How to hire a child development instructor

How to hire a child development instructor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step child development instructor hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your child development instructor 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 child development instructor 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 child development instructor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, child development instructors 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.

   This list shows salaries for various types of child development instructors.

   Type of Child Development Instructor	Description	Hourly rate
   Child Development Instructor	Preschool teachers educate and care for children younger than age 5 who have not yet entered kindergarten. They teach reading, writing, science, and other subjects in a way that young children can understand.	$13-26
   Toddler Teacher	A toddler teacher is responsible for teaching young learners by administering physical care and monitoring their social and mental development. Toddler teachers prepare fun and engaging activities for the children and evaluate their behaviors and assess how they interact with the environment... Show more	$11-18
   Pre-K Teacher	Pre-K teachers play an essential role in the lives of young children ages three to five years old by developing and nurturing their interest in subjects appropriate for their age. They promote a creative learning environment and encourage social interactions among students while providing the fundamental educational foundation that will prepare them for a successful start to kindergarten... Show more	$13-27

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Childhood
   • CPR
   • Professional Development
   • Syllabus
   • Advisory Committee
   • Classroom Environment
   • Course Materials
   • Early Childhood Development
   • Child Abuse
   • Emotional Development
   • Child Development Courses
   • Mathematics
   • CDA
   • Creative Curriculum

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Advise students on the necessary requirements for CDA renewal.
   • Cover the fundamental concepts of chemistry and biology including cell biology, metabolism, microbiology, genetics, evolution and histology.
   • Meet and greet parents of infants and toddlers, work with abc's, colors, numbers and shapes.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, child development instructors' average salary in idaho is 54% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level child development instructors 48% less than senior-level child development instructors.
   • Certifications. A child development instructor 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 child development instructor's salary.

   Average child development instructor salary

   $41,124yearly

   $19.77 hourly rate

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   Entry-level child development instructor salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

4. Writing a child development instructor job description

   A job description for a child development instructor 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 child development instructor job description:

   Child development instructor job description example

   Childhood Soccer Instructor Needed for Children Ages 2-8
   
   At Soccer Shots, we are looking for the next key leaders who wants to make a positive impact on a child's life through sport! Working with children is something we don’t take lightly, and it’s imperative that you have a passion for teaching children, and understand how to use sports as a way to educate and enrich. Our instructors know how to motivate children by bringing enthusiasm to every class. We strive to be the BEST 30-45 minutes of every child's week. If this excites you, you could be our next team member! Though, I should warn you that if you are able to earn your way on to our team, the children we work with will have an even greater impact on your life.
   
   WE INVEST IN YOU:
   
   
   

   1. Every Soccer Shots Coach gets trained and certified through a comprehensive program based on early childhood education principles!
   2. We make sure our coaches stay at the top of their game through ongoing training and evaluations.
   3. We provide opportunities to grow personally and professionally.
   4. Soccer Shots is an international franchise, where many owners and directors started out as coaches.

   We can work within your current schedule. Soccer Shots partners with daycares, schools, and parks all over Philadelphia, Camden County and Lower Bucks County and we will ARE LOOKING FOR A GREAT INSTRUCTOR WITH WEEKDAY MORNING AVAILABILITY. .Lastly, we are always looking for great individuals, so if you have a friend who might be interested, please point them our way! We’d love to meet them too! Compensation: $22-28 per hour based on experience
   
   
   **Special note in COVID Times: We rigorously follow a COVID-19 safety action plan. All instructors are required to wear face coverings, follow modified curriculum to avoid unnecessary physical contact, disinfect equipment and sanitize hands regularly.. We provide equipment and training to ensure the highest levels of safety are met.Brand Video 30 Second - Generic End.mp4 72.47 MBSoccer Shots is an engaging children's soccer program with a focus on character development. Our caring team positively impacts children's lives on and off the field through best-in-class coaching, curriculum and communication.
   
   If you have a passion for positively impacting children, we’d love to talk to you.
   
   Soccer Shots is an international franchise brand with franchises in 34 states and Canada. This position is for your local franchise. Visit soccershots.org to learn more and/or for franchising opportunities.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find child development instructors 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 child development instructor job on Zippia to find and attract quality child development instructor candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit child development instructors, 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 to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you 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 child development instructor

   Once you've selected the best child development instructor 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new child development instructor. 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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