How to hire a bioinformatics specialist

How to hire a bioinformatics specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step bioinformatics specialist hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a bioinformatics specialist, 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

   A bioinformatics specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, bioinformatics specialists 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 bioinformatics specialist salaries for various positions.

   Type of Bioinformatics Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Bioinformatics Specialist		$22-57
   Genomics Scientist	Genomics scientists are healthcare professionals who are responsible for examining the samples of the nucleic acid of patients to identify genetic and genomic alterations that may cause inherited diseases or conditions. These scientists are required to examine cells for possible anomalies in the fetus where single-gene disorders have been identified through DNA analysis of families... Show more	$26-68

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Python
   • Next-Generation Sequencing
   • RNA-seq
   • Genome
   • NGS
   • Linux
   • Unix
   • Perl
   • Software Development
   • Java
   • Visualization
   • HPC
   • Exome
   • Web Application

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Collaborate on project to develop LIMS for managing biochemical assays and analyses.
   • Develop web base application to support LIMS system.
   • Conduct LNG pipe-in-pipe size optimization by calculating materials, instrumentation, transportation, construction and installation cost.
   • Support Abbott EHS personnel and manufacturing plants for industrial hygiene monitoring and ergonomic reviews.

   More bioinformatics specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the bioinformatics specialist job description is a good way to get more applicants. A bioinformatics specialist 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 a bioinformatics specialist in Oklahoma may be lower than in Maryland, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level bioinformatics specialist. Additionally, a bioinformatics specialist with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average bioinformatics specialist salary

   $75,496yearly

   $36.30 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level bioinformatics specialist salary

   $47,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

   Average bioinformatics specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Maryland	$93,805	$45
   2	Massachusetts	$90,967	$44
   3	California	$88,108	$42
   4	New Jersey	$88,102	$42
   5	New York	$84,464	$41
   6	Texas	$82,214	$40
   7	Michigan	$80,962	$39
   8	Virginia	$80,926	$39
   9	Illinois	$76,729	$37
   10	Washington	$72,981	$35
   11	Georgia	$70,083	$34
   12	Missouri	$69,059	$33
   13	Pennsylvania	$67,688	$33
   14	Arkansas	$65,769	$32
   15	Oklahoma	$63,478	$31

   Average bioinformatics specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Genentech	$127,252	$61.18
   2	Booz Allen Hamilton	$100,896	$48.51	2
   3	Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center	$93,582	$44.99
   4	Quest Diagnostics	$90,842	$43.67	4
   5	Kforce	$85,959	$41.33	2
   6	Massachusetts General Hospital	$85,895	$41.30
   7	ANJANEYAP	$85,539	$41.12
   8	Stanford University	$83,259	$40.03	1
   9	Fred Hutch	$82,945	$39.88
   10	The Rockefeller University	$82,822	$39.82	1
   11	Mission Bio	$81,819	$39.34
   12	The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania	$81,158	$39.02
   13	Medical Science & Computing, LLC	$81,158	$39.02
   14	Partners Healthcare Solutions Inc	$81,158	$39.02
   15	Greenwood Genetic Center	$79,319	$38.13
   16	La Jolla Institute for Immunology	$78,975	$37.97
   17	HHMI	$78,952	$37.96
   18	Children's Hospital Colorado	$78,555	$37.77
   19	Fox Chase Cancer Center	$76,098	$36.59
   20	Children's Hospital of Philadelphia	$73,383	$35.28

4. Writing a bioinformatics specialist job description

   A good bioinformatics specialist 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 a bioinformatics specialist job description:

   Bioinformatics specialist job description example

   The Bioinformatics Specialist I helps to advance computational component of biomedical research at the department and throughout the hospital. Works closely with other investigators to answer key biological questions by performing genome scale computational analyses. The background must demonstrate a proven ability to work collaboratively and perform high quality analyses of large-scale experimental data in a timely manner. Contributes code to shared computational infrastructure and is expected to meet high software development standards. Evaluates existing computational methods and serve as a knowledge resource to collaborators seeking advice about the best tool for a particular problem.
   
   In addition, under the supervision of the Director and with the help of senior members, manages research collaborations, designs Bioinformatics workflows, selects tools and statistical approaches, and executes projects. Demonstrates good understanding of biological problems and in-depth knowledge of computational methods for next-generation sequencing analysis. Demonstrates mature interpersonal skills in communicating with collaborators and driving collaborative research.
   KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
   
   * Provides collaborative advanced Bioinformatics analysis in support for the research projects at the Department of Molecular Biology and Partners in general
   * Drives the Bioinformatics component of the collaborative projects using computation (Linux/Unix environment, Perl, Python, R, or other scripting languages), statistics, good understanding of biological problems, and in-depth knowledge of methods for the analysis of high-throughput biomedical data, with the primary emphasis on next-generation sequencing methods
   
   * Interprets and translates computational results into biologically relevant conclusions and hypotheses. Discusses biological questions, problems, and outcomes with wet-lab collaborators
   * Addresses scientific ideas and questions of wet-lab collaborators and implements of them in Bioinformatics workflows in real time under the guidance of the Director
   * Clearly and succinctly communicates basic ideas and design of performed computational analyses to biologists and clinicians
   * Works on his/her own Bioinformatics research projects in connection with the Director and senior members
   
   SKILLS NECESSARY:
   
   * Expertise in genomic data analysis - particularly ChIP-seq, RNA-seq, polymorphism discovery, and other NGS methods.
   * Demonstrated understanding of statistics.
   * Expertise working in Unix/Linux environments.
   * Experience with Perl, Python, or other scripting languages.
   * Excellent skills in oral presentation and good writing skills; ability to clearly and succinctly communicate basic ideas of computational analyses to biologists and clinicians.
   * Strong ability and experience in interpreting computational results and translating these results into biologically relevant conclusions and hypotheses.
   
   COMPENTENCIES/LICENSES/DEGREE/EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:
   
   * BS in computational biology, bioinformatics, cell biology, or a related field required, MS or PHD strongly preferred.
   
   * Minimum 2 years of directly related experience expected.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right bioinformatics specialist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with bioinformatics specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit bioinformatics specialists who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with bioinformatics specialist 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.

   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 bioinformatics specialist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the bioinformatics specialist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new bioinformatics specialist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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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