How to hire a commissioner

How to hire a commissioner, step by step

Here's a step-by-step commissioner hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The commissioner 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

   Hiring the perfect commissioner 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 commissioners.

   Type of Commissioner	Description	Hourly rate
   Commissioner	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.	$26-75
   Vice President, Business Development	A vice president of business development is a professional who leads in the execution of business plans and provides new business strategies for an organization. Vice presidents of business development closely work with a team of salespeople, management, and lower-level employees to secure contracts with new customers and manage ongoing agreements... Show more	$50-125
   Chief Operating Officer	A chief operating officer, also known as a COO, is a high-ranking official who oversees a company or organization's daily administrative and overall operations. They are typically the second in the chain of command, reporting directly to the company's chief executive officer, also known as a CEO... Show more	$38-110

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Oversight
   • Public Policy
   • Public Safety
   • Public Health
   • Community Outreach
   • Economic Development
   • NCAA
   • Strategic Plan
   • Law Enforcement Agencies
   • State Agencies
   • City Agencies
   • Human Resources
   • Community Services
   • Federal Agencies

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Plan and manage executive, conference and NCAA meetings.
   • Manage the team Facebook page, email and Insta-gram.
   • Manage the cleaning and horticulture operation for NYC's highways.
   • Issue criminal charges, arrest warrants, and summonses base on applications for criminal charges.
   • Handle sensitive inquiries from taxpayers, tax practitioners, attorneys, CPA's, and enroll agents.
   • Develop and implement multi- integrate mobile health unit for the testing of HIV, TB, and pregnancy.

   More commissioner duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, commissioners' average salary in mississippi is 62% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level commissioners 65% less than senior-level commissioners.
   • Certifications. A commissioner 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 commissioner's salary.

   Average commissioner salary

   $93,603yearly

   $45.00 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level commissioner salary

   $55,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average commissioner salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$137,968	$66
   2	Washington	$130,360	$63
   3	New York	$116,657	$56
   4	Minnesota	$86,498	$42
   5	Texas	$81,499	$39
   6	Florida	$81,481	$39
   7	Illinois	$80,526	$39
   8	Wisconsin	$77,620	$37
   9	Missouri	$71,616	$34
   10	Wyoming	$68,815	$33

   Average commissioner salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County	$120,651	$58.01
   2	CyberCoders	$114,879	$55.23
   3	American Planning Association	$110,665	$53.20
   4	New York State Restaurant Association	$98,430	$47.32
   5	City of Signal Hill	$94,110	$45.25
   6	San Mateo County Office Of Education	$74,952	$36.03
   7	Minnesota Judicial Branch	$74,022	$35.59
   8	San Bernardino County	$72,439	$34.83
   9	Red Wing Shoes	$70,453	$33.87
   10	North Hempstead	$68,637	$33.00
   11	Department of Public Social Services	$67,778	$32.59
   12	City of St. Louis	$66,969	$32.20
   13	Americorps	$66,663	$32.05	4
   14	Outagamie County	$62,473	$30.04
   15	Nyc Parks	$61,315	$29.48
   16	County Of Los Angeles Public Library	$58,173	$27.97
   17	NC.gov	$53,378	$25.66
   18	Wyoming	$53,139	$25.55
   19	County of San Joaquin, CA	$44,390	$21.34	1

4. Writing a commissioner job description

   A commissioner 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a commissioner job description:

   Commissioner job description example

   JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
   
   **Assistant Commissioner**
   
   Department of Water Management
   
   **Number of Positions: 1 Full-Time (senior manager designation)**
   
   **CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CLASS:** Under direction, this class is managerial in nature and accountable for senior manager level functions, duties and responsibilities and part of a city department's executive level staff. The position manages a major program or has direct responsibility for an operational or administrative work section within a department's organization; and performs related duties as required
   
   **DUTIES:**
   
   • Leads and directs management level staff in developing new or revising existing program operations designed to improve or expand departmental services
   
   • Coordinates and directs the work efforts towards researching new technologies, reviewing performance against goals and objectives, and evaluating programs for deficiencies and accomplishments
   
   • Coordinates work efforts with management in developing strategic plans and implementing changes in staffing, operating procedures, and work processes designed to improve the administration of programs, increase operational efficiencies and accomplishments
   
   • Functions as the head of an operational division or section within a department accountable for the management of the organization's work operations, direction and oversight of staff, and control of budgetary and administrative functions
   
   • Manages functions including budget preparations and grant funding, human resources, labor relations, finance and accounting, contracts administration and purchasing, accounts payable and inventory management, computer support, and office management activities
   
   + Performs related duties as required.
   
   **_NOTE_** _: The list of essential duties is not intended to be inclusive; there may be other duties that are essential to particular positions within the class._
   
   **THIS POSITION IS IN THE SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE**
   
   **Qualifications:**
   
   Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in a field related to the duties performed, including five (5) years of work experience related to the position, of which two (2) years are in a supervisory role related to the responsibilities of the position or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience. A State of Illinois Driver's License is required.
   
   **Disclaimer - "Accredited" means any nationally or regionally accredited college, university, or law school where the applicant is enrolled in or has completed an Associates, Bachelors, Masters, or Juris Doctorate degree program.**
   
   **NOTE:** You must provide your transcripts or diploma, professional license, valid State of Illinois driver's license, or training certificates at time of processing, if applicable.
   
   **Education & Employment Verification** **-** Please be advised that if you are selected to be hired you must provide, upon request, adequate information regarding your educational and employment history as it relates to the qualifications of the position for which you are applying. If you received your degree internationally, all international transcripts/diploma must be accompanied by a Foreign Credential Evaluation. If the City of Chicago cannot verify this information, any offer extended to you will be withdrawn and you will not be hired.
   
   **SELECTION REQUIREMENTS**
   
   **This position requires applicants to complete an interview. The interviewed candidate possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position will be selected.**
   
   **ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.**
   
   **The City of Chicago is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Military Friendly Employer.**
   
   **City of Chicago Department of Human Resources**
   
   Lori Lightfoot, Mayor Christopher Owen, Commissioner
   
   **Applications for this position will be accepted until 11:59 pm CDT 10/28/2022**

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting commissioners 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.

   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 commissioner

   Once you have selected a candidate for the commissioner 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.

   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.

   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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