How to hire an administrative director

How to hire an administrative director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step administrative director hiring guide:

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

What does an administrative director do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the administrative director you need to hire. Certain administrative director roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An administrative director's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, administrative directors 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 shows salaries for various types of administrative directors.

   Type of Administrative Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Administrative Director	Administrative services managers plan, direct, and coordinate supportive services of an organization. Their specific responsibilities vary by the type of organization and may include keeping records, distributing mail, and planning and maintaining facilities.	$25-58
   Director, Facilities & Operations	Directors of facilities operations plan, organize and maintain the operations of an organization's infrastructure systems and facilities. They hire, evaluate, train, discipline, and recommend staff dismissal... Show more	$15-47
   Facilities Manager	A Facilities Manager has different responsibilities depending on the line of work or industry. However, most of the time, they specialize in ensuring that the building or work area is in good condition and adheres to its policies and regulations... Show more	$21-51

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Patient Care
   • Customer Service
   • Human Resources
   • Financial Reports
   • Payroll
   • Regulatory Compliance
   • Project Management
   • Program Development
   • Health System
   • Patient Satisfaction
   • Professional Development
   • Financial Management
   • Strategic Plan

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage payroll system and provide staff and directors with essential reporting necessary for managing employee resources.
   • Manage A/P, A/R and general accounting.
   • Lead a change in system philosophy on physician equity interest in surgery centers.
   • Manage administrative operations for the business -purchasing, accounting, payroll, safety and environmental safety training and testing.
   • Receive and process incoming Medicaid, Medicare, government grants and donation checks.
   • Charge with improving customer service for patients and physicians as well as re-capturing lose outpatient radiology business.

   More administrative director duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your administrative director job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An administrative director salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for an administrative director in Tennessee may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level administrative director usually earns less than a senior-level administrative director. Additionally, an administrative director with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average administrative director salary

   $80,158yearly

   $38.54 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level administrative director salary

   $53,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average administrative director salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$95,426	$46
   2	New Jersey	$95,388	$46
   3	Maryland	$91,435	$44
   4	District of Columbia	$89,581	$43
   5	Nevada	$89,282	$43
   6	Ohio	$88,603	$43
   7	California	$87,439	$42
   8	Indiana	$86,009	$41
   9	Texas	$85,585	$41
   10	Michigan	$85,312	$41
   11	North Carolina	$84,971	$41
   12	Oregon	$80,501	$39
   13	New York	$77,127	$37
   14	Virginia	$76,123	$37
   15	Illinois	$76,012	$37
   16	Colorado	$74,832	$36
   17	Wisconsin	$74,727	$36
   18	Pennsylvania	$72,808	$35
   19	Arizona	$67,349	$32
   20	Utah	$67,240	$32

   Average administrative director salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Mayer Brown	$197,761	$95.08	6
   2	Check-6	$163,346	$78.53
   3	Tufts Medical Center	$142,532	$68.53
   4	Children's Hospital Los Angeles	$119,454	$57.43	4
   5	Harvard University	$116,975	$56.24
   6	Dana-Farber Cancer Institute	$110,523	$53.14	2
   7	National Science Foundation	$109,002	$52.40
   8	Columbia University in the City of New York	$108,299	$52.07	40
   9	First National Realty	$107,077	$51.48
   10	Brigham and Women's Hospital	$106,882	$51.39	19
   11	Morgan Stanley	$106,757	$51.33	20
   12	Parexel International	$106,351	$51.13
   13	Stanford Health Care	$104,371	$50.18	13
   14	Ameriprise Financial	$103,381	$49.70	23
   15	Boston Medical Center	$103,165	$49.60	11
   16	Massachusetts General Hospital	$103,044	$49.54
   17	Emory University	$99,668	$47.92	17
   18	Highmark	$99,053	$47.62	3
   19	American Life Insurance Company	$95,777	$46.05
   20	Capital Health	$94,067	$45.22	5

4. Writing an administrative director job description

   An administrative director 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 an administrative director job description:

   Administrative director job description example

   At Garnet Health, the Hudson Valley's leading integrated health system, you'll find the perfect balance of a satisfying career and a rewarding lifestyle. Our focus is on patient-centric care with a collective of visionary leaders and dedicated and caring professionals working as a team to deliver the best for the people we serve. If you're interested in a health system that's both growing and award-winning, serving a diverse community that provides the best of both city and rural life, we invite to make your career home with us as a Administrative Director of Nursing/House Supervisor on our Nursing Administration team at/in Garnet Health Medical Center Catskill.
   Responsibilities:
   
   A Registered Professional Nurse who is responsible and accountable for the administration, management and quality of nursing care provided on the 3-11 and 11-7 shifts, and weekends, or as designated by Vice President/Chief Nurse Officer and who participates in formulating Nursing Department Policy and has active input with the Clinical Directors and the Vice President/Chief Nurse Officer in formulating hospital policy.
   
   At Garnet Health, we are committed to supporting your career growth and professional potential. We are responsive, attentive and dedicated to the success and satisfaction of our team members. Here, you'll find resources that will help you excel in your career, tuition reimbursement programs for your continued education, and comprehensive health, dental and retirement benefits designed to fit your individual and family needs. Our inclusive and diverse team culture encourages you to contribute your exceptional talents, skills and perspectives to the success of our system, one another, our communities and our patients.
   
   Join the Garnet Health team and let your excellence shine.
   
   Qualifications:
   
   Minimum Education: Graduate of an accredited school of nursing. BSN preferred, Masters' degree desirable.
   
   Minimum Experience: Minimum of three years' experience as a staff nurse with demonstrated charge nurse/leadership abilities, or minimum of one-year experience in a nursing managerial position.
   
   Required Certification/Registration:
   
   Currently licensed and registered to practice as a registered nurse in New York State.
   Successful completion of a BLS Provider Course. BLS renewal not required once ACLS is obtained.
   Successful completion of ACLS within one year of hire.
   Successful completion of PALS within one year of hire.
   
   Physical Requirements: Position will primarily be light work requiring to lift up to 25 pounds with occasional lifting and/or carrying objects weighing up to 25 pounds. Occasional bending, twisting, stooping, kneeling and reaching is required. Requires 80% sitting and 20% standing or walking. Expressing or exchanging ideas by spoken word is required.
   
   Working Conditions:
   
   Environmental Demands and Exposure to Hazards: Works in a clean, well- lighted, heated or ventilated facility. No routine exposure to hazards. Position may have occasional exposure to blood, body substances, infectious materials, chemical hazards, vibration, radiation, slippery surfaces, or noise that may result from performance of duties.
   Physical Demands: Demonstrates physical and functional ability to perform full anatomical range of motion to accomplish tasks. Evidence of visual and aural acuity and finger and hand dexterity to operate computer and office equipment. Can withstand long periods of sitting, standing and/or constant walking. Ability to lift 25 lbs.
   Mental Demands: Ability to foster collaborative relationships, to work well under pressure, to organize and synthesize new information, and prioritize tasks. Possesses critical thinking, analytical skills and flexibility. Ability to multi-task. Required detailed attention to work in an environment where interruptions cannot be controlled. Demonstrates sensitivity to customer needs and expectations. May be subject to irregular hours including evenings or potentially weekends to participate in operational and community events as necessary.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right administrative director for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with administrative director candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   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 administrative director

   Once you've found the administrative director 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   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 an administrative director?