How to hire a chief of staff

How to hire a chief of staff, step by step

Here's a step-by-step chief of staff hiring guide:

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

What does a chief of staff do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your chief of staff 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 chief of staff 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

   Hiring the perfect chief of staff 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 chiefs of staff.

   Type of Chief Of Staff	Description	Hourly rate
   Chief Of Staff	Top executives devise strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals. They plan, direct, and coordinate operational activities of companies and organizations.	$40-96
   Operations Director	Operations directors oversee all company operations. They have the power to set the direction, change the course of the organization, and reform strategies to ensure efficiency in how the company operates... Show more	$31-78
   Managing Director	A Managing Director oversees workflow and progress, making sure that all operations align within the company or organization's mission or set of goals. They are responsible for crafting strategies, devising effective business plans, and executing guidelines that would nurture a company's growth, and as well as to be the driving force that would direct employees to the company's objectives... Show more	$34-112

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • PET
   • Team Support
   • Project Management
   • Oversight
   • Direct Reports
   • Marketing Campaigns
   • Patients
   • Human Resources
   • Policy Development
   • Logistics
   • PowerPoint
   • Rehabilitation
   • Process Improvement
   • Strong Work Ethic

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead headquarters (HQ) operations staff.
   • Manage the G3's fiscal year budget planning, formulation, and execution.
   • Supervise the G2 administrative section and maintain and manage the G2 budget and material resources.
   • Manage the predeployment training and the deployment process to receiving commands, and subsequent redeployment and deactivation.
   • Manage budgets of $75,000 to $22 million paying keen attention to cost containment and ROI.
   • Credit for managing and improving the HAZMAT program, which serve as a benchmark example for the base community.

   More chief of staff duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, chiefs of staff' average salary in mississippi is 52% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level chiefs of staff earn 58% less than senior-level chiefs of staff.
   • Certifications. A chief of staff 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 chief of staff's salary.

   Average chief of staff salary

   $130,835yearly

   $62.90 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level chief of staff salary

   $85,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 14, 2026

   Average chief of staff salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$160,463	$77
   2	Washington	$145,782	$70
   3	Texas	$143,958	$69
   4	District of Columbia	$139,712	$67
   5	New Jersey	$138,386	$67
   6	New York	$137,658	$66
   7	Virginia	$137,445	$66
   8	Florida	$131,867	$63
   9	Massachusetts	$129,530	$62
   10	Arizona	$128,426	$62
   11	Maryland	$127,159	$61
   12	Georgia	$120,673	$58
   13	Oregon	$120,123	$58
   14	Illinois	$120,036	$58
   15	Connecticut	$116,645	$56
   16	Michigan	$115,708	$56
   17	Colorado	$115,273	$55
   18	Ohio	$114,810	$55
   19	Alabama	$109,972	$53
   20	North Carolina	$105,181	$51

   Average chief of staff salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Lyft	$203,596	$97.88
   2	PayPal	$202,321	$97.27	17
   3	Pure Storage	$199,196	$95.77	2
   4	THINX	$195,937	$94.20
   5	Zoox	$194,166	$93.35	15
   6	Google	$191,043	$91.85	132
   7	eBay	$190,025	$91.36	13
   8	Stitch Fix	$189,823	$91.26
   9	OpenTable	$185,036	$88.96
   10	VMware	$184,493	$88.70
   11	Uber Technologies	$181,654	$87.33	2
   12	Brex	$180,846	$86.95
   13	Sprinklr	$175,508	$84.38	12
   14	Juniper Networks	$174,941	$84.11
   15	Pacific Gas and Electric	$174,108	$83.71
   16	Amazon	$173,717	$83.52	111
   17	National Council on Aging	$172,578	$82.97
   18	Citi	$172,000	$82.69	229
   19	Low Income Investment Fund	$171,856	$82.62
   20	Scribd	$170,106	$81.78

4. Writing a chief of staff job description

   A chief of staff 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 chief of staff job description:

   Chief of staff job description example

   + Department: Alumni Association
   
   + School Area: Alumni Association
   
   + Employment Type: Full-time (Hybrid)
   
   + Employment Category: Exempt
   
   + Visa Sponsorship Available: No
   
   + Schedule:
   
   Email a Friend Save Save Apply Now
   
   Information on MIT's COVID-19 vaccination requirement can be found at the bottom of this posting.
   
   CHIEF OF STAFF, Alumni Association (MITAA), to act as an advisor to the CEO to advance the strategic direction and internal operations of the MITAA. Will create cross-departmental relationships to enable organizational success; coordinate and manage-- as a member of the senior management team--the essential activities of the organization, including strategic and annual business planning, to ensure the MITAA continues to progress towards achieving its goals; enhance the internal organizational processes that allow the MITAA to fulfill its mission, including ensuring strong collaboration across its core business areas and the implementation of priority efforts identified by and with the CEO that emerged from MIT's goals and the MITAA strategic plan; provide leadership oversight of the delivery and application of engagement data to AA staff leadership, the MITAA board of directors, and other organizations such as Resource Development; deliver data-driven, actionable insights to inform the direction and maximize the performance of alumni engagement efforts; and oversee the strategic use of the CEO's time.
   
   Job Requirements
   
   REQUIRED: bachelor's degree; at least ten years' relevant experience in administration, operations, or project management; senior leadership experience and ability to define a vision, develop strategic plans, and successfully lead teams toward fulfilling goals with transformational impact on the institutions they support; sound judgment and ability to work strategically and decisively; and demonstrated skill achieving alignment, providing active support, and collaborating closely with a broad range of stakeholders in relation to strategic plans and execution. PREFERRED: advanced degree or PMP certification; and alumni relations, fundraising, or development experience in a non-profit or academic setting. Job #21856-13Must be willing and able to occasionally travel and attend evening and/or weekend activities, meetings, events, seminars, and workshops.This position will be hybrid, with a combination of on-campus and remote work.9/15/22

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find chiefs of staff 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 chiefs of staff they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level chiefs of staff 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 chief of staff job on Zippia to find and recruit chief of staff candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit chiefs of staff, 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 chief of staff

   Once you've found the chief of staff 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.

   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 chief of staff 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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