct | Engineers plus plant staff |
| 5 | Actalent | Dallas Parkway office | Contract, managed programs, services | Large contract programs |
| 6 | Yoh | Plano office | Contract, consulting, MSP, RPO | Enterprise engineering programs |
| 7 | Insight Global | Uptown Dallas office | Contract, contract-to-perm, permanent | Fast, high-volume contract hiring |
| 8 | The Judge Group | Park Central, Dallas | Contract, contract-to-hire, direct, executive search | Direct-hire manufacturing engineers |
| 9 | KORE1 | DFW coverage (HQ Irvine, CA) | Contract, contract-to-hire, direct, retained | Defense and semiconductor specialists |
| 10 | Kelly Engineering | Kelly Dallas branch | Contract, direct placement, projects | National manufacturers with DFW sites |
| 11 | Korn Ferry | Cedar Springs Rd, Dallas | Executive and professional search | Engineering directors and plant leaders |
The DFW engineering hiring market in 2026
Dallas-Fort Worth has one of the most varied engineering economies in the country, and several of its largest employers are hiring at the same time, which is why engineering searches here move quickly.
| DFW engineering fact | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture and engineering share of DFW jobs | 1.7 percent | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Mean A&E wage, DFW vs US | $51.45 vs $51.36 an hour | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Architectural and engineering managers in DFW | 5,970, mean $182,520 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Lockheed Martin F-35 plant, Fort Worth | About 19,000 employees | Lockheed Martin, January 2026 |
| Texas Instruments SM1 fab, Sherman (North Texas) | Up to 3,000 direct jobs | Texas Instruments, December 2025 |
| Dallas data center space absorbed in 2025 | 470.8 MW | CBRE, February 2026 |
For Dallas employers that means competition for electrical, controls, mechanical and MEP engineers from aerospace, semiconductor and data center builds. For data center roles specifically, see our data center recruiting page.
The 11 best engineering staffing agencies in Dallas
1. Apollo Technical
Apollo Technical’s Dallas recruiters work only engineering, IT and supply chain searches, and they have spent more than a decade building DFW networks of engineers, architects, CAD designers and CAD drafters. That specialist focus is why we rank Apollo first for Dallas engineering hiring.
- DFW presence: Dallas recruiting team (214.257.7733) serving Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, Richardson, Irving, Frisco, Arlington and the wider Metroplex. Headquarters in metro Atlanta; founded in 2010.
- Hiring models: contract/temporary, contract-to-hire, direct hire and payroll services.
- Disciplines: aerospace and avionics, electrical and power, mechanical, controls and PLC, RF and telecom, OSP, civil and structural, process, quality, semiconductor, data center engineering, and CAD designers in SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Revit, Civil 3D, CATIA and NX.
- How you pay: no retainer or upfront fee for direct hire; you pay only when you hire. Contractors are Apollo W2 employees, E-Verified, with payroll taxes and workers compensation covered.
- Strength: a specialist Dallas bench backed by a national engineering network, with every hiring model. Apollo states it typically presents qualified candidates within 24 to 48 hours.
- Limitation: smaller than Actalent or Kelly, and it does not run large managed programs or outsourced engineering projects.
- Best for: DFW manufacturers, engineering firms, telecom and data center builders, and technology companies making specialist engineering hires.
See Apollo’s Dallas engineering recruiters, Fort Worth engineering recruiters and Plano engineering staffing, or see semiconductor recruitment in Dallas.
2. Randstad
Randstad USA, the US arm of Netherlands-based Randstad N.V., offers engineering and design staffing and outsourced engineering project services, with a North Dallas office.
- DFW presence: 5400 LBJ Freeway, Suite 800, Dallas.
- Hiring models: temporary, flex-to-perm, permanent placement and engineering project services.
- Disciplines: controls, electrical, mechanical, manufacturing, process, quality, reliability and structural engineering across aerospace, automotive, construction and electronics.
- Strength: national scale plus the option to outsource engineering work.
- Limitation: a very broad firm, and its Dallas office also handles technology and professional staffing, so engineering is one line among many.
- Best for: large multi-site DFW employers that want scale.
3. Choice Specialists (Burnett Specialists)
Choice Specialists is the Dallas brand of Houston-based Burnett Specialists, an employee-owned, certified woman-owned firm founded in 1974.
- DFW presence: Dallas office.
- Hiring models: temporary and contract, temp-to-hire and direct hire.
- Disciplines: electrical, mechanical, civil, controls, HVAC, manufacturing, power systems and quality.
- Strength: five decades of Texas relationships.
- Limitation: a generalist agency, with no stated defense or cleared-talent focus.
- Best for: Texas employers that want one local firm for engineering and professional hires.
4. CornerStone Staffing
CornerStone Staffing has served DFW since 1991 from branches across the Metroplex.
- DFW presence: offices in downtown Fort Worth and on Woodall Rodgers Freeway in Dallas.
- Hiring models: temporary, temp-to-hire and direct placement.
- Disciplines: civil, electrical, industrial, mechanical, structural, chemical, manufacturing and CAD.
- Strength: long-tenured local team.
- Limitation: mostly light industrial and clerical staffing; engineering runs through a small professional placement team.
- Best for: DFW plants that need engineers plus technicians and production staff from one vendor.
5. Actalent
Actalent is the largest US engineering staffing firm by Staffing Industry Analysts’ ranking, formed in 2021 from Aerotek’s engineering and sciences divisions and EASi.
- DFW presence: 15601 Dallas Parkway, Suite 400.
- Hiring models: contract talent, managed programs and engineering services.
- Disciplines: product and manufacturing, civil, power and utilities, construction management and systems.
- Strength: engineering-only focus at national scale.
- Limitation: direct hire is not among its stated service lines.
- Best for: large DFW manufacturers and utilities with contract programs.
6. Yoh
Yoh, a Day and Zimmermann company, has placed engineers since the 1940s.
- DFW presence: 5800 Tennyson Parkway, Plano.
- Hiring models: contract, consulting, MSP and RPO programs.
- Disciplines: engineering, IT and life sciences, with aerospace roots.
- Strength: 12 straight years on SIA’s largest engineering staffing firms list, according to Yoh.
- Limitation: geared to enterprise programs, with little DFW-specific engineering detail published.
- Best for: large DFW enterprises that want a managed program.
7. Insight Global
Insight Global is one of the largest US staffing firms, with an engineering practice alongside its IT business.
- DFW presence: 2100 McKinney Avenue, Dallas.
- Hiring models: contract, contract-to-permanent, permanent and RPO.
- Disciplines: aerospace, electrical, mechanical, semiconductor, systems, civil and telecom.
- Strength: speed and scale.
- Limitation: its Dallas page leads with healthcare, construction and IT rather than engineering.
- Best for: fast, high-volume contract engineering and telecom hires.
8. The Judge Group
The Judge Group was founded in 1970 to place engineers and still runs an engineering staffing practice.
- DFW presence: 12700 Park Central Drive, Dallas.
- Hiring models: contract, contract-to-hire, direct hire and executive search.
- Disciplines: manufacturing, process, quality, electrical and controls, civil and hardware, including aerospace and defense.
- Strength: five decades of engineering recruiting.
- Limitation: its Dallas office leads with IT consulting and learning services.
- Best for: DFW manufacturers making direct-hire engineering hires.
9. KORE1
KORE1, headquartered in Irvine, CA, publishes a detailed DFW engineering page covering Fort Worth defense and the North Texas semiconductor corridor.
- DFW presence: DFW coverage; no Dallas street address published.
- Hiring models: contract, contract-to-hire, direct hire and retained search.
- Disciplines: aerospace and defense, semiconductor and process, RF, embedded, power, mechanical and automation.
- Strength: defense and semiconductor depth.
- Limitation: California-based, and its retention and fill-time figures are self-reported.
- Best for: defense and semiconductor hardware employers.
10. Kelly Engineering
Kelly Engineering is the engineering practice of Kelly Services, headquartered in Troy, MI.
- DFW presence: Kelly branch at 2323 Victory Avenue, Dallas.
- Hiring models: contract, direct placement and outcome-based projects.
- Disciplines: automotive and aerospace, semiconductor and electronics, chemical and energy, advanced manufacturing and automation.
- Strength: national engineering scale.
- Limitation: no DFW-specific engineering page.
- Best for: national manufacturers with DFW sites.
11. Korn Ferry
Korn Ferry is a global executive search and consulting firm whose professional search practice fills middle and senior management roles.
- DFW presence: 2101 Cedar Springs Road, Suite 1450, Dallas.
- Hiring models: executive search, professional search and interim.
- Strength: leadership search and assessment.
- Limitation: not built for hourly contract engineers, and priced as a search firm.
- Best for: engineering directors, VPs and plant leaders.
Which Dallas agency fits your hiring need
| If you need to hire | Start with |
|---|---|
| A hard-to-fill engineer or CAD designer | Apollo Technical |
| A contractor you may convert to permanent | Apollo Technical, Choice Specialists |
| Defense, aerospace or semiconductor engineers | Apollo Technical, KORE1, The Judge Group |
| Data center, telecom or MEP engineers | Apollo Technical, Insight Global |
| A large contract program | Actalent, Yoh, Kelly Engineering |
| Engineers plus plant and technician staff | CornerStone Staffing |
| Engineers across several DFW sites at once | Randstad |
| An engineering director or plant manager | Korn Ferry |
What Dallas engineering staffing costs
Dallas agencies price direct hire as a one-time fee based on first-year salary and contract engineers as an hourly bill rate that covers pay, payroll taxes, insurance and margin. Compare the fee, the replacement guarantee and the contract-to-hire conversion terms, not just the percentage. Read how a staffing agency works and engineering placement fees for more.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best engineering staffing agency in Dallas?
For specialist engineering and CAD hires, we recommend Apollo Technical. For large contract programs, Actalent. For multi-site hiring at scale, Randstad.
Do Dallas engineering recruiters cover Fort Worth and Plano?
Most do. Apollo Technical and CornerStone Staffing both serve Fort Worth as well as Dallas, and Yoh’s DFW office is in Plano.
How much do engineers earn in Dallas-Fort Worth?
Architecture and engineering occupations in DFW averaged $51.45 an hour in May 2025, and architectural and engineering managers averaged $182,520 a year, according to BLS.
Who pays the engineering staffing agency?
The employer. Engineers should never pay a fee to be placed.
Sources
Facts checked September 2026. Firms can request a correction through our contact page.
