How to hire a business developer

How to hire a business developer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step business developer hiring guide:

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

What does a business developer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your business developer 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 a business developer 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

   A business developer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, business developers 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.

   Here's a comparison of business developer salaries for various roles:

   Type of Business Developer	Description	Hourly rate
   Business Developer		$31-75
   Small Business Consultant	A small business consultant specializes in developing and recommending strategies to optimize the daily operations of small businesses. They typically meet with clients to identify their needs and preferences, determine their short and long-term goals, perform market research and analysis to find business or client opportunities, determine the strengths and weaknesses of current processes, and implement solutions against problem areas... Show more	$16-31
   Business Consultant	A business consultant is a professional who works directly with business owners on developing a business plan and identifying their marketing needs. Business consultants offer business owners a wide range of services, such as supplementing existing staff, provide expertise in a specific market, and influencing other people... Show more	$30-56

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Healthcare
   • CRM
   • Customer Service
   • Work Ethic
   • Linkedin
   • Sales Process
   • Business Development
   • Project Management
   • Salesforce
   • Product Development
   • Client Relationships
   • Sales Cycle
   • Facebook
   • Relationship Building

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage all marketing and sales duties in Asia and Caribbean markets.
   • Manage pipeline within SalesForce and maintain accurate prospect/client information.
   • Manage logistics, control engineering and design, order placement, vendor relationships, customer utilization and technology.
   • Provide enterprise-wide e-business leadership for platform and product development, e-commerce & CRM solutions, and end-to-end customer acquisition strategies.
   • Establish a social media presence through Facebook & LinkedIn to increase marketability and develop a virtual community for the organization.
   • Implement the company from UK in Switzerland.

   More business developer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average business developer salary

   $101,635yearly

   $48.86 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level business developer salary

   $66,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average business developer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$139,791	$67
   2	Washington	$126,210	$61
   3	Maryland	$114,191	$55
   4	New York	$113,835	$55
   5	Kentucky	$112,350	$54
   6	Pennsylvania	$106,278	$51
   7	Georgia	$102,639	$49
   8	Indiana	$101,804	$49
   9	Massachusetts	$101,090	$49
   10	Wisconsin	$99,795	$48
   11	Ohio	$99,378	$48
   12	Illinois	$95,810	$46
   13	Arizona	$95,651	$46
   14	Nebraska	$94,981	$46
   15	North Carolina	$94,611	$45
   16	Virginia	$94,135	$45
   17	Minnesota	$91,816	$44
   18	Colorado	$89,801	$43
   19	Tennessee	$89,785	$43
   20	Texas	$86,719	$42

   Average business developer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apple	$169,943	$81.70	47
   2	Discovery	$167,204	$80.39
   3	eBay	$164,119	$78.90
   4	PayPal	$163,969	$78.83	11
   5	Meta	$161,485	$77.64	213
   6	Forest City Realty Trust	$159,805	$76.83
   7	Cravath	$154,279	$74.17
   8	Amazon	$153,702	$73.90	387
   9	Redfin	$153,179	$73.64	7
   10	Slalom	$148,765	$71.52	112
   11	Concentrix	$148,636	$71.46	6
   12	Sojern	$146,272	$70.32
   13	Ziff Davis	$142,578	$68.55
   14	Commonwealth	$141,819	$68.18
   15	Square	$141,239	$67.90
   16	Frito-Lay	$140,760	$67.67
   17	Sophos	$140,338	$67.47	11
   18	American Tower	$139,470	$67.05
   19	Palo Alto Networks	$138,003	$66.35	41
   20	Microsoft	$137,673	$66.19	43

4. Writing a business developer job description

   A job description for a business developer 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 business developer job description:

   Business developer job description example

   + Supports the company's strategic planning process by providing research, analysis and recommendations in support of strategic growth.
   
   + Supports marketing activities including market analysis, data gathering, competitive analysis and research, business case support, presentations, and support of product marketing activity including any required updates
   
   + Plays a key role in the company's innovation and technology growth initiative including providing process support.
   
   + Serves as liaison, collaborate and maintain strong working relationships with key personnel from each business segment/unit while efficiently managing project resources.
   Qualifications:
   
   + Bachelor's Degree in a technical discipline (Engineering, Information Technology, Computer Science, etc.), Business Administration/Management, Marketing, Business Development, Engineering, or related field
   
   + GPA of 3.0 or greater
   
   Preferred Skills:
   
   + Familiarity with Department of Defense business processes
   
   + Excellent written, verbal, presentation and interpersonal communication skills highly desired
   
   + MS-Excel and MS-PowerPoint skills
   
   + Results-oriented, takes the initiative mentality
   
   + Demonstrates a highly analytical work ethic/approach
   
   + Fast learner with the ability to take initial direction and self-manage to complete assignments on time and to expectations
   
   + Highly collaborative team player
   
   + Pragmatic with a strong analytical and problem-solving ability. Ability to devise logical methods/approaches
   
   + Strong project management skills, including demonstrated ability to think end-to-end and manage multiple priorities/projects simultaneously
   
   L3Harris Technologies is proud to be an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. L3Harris is committed to treating all employees and applicants for employment with respect and dignity and maintaining a workplace that is free from unlawful discrimination. All applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or other related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, characteristic or membership in any other group protected by federal, state or local laws. L3Harris maintains a drug-free workplace and performs pre-employment substance abuse testing and background checks, where permitted by law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find business developers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any business developers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level business developers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with business developer 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.

   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 business developer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the business developer 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   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 a business developer?