How to hire an assistant professor

How to hire an assistant professor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step assistant professor hiring guide:

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

What does an assistant professor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an assistant professor, 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

   An assistant professor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, assistant professors 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of assistant professors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Assistant Professor	Description	Hourly rate
   Assistant Professor	Postsecondary teachers instruct students in a wide variety of academic and career and technical subjects beyond the high school level. They also conduct research and publish scholarly papers and books.	$24-72
   Faculty	A faculty member is a professional whose primary responsibility is to provide teaching and research to students in colleges and universities. Faculties must work with colleagues to design a curriculum to keep up with the changes in the discipline... Show more	$20-73
   Faculty Member	A faculty member is responsible for teaching students a wide range of both vocational and academic subjects. As a faculty member, you will teach and impart knowledge to your students and help them with the learning process and knowledge application... Show more	$27-88

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Public Health
   • Pediatrics
   • Curriculum Development
   • Research Projects
   • Professional Development
   • C++
   • Social Work
   • Literature
   • Rehabilitation
   • Economics
   • Physiology
   • Mathematics
   • Psychiatry

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead outreach to community and statewide stakeholders in the PPCC entrepreneurship program.
   • Used blackboard online to manage students tests, grade papers and assign materials.
   • Develop courses in immunology and research ethics, and develop super laboratory courses in cellular physiology and molecular biology.
   • Conduct research using molecular biology, genetics, histochemistry, cell biology, biochemistry.
   • Chair psychology and sociology departments, teach psychology classes, revise student practicum program, establish outreach mechanisms to reach alternative students
   • Serve as professor for humanities and sociology.

   More assistant professor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the assistant professor job description is a good way to get more applicants. An assistant professor salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an assistant professor in Kentucky may be lower than in Hawaii, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level assistant professor. Additionally, an assistant professor with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average assistant professor salary

   $87,099yearly

   $41.87 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level assistant professor salary

   $50,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

   Average assistant professor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$111,958	$54
   2	Massachusetts	$107,713	$52
   3	Maryland	$104,498	$50
   4	Texas	$104,237	$50
   5	Ohio	$101,767	$49
   6	New York	$101,188	$49
   7	Louisiana	$99,991	$48
   8	Washington	$99,319	$48
   9	Utah	$98,191	$47
   10	Florida	$95,714	$46
   11	Connecticut	$93,662	$45
   12	Pennsylvania	$93,254	$45
   13	California	$92,853	$45
   14	Indiana	$92,459	$44
   15	Georgia	$92,059	$44
   16	Mississippi	$88,991	$43
   17	Arizona	$88,128	$42
   18	Virginia	$87,523	$42
   19	Missouri	$86,798	$42
   20	Minnesota	$84,984	$41

   Average assistant professor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	UT Medical Group, Inc.	$226,859	$109.07
   2	Loma Linda University Health	$223,752	$107.57	13
   3	UCI Health	$220,903	$106.20	1
   4	Baylor College of Medicine	$217,204	$104.42
   5	National Jewish Health	$214,768	$103.25	2
   6	IU Health Inc	$210,986	$101.44	1
   7	University of Mississippi Medical Center	$207,558	$99.79	11
   8	SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University	$206,591	$99.32	81
   9	UC Health	$205,934	$99.01
   10	UTHealth	$205,316	$98.71	62
   11	Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic	$196,754	$94.59
   12	OSU Physicians	$191,546	$92.09
   13	Thomas Jefferson University	$191,444	$92.04
   14	The University of Kansas Health System	$191,137	$91.89	10
   15	Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital	$189,609	$91.16	3
   16	Pediatric Academic Assoc	$186,792	$89.80
   17	McLaren Health Care	$185,956	$89.40
   18	USA Healthcare	$184,994	$88.94	1
   19	University of Maryland, Baltimore	$184,207	$88.56	144
   20	Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center	$182,356	$87.67	58

4. Writing an assistant professor job description

   An assistant professor 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 assistant professor job description:

   Assistant professor job description example

   
   

   Teaching load for this position is 4/4 (12 credit hours) per semester, 75% in one or more of four Signature Learning courses: an introduction to religion required of all undergraduates, a first-year seminar reflecting area of specialization, and 300-level courses in humanities and in global systems reflecting area of specialization that will be cross-listed as religion electives. Courses to be taught in addition to those in Signature Learning might include Introduction to Asian Religions , Advanced Asian Religion and Philosophy, Native American Religions , Mythology Around the World , and courses designed by the instructor .

   
   

   The successful candidate also will maintain an active profile of service and scholarship, provide academic advisement to students, participate on committees, and provide service to the university and profession .

   
   

   Applications should be submitted ApplicantPro by November 15, 2022, for full consideration. Preliminary Zoom interviews will begin mid-January.

   Submit: (1) a letter of interest that addresses your qualifications for the position and states how your teaching, scholarship, and service will support the university mission: Capital University transforms lives by empowering an inclusive community of learners through engaging academic, co-curricular, and professional experiences , (2) a curriculum vitae, (3) a statement of teaching philosophy and experience evincing best practices in student-centered pedagogy, and (4) a complete set of evaluations from one class. Applicants considered for preliminary interviews via Zoom will then be asked in early January to submit an unofficial graduate transcript, a separate statement (maximum 500 words) outlining how you would support Capital's goal of increasing the diversity of the Capital community and curriculum, and three letters of recommendation, including at least one letter that directly addresses teaching experience and expertise. If the Ph.D. will not be in hand by March 2023, the applicant must submit a letter from the dean of the applicant's graduate program indicating approval for graduation no later than August 2023. The contract will be contingent upon having the Ph.D. in hand.

   Please upload all forms listed above to the drop box included on the application.

   
   

   Capital University is enhanced by its location in the city of Columbus. Columbus is the 14th largest city in the nation, the fastest growing city in the Midwest, and Ohio's capital and most populated city. Rich in cultural diversity and the arts, Columbus is the center of the state's political activity, headquarters to several Fortune 500 companies, and ranks in Money magazine's picks of the ten best big cities. The tech and medical sectors in particular are growing.

   
   

   Capital University requires all employees in all positions to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 before the first day of employment. If hired, you will be required to provide proof of having the full COVID-19 vaccination OR file and be granted approval for a valid religious or medical exemption. If you have any concerns regarding compliance with this requirement, you will need to discuss your concerns with Capital University's HR Department after you receive an offer of employment. Capital University does not require applicants to discuss vaccination status prior to receipt of an offer of employment and complies with all applicable laws requiring reasonable accommodation.

   
   

   Capital University is committed to increasing the diversity of the Capital community and curriculum. This commitment includes Capital's dedication to the development of faculty and staff who are committed to inclusive practices in teaching, learning, working and all other campus and community interactions. Candidates who can contribute to that goal are particularly encouraged to apply.

   
   

   For more information on Capital University, visit our website at www.capital.edu .

   
   

   Capital University offers a rich benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, retirement, family education benefits, short-term and long-term disability, life insurance and free parking.

   
   
   Job Posted by ApplicantPro
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find assistant professors 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 assistant professors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level assistant professors 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 assistant professor job on Zippia to find and recruit assistant professor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting assistant professors requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you 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 assistant professor

   Once you've found the assistant professor 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 also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new assistant professor first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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