How to hire a continuing education instructor

How to hire a continuing education instructor, step by step

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

What does a continuing education instructor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the continuing education instructor you need to hire. Certain continuing education instructor 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

   A continuing education instructor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, continuing education 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 presents continuing education instructor salaries for various positions.

   Type of Continuing Education Instructor	Description	Hourly rate
   Continuing Education Instructor	Career and technical education teachers instruct students in various technical and vocational subjects, such as auto repair, healthcare, and culinary arts. They teach academic and technical content to provide students with the skills and knowledge necessary to enter an occupation.	$16-43
   Adjunct Faculty	Adjunct faculty is the collective term for adjunct professors or lecturers. The adjunct faculty teaches students based on the limited-term of their contract... Show more	$21-73
   Teacher-In-Training	A teacher-in-training is a teaching professional who offers technical teaching assistance to teachers in developing effective behavior management and instructional strategies to support student learning. The teacher must collaborate with principals while employing diverse techniques to increase the effectiveness of student learning... Show more	$11-26

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Professional Development
   • Course Content
   • Curriculum Development
   • Math
   • Education Courses
   • Mathematics
   • Education Programs
   • Learning Environment
   • CE
   • Ethics
   • Syllabus
   • Course Materials
   • Training Programs
   • PowerPoint

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Develop and manage syllabus material for exploration of non-precious metal design as it relates to contemporary art and fashion.
   • Manage a host multi-server Linux operating environment in support of those systems.
   • Present math in a positive learning environment, enabling employees to satisfy math requirements for their GED.
   • Work with HTML, CSS, PHP, and JavaScript to create responsive, fluid designs.
   • Provide students and staff with information on ethics and confidentiality.
   • Subject matter include HTML tags and working with various file types.

   More continuing education instructor duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, continuing education instructors' average salary in south carolina is 51% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level continuing education instructors earn 61% less than senior-level continuing education instructors.
   • Certifications. A continuing education instructor 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 continuing education instructor's salary.

   Average continuing education instructor salary

   $56,156yearly

   $27.00 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level continuing education instructor salary

   $35,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

   Average continuing education instructor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$95,555	$46
   2	Washington	$79,890	$38
   3	Iowa	$59,773	$29
   4	Texas	$58,889	$28
   5	Ohio	$57,593	$28
   6	North Carolina	$57,136	$27
   7	Colorado	$56,279	$27
   8	New York	$54,888	$26
   9	Michigan	$53,295	$26
   10	Missouri	$50,175	$24
   11	Florida	$49,077	$24
   12	Kansas	$46,858	$23
   13	Pennsylvania	$46,549	$22
   14	Illinois	$45,062	$22
   15	South Carolina	$42,955	$21

   Average continuing education instructor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	University of California-Berkeley	$87,068	$41.86	5
   2	Johnson County Community College	$76,768	$36.91	11
   3	The City University of New York	$68,805	$33.08	151
   4	Sandhills Community College	$68,592	$32.98	1
   5	St. Charles Community College	$68,412	$32.89	8
   6	Tacoma Community College	$64,239	$30.88	1
   7	PSEA	$60,868	$29.26	13
   8	Rowan-Cabarrus Community College	$60,056	$28.87	9
   9	Central Texas College	$58,850	$28.29	1
   10	Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES	$57,697	$27.74	2
   11	Goddard School	$57,261	$27.53	26
   12	Union County College	$56,866	$27.34	15
   13	San Diego College of Continuing Education	$56,644	$27.23	10
   14	Schoolcraft College	$56,591	$27.21	16
   15	Pratt Industries	$55,720	$26.79
   16	Orleans/niagara Boces	$54,490	$26.20
   17	Hawkeye Community College	$52,061	$25.03
   18	Bryant & Stratton College	$51,546	$24.78	10
   19	Denver Public Schools	$48,473	$23.30	13
   20	WYSU 88.5 FM	$48,357	$23.25	2

4. Writing a continuing education instructor job description

   A good continuing education instructor job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a continuing education instructor job description:

   Continuing education instructor job description example

   Mission
   
   At Rhode Island School of Design Continuing Education we are committed to providing an immersive and innovative art and design education for everyone, at all stages of life and all levels of experience.
   
   Art and Design for Everyone
   
   RISD Continuing Education offers hundreds of non-credit courses, workshops and lectures in all aspects of art and design for adults, teens and kids. We offer online, in-person and hybrid courses year-round, and we are open admission-we welcome everyone!
   Most of our courses take place on the RISD Campus in Providence, with select courses and workshops held at Tillinghast Place in Barrington, as well as the Westerly Education Center.
   Department Overview
   
   RISD Continuing Education (CE) functions within the larger context of RISD, an institution with an unparalleled reputation for producing highly-skilled, successful, and internationally renowned creative practitioners. The mission of Rhode Island School of Design Continuing Education (RISD CE) is to provide an immersive and innovative art and design education for everyone, at all stages of life and all levels of experience. Serving thousands of students locally, nationally and globally, we offer hundreds of non-credit courses and workshops in all aspects of art and design, for adults, teens, and children year round. With more than 100 years of expertise nurturing critical making, thinking, and innovation in art and design we facilitate personal and professional development by engaging students in sustained exploration and learning in the creative disciplines. We offer a wide range of courses and our programming is flexible, designed to accommodate both students' learning interests and schedules, and provide robust, studio-based experiences that are current and relevant. These programs equip students with the skills, confidence, proficiency, and real-world experience to accelerate their creative lives and work.
   
   Job Description
   
   With a commitment to centering inclusivity, diversity and equity in executing key responsibilities, RISD Continuing Education instructors plan, organize, teach, and provide feedback to promote and direct student learning in keeping with the institutional learning-centered values and in a manner that meets essential competencies of artists and designers. Our instructors respond to students with respect and in support of their development. Communication with students and with the division must be timely and with attention to college-provided tools, platforms and resources. The successful candidate should be prepared to teach in person on the RISD campus, delivering courses to a diverse group of students from a range of abilities and experience. Interpersonal and leadership skills, clarity, generosity, and creativity in both personal work and teaching are essential. We welcome candidates whose teaching experience addresses historically underrepresented communities. Our instructors develop culturally diverse syllabi for studio courses and lead classes and critiques that model constructive, inclusive discussions that encourage students to grow creatively and intellectually. Preference will be given to candidates who have K-12 teaching experience.
   
   We are looking for instructors whose specialty is in one or more of the fields listed below. Please indicate which applies to you in your cover letter:
   
   Animation
   Architecture
   Design Foundations
   Drawing
   Fashion Design
   Film/Video
   Game Design
   Graphic Design
   Interior Design
   Painting
   Product Design
   Sculpture
   
   Required Knowledge/Skills/Experience
   
   BS, BFA or Art/Design Major required Demonstrated expertise in chosen art and/or design discipline Experience teaching in art and design programs Experience teaching in person navigating lively discussions, and providing meaningful feedback.Ability to convey complex art and design concepts to students with varied skills (novice to advanced) in a condensed time frame.Accept and act upon constructive feedback from course and classroom evaluations by students and staff.Ability to develop and implement diverse teaching and learning for learners from a variety of educational backgrounds, environments and expectations.Strong interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills.
   
   Preferred Knowledge/Skills/Experience
   
   K-12 Teaching experience preferred Masters degree preferred Teaching certification / certificate Knowledge and understanding of early-mid childhood and early/adolescent learner principles and respect for students as well as genuine interest in their learning
   
   Work Schedule:
   
   Courses run on a weekly basis, Saturdays in person
   Limit online remote positions available
   
   Documents Needed to Apply:
   
   Resume, including a URL link for your professional portfolio Cover Letter
   
   Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please upload all required documents.
   
   The successful candidate will be required to meet our pre-employment background screening requirements.
   
   RISD recognizes diversity and inclusivity as fundamental to its learning community and integral to an art and design education. We welcome candidates whose experience has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to diversity and excellence. RISD is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetics, or any other protected characteristic as established by law.
   
   For internal use only - Job Family:
   CE Instructor

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right continuing education instructor 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 continuing education instructor job on Zippia to find and attract quality continuing education instructor candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting continuing education instructors 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 continuing education instructor

   Once you've found the continuing education instructor 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.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new continuing education instructor 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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