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How to hire a biology teacher

Biology teacher hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring biology teachers in the United States:

  • There are a total of 261,468 biology teachers in the US, and there are currently 68,958 job openings in this field.
  • The median cost to hire a biology teacher is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per biology teacher on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • Tucson, AZ, has the highest demand for biology teachers, with 4 job openings.

How to hire a biology teacher, step by step

To hire a biology teacher, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire a biology teacher, you should follow these steps:

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

What does a biology teacher do?

A biology teacher specializes in teaching biology to students at learning institutions. Their duties consist of developing lesson and assessment plans, preparing teaching materials such as handouts and presentations, conducting tests and examinations, grading the students' papers and homework, and monitoring their academic progress and behavior. They must also organize laboratory activities and demonstrations, supervise the students in various procedures, and implement the laboratory rules and regulations to maintain a safe and effective learning environment for everyone.

Learn more about the specifics of what a biology teacher does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you start hiring a biology teacher, 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?

    Hiring the perfect biology teacher also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

    This list presents biology teacher salaries for various positions.

    Type of Biology TeacherDescriptionHourly rate
    Biology TeacherHigh school teachers help prepare students for life after graduation. They teach academic lessons and various skills that students will need to attend college and to enter the job market.$17-35
    English Language Arts TeacherEnglish language teachers are in charge of establishing a classroom setting that advance in each student the skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking. They assist in the development and recognition of fine literature of all types, inspire students to read extensively for information and recreation, and develop guidelines for analytical judgment of written and oral communication... Show more$17-29
    Language Arts TeacherA language arts teacher is responsible for teaching the English language to the students, improving their written and oral English communication by sharing the best practices, conducting engaging lesson plans, assigning group activities, and providing comprehensive educational materials. Language arts teachers strictly adhere to the learning curriculum, as well as monitoring the students' progress through individual evaluation, identifying their areas of improvement, and adjust learning strategies to address the difficulties... Show more$19-31
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Classroom Management
    • Science Curriculum
    • Student Learning
    • Public Schools
    • Lab Experiments
    • Learning Environment
    • Professional Development
    • Instructional Materials
    • Chemistry
    • Anatomy
    • Physiology
    • Student Achievement
    • Content Knowledge
    • Instructional Strategies
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Plan and instruct human anatomy & physiology, genetics, and biology courses
    • Design and instruct the following courses: biology, anatomy and physiology, microbiology lab.
    • Revise plans for ESL and students with learning disabilities.
    • Help ESL students with their English and writing papers.
    • Involve in after school tutoring of mathematics for state standardize test.
    • Provide accommodations for students that have IEP's, and other learning barriers.
    More biology teacher duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your biology teacher job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A biology teacher 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 a biology teacher in Missouri may be lower than in Maryland, and an entry-level biology teacher usually earns less than a senior-level biology teacher. Additionally, a biology teacher 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 biology teacher salary

    $51,721yearly

    $24.87 hourly rate

    Entry-level biology teacher salary
    $36,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 23, 2026

    Average biology teacher salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1Maryland$82,871$40
    2New York$75,153$36
    3Massachusetts$74,164$36
    4New Jersey$72,307$35
    5Connecticut$71,870$35
    6Ohio$58,770$28
    7Virginia$58,701$28
    8California$56,593$27
    9Illinois$53,079$26
    10Georgia$52,557$25
    11Wisconsin$48,059$23
    12Washington$46,567$22
    13Texas$46,054$22
    14Florida$45,070$22
    15Kansas$39,073$19
    16Arizona$35,691$17
    17Oklahoma$33,441$16

    Average biology teacher salary by company

  4. Writing a biology teacher job description

    A good biology teacher 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 biology teacher job description:

    Biology teacher job description example

    We are currently accepting applications for the 2022-2023 school year!

    APPLY NOW!!!

    WHO WE ARE:

    At PLA, we share an unwavering belief and passion for educating and empowering scholars from under-served communities driven by our Core Values: children first, respect, determination, continuous improvement, and gratitude. Our approach to leading successful schools builds on over 20 years of experience running educational programs for children, the latest scientific research, and the best practices throughout the nation.

    To create this kind of vibrant learning community, we hire only the best of the best educators & industry leaders and invest heavily in our faculty through ongoing professional development and support. We value people like you, people with a dedication to excellence and a passion for helping all our scholars develop the knowledge, skills, and character necessary to succeed while fueling their aspirations for the future.

    PLA is an equal opportunity employer and participates in E-Verify in all states that require it.

    What Will You Do?

    • Establish a culture of high expectations that ensures that all scholars in the classroom meet their projected growth goals
    • Develop and implement lesson plans and classroom activities aligned with State Standards and PLA Instructional Guidelines
    • Assess students regularly and personalize classroom instruction based on assessment data and each scholar's needs
    • Communicate regularly with students and families and involve families as partners in their child’s education
    • Identify unique student needs and collaborate with team members to effectively address those needs and improve instructional practices throughout the school
    • Ensure scholar classroom retention of 80% during an academic school year

    Education and Experience:

    • Bachelor’s degree
    • Credential required OR Enrolled in an accredited teacher licensing program
    • Knowledge of child cognitive development and various learning styles
    • Ability to analyze qualitative and quantitative student data
    • Strength in using data to drive instruction
    • Willingness to align your mission with the vision of PLA’s Core Values.

    Why should you apply?
    PLA offers student loan forgiveness and support (for those that qualify), competitive salary and benefits, strong Professional Development, leverage & integrated technology, appreciation and recognition year-round, participation in free Summer Program & job training program for your dependents, and additional income opportunities.

    Please read carefully.

    Phalen Leadership Academies (PLA) is an equal opportunity employer. PLA does not discriminate in employment on account of race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship status, ancestry, age, sex (including sexual harassment), sexual orientation, marital status, physical or mental disability, military status or unfavorable discharge from military service.

    By completing this application you understand that neither the completion of this application nor any other part of my consideration for employment establishes any obligation for PLA to hire me. If hired, I understand that either PLA or I can terminate my employment at any time and for any reason, with or without cause and without prior notice. I understand that no representative of PLA has the authority to make any assurance to the contrary.

    You attest by applying to this position that you have given PLA true and complete information on this application. No requested information has been concealed. I authorize PLA to contact references provided for employment reference checks. If any information I have provided is untrue, or if I have concealed material information, I understand that this will constitute cause for the denial of employment or immediate dismissal.

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  5. Post your job

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

    During your first interview to recruit biology teachers, 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.

    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 teacher

    Once you've found the biology teacher 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 biology teacher 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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How much does it cost to hire a biology teacher?

Before you start to hire biology teachers, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire biology teachers pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

You can expect to pay around $51,721 per year for a biology teacher, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for biology teachers in the US typically range between $17 and $35 an hour.

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