How to hire a cancer researcher

How to hire a cancer researcher, step by step

Here's a step-by-step cancer researcher hiring guide:

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

What does a cancer researcher do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The cancer researcher hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   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 a cancer researcher 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 a cancer researcher that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of cancer researcher salaries for various roles:

   Type of Cancer Researcher	Description	Hourly rate
   Cancer Researcher	Medical scientists conduct research aimed at improving overall human health. They often use clinical trials and other investigative methods to reach their findings.	$22-56
   Fellow	A fellow's responsibility will depend on the organization or industry where one belongs. However, most of the time, a fellow's duty will revolve around conducting research and analysis, presiding discussions and attending dialogues, handle lectures while complying with the guidelines or tasks set by supervisors, and assist in various projects and activities... Show more	$22-44
   Doctoral Fellow	A doctoral fellow is a physician that has completed studies and receives a fellowship to cover his/her or her expenses while completing his/her or her medical dissertation. A doctor fellow undergoes this fellowship to get additional training for their chosen sub-specialty... Show more	$18-34

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Clinical Research
   • Clinical Trials
   • Data Collection
   • Patient Care
   • Informed Consent
   • Stem Cells
   • Molecular Biology
   • Data Analysis
   • NIH
   • Gene Expression
   • IRB
   • Research Projects
   • DNA

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage mouse colonies (breeding, weaning and genotyping).
   • Create Linux shell scripts to automate common process which severely reduce manual work load and processing time for the entire lab.
   • Perform quantitative analysis of DNA, RNA, and the use of RT-PCR.
   • Perform clerical duties in accordance with HIPAA regulations.
   • Inscribe and design genotyping protocols for new studies using rare Finnish DNA samples.
   • Bill workers compensation, no-fault, HMO, commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid.

   More cancer researcher duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average cancer researcher salary

   $73,896yearly

   $35.53 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level cancer researcher salary

   $46,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average cancer researcher salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$119,672	$58
   2	New Jersey	$83,508	$40
   3	Massachusetts	$81,570	$39
   4	Washington	$80,498	$39
   5	Oregon	$79,782	$38
   6	Tennessee	$75,201	$36
   7	Minnesota	$74,662	$36
   8	Maryland	$70,695	$34
   9	Colorado	$69,890	$34
   10	New York	$67,308	$32
   11	Wisconsin	$66,343	$32
   12	Pennsylvania	$64,807	$31
   13	Virginia	$62,763	$30
   14	Utah	$62,178	$30
   15	Florida	$58,868	$28
   16	Illinois	$56,805	$27
   17	North Carolina	$53,671	$26
   18	Michigan	$51,884	$25
   19	Texas	$51,212	$25
   20	Georgia	$49,512	$24

   Average cancer researcher salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	AstraZeneca	$87,537	$42.09	3
   2	Motion Recruitment	$81,332	$39.10
   3	HealthTrust	$79,686	$38.31
   4	Planet Pharma	$75,183	$36.15	1
   5	Univ. Of Texas Cancer Ctr.	$73,481	$35.33	110
   6	Columbia University in the City of New York	$71,528	$34.39	24
   7	Cedars-Sinai	$67,293	$32.35	106
   8	Illumina	$67,179	$32.30
   9	University of Tennessee	$65,307	$31.40	20
   10	University of California	$63,144	$30.36	22
   11	UC Santa Barbara	$63,040	$30.31
   12	University Of Minnesota Physicians	$62,014	$29.81	1
   13	Northwestern University	$61,246	$29.45	21
   14	Virginia Mason Medical Center	$60,519	$29.10
   15	American Cancer Society	$59,512	$28.61
   16	Providence Health & Services	$58,986	$28.36	3
   17	Orlando Health	$58,783	$28.26	4
   18	Dana-Farber Cancer Institute	$58,676	$28.21	37
   19	Massachusetts General Hospital	$56,559	$27.19	3
   20	Rutgers University	$56,127	$26.98	179

4. Writing a cancer researcher job description

   A cancer researcher 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 a cancer researcher job description:

   Cancer researcher job description example

   This Lead Researcher position in the lab of Dr. Liqin Zhu in the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is seeking a dedicated and motivated cancer researcher, ideally with a Ph.D. degree in the field of life science, to investigate the biological mechanisms driving the metastasis and relapse of pediatric and adult liver cancer.
   
   The metastatic and recurrent forms of liver cancer are often incurable. The efforts to develop more effective treatment have been hampered by the lack of relevant model systems for detailed biological investigation these advanced forms of liver cancer. Our laboratory has established multiple mouse and organoid models of different liver cancer subtypes and have identified intriguing cellular and molecular plasticity of liver cancer cells responsible for their dissemination and drug resistance. We are looking for a motivated researcher with extensive experience with 2D and 3D cultures of human and mouse tumor cells, tumor transplantation models and gene functional analysis to work on the underlying mechanisms driving metastatic and recurrent liver cancer. Basic bioinformatic skills are welcome but not required.
   Minimum Education
   
   * Bachelor's degree in relevant scientific area is required
   * Ph.D. preferred
   
   Minimum Experience
   
   * Five (5) years of relevant, post-degree work experience is required with a Bachelor's degree
   * Two (2) years of relevant post-degree work experience is required with a Master's degree
   * No experience is required with a Ph.D.
   * Training in in vitro and in vivo models of cancer
   * Experience in molecular cancer biology
   
   Other Information
   
   St. Jude is an Equal Opportunity Employer
   
   No Search Firms:
   
   St. Jude Children's Research Hospital does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. Please do not call or email. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee or other representative at St. Jude via email, the internet or in any form and/or method without a valid written search agreement in place and approved by HR will result in no fee being paid in the event the candidate is hired by St. Jude.
   
   COVID-19 vaccine:
   
   St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has mandated the COVID-19 vaccine for all employees, excluding those with an approved medical or religious accommodation, as a condition of employment.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit cancer researchers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up 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 cancer researcher

   Once you've decided on a perfect cancer researcher candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your 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 cancer researcher. 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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How much does it cost to hire a cancer researcher?