How to hire an assistant professor of psychology

How to hire an assistant professor of psychology, step by step

Here's a step-by-step assistant professor of psychology 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 of psychology job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new assistant professor of psychology
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an assistant professor of psychology do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your assistant professor of psychology job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an assistant professor of psychology for hire on a part-time basis or as a 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 of psychology's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, assistant professors of psychology 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 presents assistant professor of psychology salaries for various positions.

   Type of Assistant Professor Of Psychology	Description	Hourly rate
   Assistant Professor Of Psychology	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.	$21-43
   Psychology Instructor	Psychology Instructors will enjoy a pay rate of $14K to #130 K per year, depending on the location of the work. To qualify for this position, a bachelor's degree in education or psychology, as well as a teaching certification and learning experience in the field... Show more	$20-38
   Professor	A professor is a teaching professional who provides instructions to students on various academic and vocational subjects in colleges, universities, and vocational schools. Professors design curriculums for courses and ensure that they meet college and department students... Show more	$42-134

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Clinical Psychology
   • Research Methods
   • APA
   • Social Psychology
   • Developmental Psychology
   • Professional Development
   • Cognitive Psychology
   • Undergraduate Research
   • Research Program
   • Multicultural
   • Psychology Faculty
   • Ethics
   • Sociology
   • General Psychology

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Used blackboard online to manage students tests, grade papers and assign materials.
   • Create companion website for classes with PowerPoint presentations, online assignments, and lecture notes.
   • Prepare the course outlines and syllabus for the courses updating information, adjusting requirements and changing course materials as needed.
   • Maintain student progress throughout semester.
   • Organize and coordinate seminar production and content.
   • Facilitate lectures and discussions in various psychology and sociology classes.

   More assistant professor of psychology duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the assistant professor of psychology job description is a good way to get more applicants. An assistant professor of psychology 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 of psychology in New Mexico may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level assistant professor of psychology. Additionally, an assistant professor of psychology with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average assistant professor of psychology salary

   $63,645yearly

   $30.60 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level assistant professor of psychology salary

   $44,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average assistant professor of psychology salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$93,298	$45
   2	Nevada	$81,108	$39
   3	Connecticut	$79,546	$38
   4	New York	$79,162	$38
   5	Illinois	$71,063	$34
   6	Indiana	$70,058	$34
   7	Massachusetts	$66,752	$32
   8	Oregon	$65,975	$32
   9	Pennsylvania	$64,936	$31
   10	Iowa	$64,688	$31
   11	Maryland	$64,105	$31
   12	North Dakota	$62,437	$30
   13	Virginia	$61,659	$30
   14	Missouri	$61,456	$30
   15	North Carolina	$61,051	$29
   16	Louisiana	$60,939	$29
   17	Ohio	$59,795	$29
   18	Florida	$58,639	$28
   19	Texas	$58,005	$28
   20	Oklahoma	$57,195	$28

   Average assistant professor of psychology salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Columbia University in the City of New York	$104,809	$50.39	85
   2	The George Washington University	$89,281	$42.92	1
   3	Pace University	$86,439	$41.56	17
   4	University of San Diego	$84,082	$40.42	14
   5	Princeton University	$84,053	$40.41	34
   6	Kaiser Permanente	$83,026	$39.92	21
   7	University of Detroit Mercy	$82,147	$39.49	11
   8	Skidmore College	$81,943	$39.40	3
   9	American Psychological Association	$81,937	$39.39
   10	Santa Clara University	$80,424	$38.67	27
   11	Fordham University	$80,083	$38.50	2
   12	Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs	$78,169	$37.58
   13	University of Mississippi Medical Center	$77,638	$37.33	7
   14	Williams College	$77,530	$37.27	1
   15	Brown University	$77,118	$37.08	7
   16	University of La Verne	$76,730	$36.89	25
   17	University of Louisiana at Lafayette	$75,490	$36.29	13
   18	Allegheny College	$75,199	$36.15
   19	The City University of New York	$75,190	$36.15	204
   20	Claremont McKenna College	$74,564	$35.85

4. Writing an assistant professor of psychology job description

   A good assistant professor of psychology job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an assistant professor of psychology job description:

   Assistant professor of psychology job description example

   The Department of Psychology located in the School of Sciences at Elizabethtown College invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track, 9-month Assistant Professor position in Psychology to begin August 1, 2023. We seek candidates with expertise in neuroscience.
   

   Elizabethtown College is committed to investing in the growth of the School of Sciences, which includes the Departments of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Psychology. Four tenure-track hires will be carried out in the School of Sciences this year, and the College is looking to hire diverse faculty to support our increasingly diverse student body. The School and faculty are committed to preparing students for lifelong learning, service, and professional outcomes. Approximately 30% of Elizabethtown College students are first-generation college students.
   

   The Psychology Department consists of faculty with expertise in cognitive, social, developmental, clinical/health psychology, and counseling psychology. We are also currently hiring an Assistant Professor of Psychology with expertise in Clinical/Counseling Psychology. The Department offers bachelor's degrees in Psychology and Neuroscience and a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology, and we are committed to providing students with a broad foundation in the field along with strong training in empirical research and writing. Our faculty are teacher-scholars who strive to create relationship-centered learning environments inside the classroom, in their active research labs, and/or in partnership with community organizations through internships and community-based learning experiences. More information about the department can be found at www.etown.edu/psychology .

   Job Duties:

   Department faculty seek a colleague who shares a commitment to undergraduate education and demonstrates potential for excellence in teaching and advising. The candidate will be expected to teach six courses per year, including Introduction to Neuroscience, advanced Neuroscience classes, and upper-level courses in their area of expertise. The ideal candidate will:

   · supervise undergraduate research

   · contribute to departmental and institutional service

   · have excellent interpersonal and communication skills and a commitment to collaboration

   · have teaching and / or scholarship that centers equity, belonging, and social justice

   · be able to teach, mentor, and support students from historically underrepresented groups

   We prefer candidates with the ability to contribute to the diversity of our department and institution, whether through personal experience, teaching, scholarship, or service.

   Applicants are expected to become excellent teachers and engaging research mentors and Elizabethtown College provides support through start-up funds, faculty mentorship, professional development and internal grant funding.

   Required Qualifications:

   A Ph.D. in Neuroscience or closely related field is required. ABD candidates who expect to complete their degree by August 2023 will be considered. We encourage members of historically marginalized groups to apply.
   

   To apply, candidates should submit a letter of interest; a curriculum vitae; statement of teaching philosophy; statement of research interests; a statement on diversity and inclusion that describes your interests, experience, and plans for promoting diversity and inclusion in the discipline; and email addresses for three (3) references. References will be contacted by Elizabethtown College to submit letters of recommendation electronically.

   Review of applications will begin on November 1, 2022 and will continue until the position is filled.

   PandoLogic. Keywords: Psychology - Assistant Professor, Location: Washington, DC - 20037

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find assistant professors of psychology for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your assistant professor of psychology job on Zippia to find and attract quality assistant professor of psychology candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with assistant professor of psychology 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 of psychology

   Once you've decided on a perfect assistant professor of psychology candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new assistant professor of psychology. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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 assistant professor of psychology?