The best engineering staffing agencies in Austin in 2026 are Apollo Technical, Burnett Specialists, New Iron, Actalent, The HT Group, Akkodis, Insight Global, KORE1, Randstad, Aerotek and PEAK Technical.
Austin has a higher concentration of engineers than the national average and one of the country’s largest semiconductor clusters, so the best agency for you depends on whether you are hiring for a chip fab, a hardware or EV manufacturer, a data center, or a civil and design firm.
Below we compare all 11 on Austin 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 Austin engineering and CAD hires: Apollo Technical, which recruits only engineering, IT and supply chain talent and offers contract, contract-to-hire and direct hire.
- Best Texas-based firm with an Austin office: Burnett Specialists, in business since 1974.
- Best Austin boutique for semiconductor fab systems and automation: New Iron.
- Best for engineering teams at scale: Actalent.
- Architecture and engineering jobs are 2.5 percent of Austin employment versus 1.7 percent nationally, with a mean wage of $55.89 an hour (BLS, May 2025).
Austin engineering staffing agencies at a glance
| # | Agency | Austin presence | Hiring models | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apollo Technical | Austin recruiting team, 512.686.1181 | Contract, contract-to-hire, direct hire | Specialist engineering and CAD hires across industries |
| 2 | Burnett Specialists | Northwest Austin office (HQ Houston) | Direct hire, temp-to-hire, contract, payrolling | Local mixed engineering and professional hiring |
| 3 | New Iron | Austin headquarters, North MoPac | Contract, contract-to-hire, direct hire, retained | Semiconductor fab systems and automation |
| 4 | Actalent | North MoPac Expressway | Contract, contract-to-hire, engineering services | Engineering teams at scale |
| 5 | The HT Group | Austin headquarters | Contract, contract-to-hire, direct hire, interim | Engineering and plant leadership |
| 6 | Akkodis | Capital of Texas Highway North | Staffing, consulting, engineering services | Staffing plus outsourced R&D engineering |
| 7 | Insight Global | Congress Avenue, Downtown | Contract, contract-to-perm, permanent, RPO | Fast contract hires across disciplines |
| 8 | KORE1 | Serves Austin remotely (HQ Irvine, CA) | Contract, contract-to-hire, direct hire, retained | Hardware, EV and aerospace direct hires |
| 9 | Randstad | Capital of Texas Highway North | Temp, contract, permanent, outsourcing | High-volume engineering and manufacturing hiring |
| 10 | Aerotek | North MoPac Expressway | Contract, contract-to-hire, direct | Technicians and skilled trades for fab and plant builds |
| 11 | PEAK Technical | Serves Austin remotely (HQ Pittsburgh) | Temp, temp-to-hire, permanent, MSP, RPO, payroll | Managed contractor programs |
The Austin engineering hiring market in 2026
| Austin engineering fact | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture and engineering share of jobs | 2.5 percent (US: 1.7 percent) | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Mean A&E wage, Austin vs US | $55.89 vs $51.36 an hour | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Semiconductor-related companies in the region | 180+, employing 60,000+ people | Opportunity Austin, 2026 |
| Texas CHIPS Act manufacturing awards won by the Austin region | 77 percent of $698 million | Opportunity Austin, 2026 |
| Samsung’s expected investment in the region | More than $37 billion, with up to $4.745 billion in federal CHIPS funding | Samsung, 2026 |
| Direct high-tech jobs at Samsung Taylor | More than 1,800 within the first decade | Samsung, 2026 |
Semiconductors lead Austin engineering demand, from Samsung’s Taylor fab to the chip design and equipment firms around Austin, but employers also compete for engineers in EV and battery manufacturing, data centers, medical devices, aerospace, and the civil and construction work that follows the region’s growth. Many national agencies run Austin from a single sales office, so check that a firm has recruiters who know your discipline. Hiring elsewhere in Texas? See our lists for Dallas and Houston.
The 11 best engineering staffing agencies in Austin
1. Apollo Technical
Apollo Technical recruits only engineering, IT and supply chain professionals, and its Austin recruiters place engineers and CAD designers across semiconductor, hardware, manufacturing, data center, medical device, and architecture and construction employers. We rank it first because Austin employers competing with the big chip and EV names need a specialist that screens technically and offers every hiring model.
- Austin presence: Austin recruiting team at 512.686.1181, serving Austin, Round Rock, Georgetown, Cedar Park, Leander, Pflugerville, San Marcos and Taylor. Headquarters in metro Atlanta; founded in 2010.
- Hiring models: contract/temporary, contract-to-hire, direct hire and payroll services.
- Disciplines: semiconductor, electrical and RF, mechanical, electro-mechanical and robotics, firmware and hardware, controls and PLC automation, quality, test and validation, civil and structural, medical device and data center engineering, plus CAD designers in SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Revit, CATIA, Civil 3D and Altium.
- 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: specialist screening across industries with every hiring model. Apollo states it typically presents qualified candidates within 24 to 48 hours.
- Limitation: smaller than the national firms below, and it does not run large managed contractor programs or outsourced engineering projects.
- Best for: Austin semiconductor, hardware, manufacturing and design employers making specialist engineering and CAD hires.
See Apollo’s Austin engineering recruiters and Austin semiconductor recruiters, plus local pages for Round Rock, Georgetown, Cedar Park, Pflugerville and San Marcos.
2. Burnett Specialists
Burnett Specialists was founded in Houston in 1974 by Sue Burnett, is employee-owned and runs offices across Texas.
- Austin presence: an Austin office in Northwest Austin.
- Hiring models: direct hire, temp-to-hire, temporary/contract and payrolling.
- Disciplines: mechanical, electrical, civil, manufacturing, process, controls, quality, reliability, power systems and environmental engineering.
- Strength: five decades of Texas relationships and both temporary and direct-hire options.
- Limitation: a generalist agency that also staffs legal, administrative and other roles, so engineering is one practice among many.
- Best for: Austin small and mid-size companies hiring engineers alongside professional staff.
3. New Iron
New Iron is an Austin-headquartered recruiting firm founded in 2003, with a semiconductor and industrial engineering practice.
- Austin presence: headquarters on North MoPac Expressway.
- Hiring models: contract, contract-to-hire, direct hire and retained search.
- Disciplines: fab process and yield, MES and CIM, FDC, SPC and APC, ATE test, equipment automation, PLC and SCADA, and factory startup.
- Strength: deep focus on the factory systems and automation roles that chip fabs struggle to fill.
- Limitation: a small boutique whose engineering work centers on fab systems rather than civil or mechanical design, and about half the firm recruits software and IT.
- Best for: Austin and Taylor fab operators hiring MES, automation and factory-systems engineers.
4. Actalent
Actalent is the largest US engineering staffing firm by SIA’s ranking, formed from Allegis Group’s engineering and sciences businesses.
- Austin presence: 8611 North MoPac Expressway, Suite 400, a suite it shares with sister company Aerotek.
- Hiring models: contract and contract-to-hire staffing plus managed engineering services and project delivery.
- Disciplines: semiconductor (FPGA and ASIC, embedded, process, metrology), aerospace and defense, industrial, transportation, utilities and construction.
- Strength: a large national talent pool, with more than 2,500 semiconductor-skilled engineers according to the firm.
- Limitation: service typically runs through national account structures, which can feel less personal for smaller employers.
- Best for: fabs, OEMs and aerospace firms that need engineering teams at scale or outsourced project work.
5. The HT Group
The HT Group is an Austin-headquartered staffing and search firm with a second office in Beaumont.
- Austin presence: Austin headquarters; visits by appointment.
- Hiring models: temp, temp-to-perm, contract, contract-to-hire, direct hire, retained search, project services and interim executives.
- Disciplines: engineering and manufacturing management across semiconductors and electronics, automotive and EV, construction and engineering, and utilities and renewables.
- Strength: long-standing Austin relationships and repeat ClearlyRated Best of Staffing awards.
- Limitation: leans toward finance, IT and executive search, and its engineering work is framed mainly at the management level.
- Best for: Austin companies hiring engineering managers, plant leaders or interim operations executives.
6. Akkodis
Akkodis, part of the Adecco Group, formed in 2022 from Modis and AKKA Technologies.
- Austin presence: 9442 Capital of Texas Highway North.
- Hiring models: talent staffing, consulting and digital engineering solutions delivered onshore, nearshore or offshore.
- Disciplines: digital engineering, R&D engineering, mobility and clean energy, alongside IT.
- Strength: global scale, with more than 40,000 engineers and digital experts in over 30 countries according to the firm.
- Limitation: its US business leans IT and digital, so on-site engineering staffing is a smaller share of its work.
- Best for: enterprises that want engineering staffing combined with outsourced engineering or R&D services.
7. Insight Global
Insight Global, headquartered in Atlanta, runs a downtown Austin office.
- Austin presence: 401 Congress Avenue, Suite 1600.
- Hiring models: contract, contract-to-perm, permanent, RPO and executive search.
- Disciplines: aerospace, chemical, civil, electrical, industrial, mechanical, process, semiconductor and systems engineering.
- Strength: speed and scale for contract needs.
- Limitation: led by IT and professional staffing; its Austin office features IT and administrative roles more than engineering.
- Best for: large employers needing contract engineers quickly across many disciplines.
8. KORE1
KORE1, founded in 2005 and headquartered in Irvine, CA, recruits for Austin engineering employers remotely.
- Austin presence: a dedicated Austin engineering page, but no published Austin office.
- Hiring models: contract, contract-to-hire, direct hire and retained search.
- Disciplines: semiconductor design, verification and process, mechanical, manufacturing, controls and robotics, aerospace, civil, structural and MEP, and quality.
- Strength: specialized direct-hire searches for hardware and product engineers.
- Limitation: no Austin office, and its largest practice is IT.
- Best for: direct-hire searches for hardware, EV or aerospace engineers when a local office is not required.
9. Randstad
Randstad is one of the world’s largest staffing companies, with a US registered office in Atlanta.
- Austin presence: 8310 Capital of Texas Highway North, Suite 155.
- Hiring models: temporary, contract, permanent, outsourcing and workforce solutions.
- Disciplines: mechanical, civil, electrical, industrial and product design engineering.
- Strength: very large candidate reach for volume needs.
- Limitation: a broad generalist with no dedicated Austin engineering desk shown.
- Best for: high-volume hiring that mixes engineers with manufacturing staff.
10. Aerotek
Aerotek, part of Allegis Group, now focuses on construction, manufacturing, logistics and facilities roles after moving its engineering business to Actalent.
- Austin presence: 8611 North MoPac Expressway, Suite 400, shared with Actalent.
- Hiring models: contract/temporary, contract-to-hire and direct.
- Disciplines: technicians, skilled trades, maintenance and construction roles rather than degreed engineers.
- Strength: volume hiring for the technicians and trades that fab, EV and data center builds need.
- Limitation: not a degreed-engineering specialist; for engineers, its sister company Actalent is the better fit.
- Best for: fab, EV plant and data center projects needing technicians, assemblers and skilled trades.
11. PEAK Technical Staffing USA
PEAK Technical, headquartered in Pittsburgh, serves Austin, Round Rock and Georgetown through remote recruiters.
- Austin presence: a dedicated Austin-area page, but no published Austin street address.
- Hiring models: temp, temp-to-hire, permanent, MSP, RPO and payroll.
- Disciplines: civil, mechanical and electrical engineering, CAD and technicians, automation, advanced manufacturing and data centers.
- Strength: managed program options for companies with many contractors.
- Limitation: no verified physical Austin office, and its Austin page leans toward IT roles.
- Best for: companies consolidating contract engineers under an MSP, RPO or payroll program.
Which Austin 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, Burnett Specialists |
| Semiconductor, hardware or electrical engineers | Apollo Technical, New Iron, Actalent |
| Fab MES, automation or factory-systems engineers | New Iron |
| An engineering manager or plant leader | The HT Group |
| An engineering team or outsourced project | Actalent, Akkodis |
| Volume contract engineering | Actalent, Insight Global, Randstad |
| Technicians and trades for a plant or fab build | Aerotek |
What Austin engineering staffing costs
Austin 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. Semiconductor and hardware engineers command some of the highest pay in the market, so fees on those searches run higher in dollar terms. Compare the fee, the replacement guarantee and the conversion terms in writing. See how a staffing agency works and W2 vs 1099 vs corp to corp.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best engineering staffing agency in Austin?
For specialist engineering and CAD hires across industries, we recommend Apollo Technical. For semiconductor fab systems and automation, New Iron. For engineering teams at scale, Actalent. For a Texas firm with a local Austin office, Burnett Specialists.
Do Austin engineering recruiters cover Round Rock, Georgetown and Taylor?
Most do. Apollo Technical recruits across the metro, including Round Rock, Georgetown, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, San Marcos and Taylor, where Samsung is building its fab. PEAK Technical also names Round Rock and Georgetown. Ask any agency which suburbs its recruiters actively cover.
How much do engineers earn in Austin?
Architecture and engineering occupations in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metro averaged $55.89 an hour in May 2025, above the national mean of $51.36, 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.
