How to hire a computer scientist

How to hire a computer scientist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step computer 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 computer scientist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new computer scientist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a computer scientist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The computer scientist 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 computer scientist 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 computer scientist that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of computer scientist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Computer Scientist	Description	Hourly rate
   Computer Scientist	Computer and information research scientists invent and design new approaches to computing technology and find innovative uses for existing technology. They study and solve complex problems in computing for business, medicine, science, and other fields.	$35-69
   Software Systems Engineer	A software systems engineer is responsible for designing and creating software systems applications and programs according to clients' specifications or business' needs. They work to improve the features of existing applications to boost efficiency and optimal performance... Show more	$38-68
   Research And Development Internship	When it comes to Research and Development Internship, the duties will vary according to the organization or company. Most of the time, the responsibilities will revolve around observing the industry, taking part in the research and analysis, lend a helping hand in experiments and surveys, explore theories and attempt to create a model of out it, present findings for evaluation, and develop more innovative designs and systems... Show more	$14-22

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Python
   • Computer System
   • Machine Learning
   • Architecture
   • DOD
   • Java
   • Software Development
   • Data Analysis
   • Linux
   • C
   • C++
   • Artificial Intelligence
   • Visualization
   • Cloud

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead cost evaluation for incremental release plan of business intelligence and cloud technology infusion.
   • Accomplish relational database administration and implementation.
   • Experience in Linux and Unix servers.
   • Parallelize and optimize scientific models using C++ and MPI.
   • Award DOE-EMSL funding and establish multi-scale modeling project on HPC cluster (Fortran90/C++) implementing MPI strategies.
   • Prepare status reports for submission to DISA.

   More computer scientist duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, computer scientists' average salary in nebraska is 40% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level computer scientists 49% less than senior-level computer scientists.
   • Certifications. A computer 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 computer scientist's salary.

   Average computer scientist salary

   $103,238yearly

   $49.63 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level computer scientist salary

   $74,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average computer scientist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$139,569	$67
   2	Washington	$118,932	$57
   3	New York	$97,193	$47
   4	Tennessee	$95,647	$46
   5	Texas	$95,224	$46
   6	District of Columbia	$93,848	$45
   7	Virginia	$92,933	$45
   8	Maryland	$92,784	$45
   9	Arizona	$92,314	$44
   10	Massachusetts	$92,191	$44
   11	New Jersey	$92,021	$44
   12	Illinois	$91,569	$44
   13	Pennsylvania	$90,071	$43
   14	Connecticut	$89,894	$43
   15	Utah	$89,529	$43
   16	Georgia	$88,166	$42
   17	Florida	$84,444	$41
   18	Oklahoma	$82,224	$40
   19	Missouri	$82,073	$39
   20	Nebraska	$76,438	$37

   Average computer scientist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$146,798	$70.58	904
   2	Apple	$146,553	$70.46	135
   3	PayPal	$144,879	$69.65	6
   4	PARC	$138,085	$66.39
   5	ICE Mortgage Technology	$138,011	$66.35
   6	Bloomberg	$137,813	$66.26	2
   7	Google	$135,961	$65.37	181
   8	eBay	$131,463	$63.20	1
   9	Intuitive Surgical	$131,306	$63.13	1
   10	LendingClub	$128,959	$62.00
   11	BP America Inc	$126,558	$60.85
   12	Brocade Services Corporation	$125,672	$60.42
   13	Applied Materials	$124,881	$60.04	8
   14	Walmart	$123,763	$59.50	87
   15	Citi	$123,488	$59.37	3
   16	Dolby Laboratories	$123,176	$59.22	1
   17	Lifesize	$123,155	$59.21
   18	Boston Consulting Group	$122,164	$58.73	15
   19	Tesla	$122,122	$58.71
   20	Populus Group	$122,067	$58.69

4. Writing a computer scientist job description

   A computer 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 computer scientist job description:

   Computer scientist job description example

   Resolute is hiring a cleared Computer Scientist who likes to think outside the box and work with a large variety of technologies. You will be primarily performing embedded and reverse engineering working with a small team of engineers supporting several operational missions.
   Required experience/skill: 7+ years of experience in embedded engineering working on Unix/Linux Operating Systems. Extensive Experience using technologies such as C and assembly. Elicit user and system requirements and document requirements in a Concept of Operations (ConOps) document. Design modular software systems for maximum reuse and maintainability. Document system designs within a High Level Design (HLD) document. Plan and develop system integration tests and document test strategy in a formal Test Plan document. Use a software integrated development environment (IDE) such as Visual Studio, Eclipse or similar IDE. Develop and execute unit tests. Maintain code in a software version repository such as subversion, CVS, or similar tool. Report progress via accepted communication channels such as email, wild and/or a schedule tracking application. Knowledge of TCP/IP network protocols or SQL programming. Knowledge in software compilers, operating system architecture, and/or device drivers. Document component designs within a High Level Design (HLD) document. Plan and develop component integration tests.
   *Don't see a match, but know someone who is? Resolute offers 5K External Referral Bonuses for all qualified hires! *
   What's it like to work at Resolute?
   
   Our culture demonstrates the appreciation we have for our employees.
   
   Resolute was named Best Benefits for all employers in the Baltimore area. They include 39 days paid leave, including birthdays off, robust training, student loan repayment, a 10% 401k retirement company contribution, maternity/paternity benefits, a flexible schedule, and more!
   
   Voted #1 Place to Work in the Baltimore area!
   
   For more about Resolute, check out our video here: Resolute Life You tube Video- Life at Resolute Technologies Powered by JazzHR whhv NY9fkG

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find computer scientists 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 computer scientist job on Zippia to find and recruit computer scientist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit computer scientists, 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.

   If your interviews with computer scientist applicants aren't enough to make a decision, you should also consider including a test project. These are often the best, most straightforward, and least bias-prone ways of determining who will likely succeed in the role. If you don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   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 computer scientist

   Once you've decided on a perfect computer scientist 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new computer scientist. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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 computer scientist?