How to hire a biology instructor

How to hire a biology instructor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step biology instructor hiring guide:

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

What does a biology instructor do?

Post a biology instructor job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the biology instructor you need to hire. Certain biology instructor 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

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

   Type of Biology Instructor	Description	Hourly rate
   Biology Instructor	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.	$17-43
   Science Faculty Member	A science faculty member teaches the science subject and facilitates laboratory activities. They can work in elementary schools, high schools, and even colleges and universities... Show more	$18-60
   Biology Faculty Member	A biology faculty member specializes in teaching biological science to students. Their responsibilities revolve around delivering effective classroom discussions, preparing lesson and coursework plans, creating learning materials such as presentations and handouts, conducting tests and examinations, organizing laboratory activities and practices, and assisting students in areas they find difficult... Show more	$19-43

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Anatomy
   • Student Learning
   • Lab Experiments
   • Biology Courses
   • Professional Development
   • General Biology
   • Syllabus
   • Curriculum Development
   • Molecular Biology
   • Mathematics
   • Classroom Management
   • Course Materials
   • Genetics
   • Introductory Biology

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage studies to meet FDA approval of new medical devices, drugs, materials, and techniques.
   • Manage externally fund genome sequencing projects as a principal investigator.
   • Lead and engage students in case study discussions regarding physiological scenarios.
   • Repair, maintain, and oversee use of FT-IR, NMR, GC/MS, UV-Vis, and GC instrumentation.
   • Design specific PCR primers using Oligo software.
   • Create a laboratory program for this course.

   More biology instructor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your biology instructor job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A biology instructor salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, biology instructors' average salary in washington is 49% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level biology instructors earn 59% less than senior-level biology instructors.
   • Certifications. A biology instructor with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a biology instructor's salary.

   Average biology instructor salary

   $58,811yearly

   $28.27 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level biology instructor salary

   $37,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

   Average biology instructor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$85,956	$41
   2	New York	$81,164	$39
   3	Illinois	$78,660	$38
   4	Nevada	$67,422	$32
   5	Virginia	$61,535	$30
   6	Louisiana	$60,781	$29
   7	Iowa	$59,732	$29
   8	Minnesota	$59,689	$29
   9	Colorado	$58,536	$28
   10	Alabama	$58,101	$28
   11	Florida	$57,888	$28
   12	Texas	$56,430	$27
   13	South Carolina	$55,549	$27
   14	Oregon	$55,514	$27
   15	Wyoming	$55,463	$27
   16	Nebraska	$52,169	$25
   17	North Carolina	$45,986	$22
   18	Washington	$42,224	$20

   Average biology instructor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Kern Community College District	$104,915	$50.44	58
   2	Yeshiva University	$93,379	$44.89	44
   3	Skidmore College	$82,820	$39.82	7
   4	SUNY-ESF	$76,703	$36.88
   5	Victoria College	$71,940	$34.59	17
   6	UT Health East Texas	$71,069	$34.17
   7	PSEA	$68,418	$32.89	111
   8	Loyola Marymount University	$65,565	$31.52	17
   9	Dillard University	$64,801	$31.15	9
   10	Shaw University	$64,271	$30.90	16
   11	UT Health San Antonio	$64,254	$30.89	1
   12	Minnesota State Colleges and Universities	$64,133	$30.83
   13	University of Nebraska at Omaha	$64,043	$30.79	68
   14	Westchester Community College	$63,280	$30.42	33
   15	University of Virginia	$63,047	$30.31	102
   16	University of Nebraska System	$62,255	$29.93
   17	Saint Paul College	$61,177	$29.41	1
   18	Pacific Architects and Engineers	$60,479	$29.08
   19	Laramie County Community College	$60,425	$29.05
   20	Clarion University of Pennsylvania	$60,316	$29.00

4. Writing a biology instructor job description

   A job description for a biology instructor role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a biology instructor job description:

   Biology instructor job description example

   Dillard University, classified by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education as a balanced Arts and Sciences sciences/ professions institution, located in the culturally rich and diverse city of New Orleans, Louisiana invites qualified applicants to apply for the position of Adjunct Instructor of Biology in the School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), for the Fall 2022 semester.

   Biology Part-Time Instructor

   Qualification :

   A Ph.D., M.S. or M.A. in any field of biology or science education from an accredited institution is required.

   Job Description :

   This is a biology adjunct/ part-time position. The appointment is effective August 2022 . This position reports to the Chairperson of the School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

   Job Requirements:

   Teaching responsibilities will include up to 9 hours lecture and/ or lab per week.

   Deadline:

   Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the positions are filled. The positions begin August 2022.

   Application: Applications should be submitted via the Employment webpage located on the Dillard University website. Complete applications consist of a cover letter, curriculum vitae, one-page statement of teaching philosophy, unofficial transcript of highest degree earned (official transcripts will be required later of all finalists), and three letters of recommendation describing the applicant's teaching skills.

   Dillard University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Individuals who require reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act in order to participate in the search process should notify the Office of Human Resources.

   Summary of Part-time Faculty Member Duties and Job Requirements

   Academic Advising Part-time faculty members do not serve as student academic advisors.

   Environment Part-time faculty member’s work in classrooms, offices, labs and related venues to accomplish educational and research activities.

   Meetings Part-time faculty members are not expected to attend and participate in program, school, college and General Assembly meetings.

   Office Hours Part-time faculty members are not required to schedule officer hours; however, they are asked to make themselves available either immediately before or after class meetings.

   Physical Requirements Communicate with students, staff and colleagues. Read academic texts and materials, student papers, etc. Operate personal computer and audio-visual equipment. Stand or sit for up to one to three hours at a time. Fly or drive to off-site meetings or conference. Move around campus for classes and meetings. Other requirements as specified by a job description.

   Scholarly Activity Each part-time faculty member is expected to stay current in his/her field.

   Teaching Part-time faculty members may be assigned up to nine credit hours each semester. Part-time faculty members are expected to prepare for and meet their teaching responsibilities for every class.

   University/Community Service At his/her discretion, part-time faculty members may participate in activities relating to university programs, courses, governance, etc., or community activities which impact on, or are impacted by, the University and which contribute to the growth and development of student, the university and the community.

   Hiring Manger Dr. Lovell Agwaramgbo

   cc Shareen Tuircuit

   Powered by JazzHR

   mUgWbYmNYN

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right biology instructor 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 biology instructor job on Zippia to find and attract quality biology instructor candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting biology instructors 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.

   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 biology instructor

   Once you have selected a candidate for the biology instructor 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.

   To prepare for the new biology instructor 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a biology instructor?