How to hire a Scientist

How to hire a scientist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step scientist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a scientist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new scientist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a Scientist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a scientist, 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a scientist to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a scientist that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of scientist salaries for various roles:

   Type Of Scientist	Description	Hourly Rate
   Scientist	Medical scientists conduct research aimed at improving overall human health. They often use clinical trials and other investigative methods to reach their findings.	$32-67
   Research Fellow	A research fellow is an academic researcher who conducts research and analysis of comprehensive literature, data, and results and provides literature reviews. He/She supervises research assistants and recruits study participants to interview them for a particular study... Show More	$18-34
   Laboratory Analyst	A Laboratory Analyst helps conduct experiments, run laboratory tests, and analyze results. They compile and record data for the documentation needed for testing and report preparation.	$14-29

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common Skills:

   • Chemistry
   • Data Analysis
   • Patients
   • Molecular Biology
   • Cell Culture
   • Java
   • Flow Cytometry
   • CRISPR
   • Product Development
   • Laboratory Equipment
   • GMP
   • Analytical Methods
   • Method Development
   • Excellent Interpersonal

   Check All Skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead a cross-functional team to return an HIV combination product to market on random-access instrument.
   • Design the VERIS HIV-1 quantitative PCR assay which achieve Conformit Europ enne (CE) marking.
   • Manage an elemental analytical laboratory that include operating, maintaining and troubleshooting an ICP-OES, ICPMS, MXRF, and IC.
   • Develop and manage third party claim investigations and contractor remedial oversight for various insurance companies.
   • Manage study protocols and study conduct, intimately involve in the toxicology and pharmacokinetic study protocol development process.
   • Manage sample inventory via in-house laboratory information management system (LIMS) and implement additional systems for sample and chemical organization.

   More Scientist duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, scientists' average salary in mississippi is 64% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level scientists 52% less than senior-level scientists.
   • Certifications. A scientist 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 scientist's salary.

   Average scientist salary

   $97,344yearly

   $46.80 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level scientist salary

   $67,000 yearly salary

   Updated June 19, 2025

   Average scientist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate
   1	California	$131,577	$63
   2	New Jersey	$93,786	$45
   3	Connecticut	$88,636	$43
   4	Washington	$87,631	$42
   5	Massachusetts	$86,200	$41
   6	Maryland	$83,971	$40
   7	New York	$81,263	$39
   8	Minnesota	$80,633	$39
   9	Pennsylvania	$76,676	$37
   10	Illinois	$75,239	$36
   11	North Carolina	$73,071	$35
   12	Texas	$69,744	$34
   13	Wisconsin	$65,964	$32
   14	Georgia	$61,677	$30
   15	Alabama	$54,239	$26

   Average scientist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
   1	Airbnb	$158,132	$76.03
   2	Meta	$153,761	$73.92	652
   3	Yelp	$151,276	$72.73
   4	The Walt Disney Company	$150,225	$72.22	14
   5	Lyft	$149,396	$71.83	11
   6	NVIDIA	$147,994	$71.15	4
   7	Flexport	$145,746	$70.07
   8	Google	$145,420	$69.91	100
   9	The Daily Muse	$144,463	$69.45
   10	Apple	$143,725	$69.10	64
   11	Microsoft	$143,457	$68.97	63
   12	Walmart	$142,117	$68.33	41
   13	PayPal	$141,678	$68.11	13
   14	Twitter	$141,427	$67.99
   15	Pinterest	$139,905	$67.26	3
   16	Amazon	$138,682	$66.67	1,161
   17	DemandTec	$138,143	$66.41
   18	Grubhub	$137,370	$66.04
   19	Etsy	$136,718	$65.73	16
   20	Uber Technologies	$134,953	$64.88	2

4. Writing a Scientist Job Description

   A scientist 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 scientist job description:

   Scientist job description example

   Avery Dennison is looking for an individual to provide insightful computational capabilities using FEM and other simulation methods to accelerate the development of products and processes. The position will be with the Materials Science and Characterization (MSC) Group, which primarily supports R&D activities globally at Avery Dennison's Mentor, OH location, chartered to support and resolve technical problems from long term projects to urgent manufacturing and quality issues stemming from across Avery Dennison's global operations. Highly creative and problem solving abilities rooted in scientific computations translated to practical and useful solutions to product and process development activities is sought.
   Responsibilities:
   
   Drive fundamental understanding and insights of complex materials and phenomena (polymeric adhesives, gels, colloids and multi-layer laminates) using predictive FEM, multi-physics and particle based simulation techniques (such as Discrete Element Method, Dissipative Particle Dynamics, Molecular Dynamics Simulations etc.).
   
   Interact with experimental synthetic chemists, product developers and process technologists and engineers to develop the insights from physical models, theory and surgical experiments that enable rapid exploration of design parameter space without need for extensive prototyping and/or pilot trials.
   
   Conceive, develop and execute predictive FEM models and novel custom crafted experimental methods for evaluating new material and laminate paradigms in the Avery Dennison Materials Portfolio.
   
   Translate problems into parametric model representations using conservation and constitutive equations to represent materials, studying the impact of visco-elastic responses in single and multi-layer polymeric laminates, adhesion mediated interfaces, flow of polymer melts in embossing and other processes.
   
   Develop and apply predictive computational materials science (FEM and coarse-grained particle and/or mean-field based methods) spanning a range of spatial and time scales and material systems with a high degree of practical focus to guiding/solving product and process technology activities.
   
   Solve highly interdisciplinary simulation challenges involving complex material and deformation interactions (fracture in soft materials, time/rate dependence, non-linear problems etc.) for desired application including modeling of pressure sensitive mediated interfaces, laminate mechanics and rational design of multi-layer functional laminates, polymer deformation/flow.
   
   Interact with rheology/physical testing to guide experiments to acquire data for model parameterization and validation.
   
   Interpret data, write technical reports, and communicate research activities and results with other divisional scientists in a high-quality, professional, and timely manner.

   Copy This Example

   

5. Post your job

   To find scientists 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 scientists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level scientists 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 scientist job on Zippia to find and recruit scientist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit scientists, 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 scientist

   Once you've selected the best scientist candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   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 scientist?