How to hire a certifying scientist

How to hire a certifying scientist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step certifying scientist hiring guide:

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

What does a certifying scientist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the certifying scientist you need to hire. Certain certifying scientist 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

   Hiring the perfect certifying scientist 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 shows salaries for various types of certifying scientists.

   Type of Certifying Scientist	Description	Hourly rate
   Certifying Scientist	Medical scientists conduct research aimed at improving overall human health. They often use clinical trials and other investigative methods to reach their findings.	$27-70
   Quality Control	As the name entails, the job of a quality control inspector is to inspect, maintain, and improve the quality and standard of products. They are responsible for ensuring the company's reputation is not damaged due to defective products or inferior manufacturing processes... Show more	$11-21
   Quality Control Analyst	Quality assurance representatives are professionals who are responsible for ensuring the quality of units produced or manufactured is following the standards set by the industry. These representatives supervise the entire production process to identify erroneous methods or tools being used by workers and observing produced for visible defects... Show more	$19-41

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Ms
   • Test Results
   • LC
   • GC
   • CLIA
   • Samhsa
   • Analytical Data
   • Laboratory Results
   • Standard Operating Procedure
   • Litigation
   • Lims
   • GCMS
   • Data Review
   • Extraction

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage study protocols and study conduct, intimately involve in the toxicology and pharmacokinetic study protocol development process.
   • Review and report screening and confirmation data from GC/MS, and ELISA instruments in AlereApp (LIMS).
   • Back up extractions department when need, completing all procedures for SPE extractions and ELISA.
   • Maintain information input in to the ALERE App (LIMS) system and maintain instrument reports.
   • Perform supervisory role over extraction technicians.
   • Research and development of extraction and analysis methodologies.

   More certifying scientist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your certifying scientist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A certifying scientist can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, certifying scientists' average salary in iowa is 56% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level certifying scientists 60% less than senior-level certifying scientists.
   • Certifications. A certifying scientist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a certifying scientist's salary.

   Average certifying scientist salary

   $92,486yearly

   $44.46 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level certifying scientist salary

   $58,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average certifying scientist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$117,937	$57
   2	Arizona	$92,246	$44
   3	Washington	$82,921	$40
   4	Pennsylvania	$80,144	$39
   5	Minnesota	$78,826	$38
   6	New York	$78,500	$38
   7	Virginia	$71,972	$35
   8	Michigan	$71,039	$34
   9	North Carolina	$65,954	$32
   10	Georgia	$65,274	$31
   11	Texas	$62,604	$30
   12	Kansas	$57,229	$28

   Average certifying scientist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings	$104,474	$50.23	24
   2	Alere	$103,538	$49.78
   3	Clinical Reference Laboratory	$97,600	$46.92	1
   4	Lab Co	$92,808	$44.62	1
   5	Forensic Fluids Laboratories	$92,480	$44.46
   6	Abbott	$91,698	$44.09	18
   7	Quest Diagnostics	$90,755	$43.63	310
   8	Staff Icons	$90,323	$43.42
   9	Eurofins	$89,346	$42.95	84
   10	Kelly Services	$81,928	$39.39	29
   11	Castle Medical	$71,562	$34.40
   12	Cordant Health Solutions	$70,785	$34.03

4. Writing a certifying scientist job description

   A certifying scientist 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 certifying scientist job description:

   Certifying scientist job description example

   Scientist, Lab Positive Certifying - Norristown,PA
   
   This position, within the Forensic Toxicology Drug Testing Laboratory, reviews analytical data to ensure accuracy, completeness and defensibility of testing results and reporting documents prior to release of a result report.
   
   * Certifies negative and non-negative drug testing results according to the Laboratory's Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Manual.
   * Ensures that all test results reported by the laboratory are accurate and legally defensible.
   * Describes the standard drug testing procedures from point of collection to positive certification in a court of law.
   * Interacts with clients, medical review officers, call center representatives and sales staff in a professional manner in order to address any questions pertaining to the drug testing process.
   * Interacts with laboratory inspectors to demonstrate a detailed working knowledge of the lab SOPS, Quality Control practices, analytical procedures, test theory, reporting procedures, corrective actions and applicable regulations pertaining to screening, confirmation and specimen validity testing.
   * Provides appropriate feedback to the Supervisor and Responsible Person in order to assist in maintaining an accurate SOP.
   * Takes proper remedial action in response to test systems being out of control limits or detecting aberrant test or quality control results.
   * Functions as a technical resource for department personnel in all sections of the laboratory.
   * Follows work schedule as defined by the Certifying Scientist Supervisor.
   * Actively participates in department meetings by providing constructive feedback.
   * Participates in records management and retrieval, as required.
   * Maintains proficiency in technical testing areas.
   * Maintaining a working knowledge of all instrumentation associated with the initial test, adulteration test and confirmation test procedures in order to assist in troubleshooting measures.
   * Maintain a working knowledge of the accessioning procedures and protocols to ensure proper specimen and chain of custody handling.
   * Maintain a working knowledge of the theory and practice of all initial tests, adulteration test and confirmation test methods used in the laboratory.
   * Maintain a thorough understanding of all federal, state and other regulatory requirements as they pertain to all aspects of forensic drug testing.
   * Complies with all health and safety policies, procedures, and practices. Required to use personal protective equipment.
   * Other duties as assigned. This is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities, but rather a general description of work performed by the position.
   
   QUALIFICATIONS
   
   Required Work Experience:
   
   Six years experience in forensic analytical toxicology or equivalent.
   
   Preferred Work Experience:
   
   N/A
   
   Physical and Mental Requirements:
   
   Ability to sit and/or stand for long periods.
   
   Knowledge:
   
   * Knowledge of the methods and procedures used by the laboratory that are relevant to the results that the individual certifies.
   * Training and experience in reviewing and reporting test results, maintenance of chain of custody, and understanding proper remedial action in response to the problems that may arise.
   * Have a thorough understanding of all laboratory:
   * quality control practices and procedures.
   * data review processes
   * procedures for interpretation of test results
   * protocols for reporting results.
   
   Skills:
   
   Communication and interpersonal skills necessary to deal courteously and effectively.
   
   EDUCATION
   
   Bachelor's Degree(Required)
   
   LICENSECERTIFICATIONS
   
   In-house Certifying Scientist training program and approval by the Laboratory Director to perform independent functions(Required)
   
   2022-17208

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right certifying scientist 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 certifying scientist job on Zippia to find and recruit certifying scientist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting certifying scientists 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.

   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 certifying scientist

   Once you've selected the best certifying scientist candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   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 certifying scientist 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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