How to hire an associate program manager

How to hire an associate program manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step associate program manager hiring guide:

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

What does an associate program manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the associate program manager you need to hire. Certain associate program manager 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an associate program manager 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 an associate program manager that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of associate program manager salaries for various roles:

   Type of Associate Program Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Associate Program Manager		$18-49
   Club Manager	A club manager is responsible for overseeing club operations, delegating tasks to the club staff, and ensuring that the team provides the highest customer service and satisfaction for the guests. Club managers inspect the stability of technical tools and equipment, including the adequacy of inventory and food and beverage stocks... Show more	$12-35
   Program Director	Program directors are employees who oversee all aspects of a specific program in the company. They usually work in nonprofit organizations or are assigned to a department doing corporate social responsibility activities... Show more	$24-62

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • Customer Service
   • Program Management
   • PowerPoint
   • Professional Development
   • Data Analysis
   • Data Collection
   • HR
   • Data Entry
   • Salesforce
   • Facebook
   • Good Judgment
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Business Development

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and supervise a staff of two senior coordinators.
   • Manage the RF vendor installation and test of the BTS equipment.
   • Foster engagement with MSP and purchasing groups to achieve mutual objectives.
   • Lead the planning and execution of quarterly KPIs according to company objectives.
   • Manage content and promotions on sprint.com/business pages and the online sales portals.
   • Manage all regional DHS grants and conduct audits and trainings for grantees on grant management, reporting and financial forecasting.

   More associate program manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your associate program manager job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An associate program manager 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 associate program manager in Oklahoma may be lower than in California, and an entry-level associate program manager usually earns less than a senior-level associate program manager. Additionally, an associate program manager 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 associate program manager salary

   $62,843yearly

   $30.21 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level associate program manager salary

   $38,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 19, 2026

   Average associate program manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$102,717	$49
   2	Rhode Island	$89,632	$43
   3	Massachusetts	$88,243	$42
   4	Connecticut	$79,625	$38
   5	Delaware	$78,818	$38
   6	Washington	$78,022	$38
   7	Nevada	$75,122	$36
   8	Maryland	$73,908	$36
   9	Virginia	$71,101	$34
   10	Montana	$70,778	$34
   11	New Hampshire	$69,297	$33
   12	New York	$68,709	$33
   13	Oregon	$66,693	$32
   14	Iowa	$66,047	$32
   15	Pennsylvania	$64,549	$31
   16	West Virginia	$63,532	$31
   17	Illinois	$63,338	$30
   18	Ohio	$62,232	$30
   19	District of Columbia	$61,762	$30
   20	Arizona	$59,783	$29

   Average associate program manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$123,742	$59.49	330
   2	Google	$116,734	$56.12	186
   3	Cepheid	$116,504	$56.01
   4	Yahoo	$113,757	$54.69
   5	First Republic Bank	$113,542	$54.59
   6	Microsoft	$112,488	$54.08	142
   7	U.S. Pharmacopeia	$110,807	$53.27	1
   8	NuVasive	$110,396	$53.08
   9	Parexel International	$107,657	$51.76	56
   10	J.P. Morgan	$105,029	$50.49
   11	Tesla	$103,118	$49.58	3
   12	Workday	$102,101	$49.09	10
   13	Morgan Stanley	$101,730	$48.91	42
   14	M&T Bank	$100,544	$48.34	38
   15	Uber Technologies	$100,258	$48.20	2
   16	LinkedIn	$99,508	$47.84	27
   17	The TJX Companies	$97,813	$47.03	4
   18	Foundation Medicine	$97,806	$47.02	5
   19	Abbott	$96,271	$46.28	36
   20	Prudential Bank	$94,227	$45.30	4

4. Writing an associate program manager job description

   An associate program manager 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 associate program manager job description:

   Associate program manager job description example

   MedscapeLIVE!, a Medscape Company, delivers MD and HCP audiences across all therapeutic areas. Access MDs and HCPs through MedscapeLIVE! Events.
   
   WebMD is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, ancestry, color, religion, sex, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, medical condition, disability, veterans status, or any other basis protected by law.
   
   At MedscapeLIVE! you will be responsible for managing project timelines, collaborating with multi-disciplinary work teams
   
   across the organization to enable flawless execution of live events and client satisfaction The applicant should be a
   
   highly organized individual with the ability to prioritize and excel in a deadline-driven environment. The applicant should
   
   also have excellent technical, problem-solving, critical thinking, and conflict resolution skills and be adept at internalizing
   and distilling issues and providing real-time guidance to team members. What You'll Do: Lead virtual conferences, leveraging technical and event expertise to produce high quality, tailored events in various therapeutic areas Manage full-scale, detailed project timeline using an internal project management tool to track project milestones, deliverables, and critical tasks with other departments to ensure projects are delivered on time and within scope Lead weekly status meetings with the core project team throughout the project lifecycle to ensure the project is on track and address areas of concerns on vertical timelines and technical challenges Manage overall customer event experience which may include coordination of content delivery, event production, organizing and building exhibitor/sponsor virtual booths, updating virtual event platforms and scheduling pre-records Responsible for ongoing reporting related to expense reconciliations, and post-event reporting (outcomes, registration, and overall project performance) Keep up-to-date on virtual event technology, and capabilities to assist in new business opportunities and internal training and development Who You Are: A person who obtains satisfaction in delivering projects on time and within scope Someone who thrives in leveraging technology to make the job easier Someone who excels at developing and fostering positive working relationships A true team player who jumps in and tackles any tasks Comfortable in a highly deadline-driven environment, and able to pivot quickly between tasks and adapt to rapidly shifting priorities Someone who has the ability to work overtime or travel, as needed Qualifications: Bachelor degree required 2 years of event or program management experience that includes 1-2 years of experience in virtual events Experience in the healthcare or medical education environment strongly preferred Strong technical knowledge in virtual and streaming platforms Prior working experience in Aventri and Workfront is a plus Experience with internal and external client-facing projects High professionalism, ability to work independently, and easy rapport in building collaborative work relationships Outstanding time management and organizational skills and possess an eye for details Ability to work under tight deadlines in a high pressure environment Excellent verbal communication, writing, and grammar skills

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find associate program managers 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 associate program manager job on Zippia to find and recruit associate program manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit associate program managers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 associate program manager

   Once you've selected the best associate program manager 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 an associate program manager?