How to hire a course instructor

How to hire a course instructor, step by step

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

What does a course instructor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a course instructor, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A course instructor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, course 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of course instructors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Course Instructor	Description	Hourly rate
   Course Instructor	Training and development specialists plan, conduct, and administer programs that train employees and improve their skills and knowledge.	$14-37
   Faculty Member	A faculty member is responsible for teaching students a wide range of both vocational and academic subjects. As a faculty member, you will teach and impart knowledge to your students and help them with the learning process and knowledge application... Show more	$27-88
   Faculty	A faculty member is a professional whose primary responsibility is to provide teaching and research to students in colleges and universities. Faculties must work with colleagues to design a curriculum to keep up with the changes in the discipline... Show more	$20-73

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Course Curriculum
   • Syllabus
   • Course Materials
   • Blended Learning
   • DOD
   • ELearning
   • CPR
   • Student Performance
   • Instructional Materials
   • Professional Development
   • Course Content
   • Windows
   • Training Materials
   • Leadership

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and upload SCORM content to the LMS for delivery.
   • Achieve certification in high ropes course training, CPR and first aid.
   • Assist classmates with developing positive study habits and strategies for managing classroom material.
   • Create course syllabus, determine course requirements, facilitate class discussion.
   • Develop and revise the course syllabus, introducing improve instruction criteria and evaluation standards leading to elevate quality of graduate students.
   • Apply first aid, CPR, and a when need.

   More course instructor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the course instructor job description is a good way to get more applicants. A course instructor salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a course instructor in Tennessee may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level course instructor. Additionally, a course instructor with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average course instructor salary

   $49,389yearly

   $23.74 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level course instructor salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average course instructor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Virginia	$63,089	$30
   2	New York	$62,790	$30
   3	Connecticut	$62,592	$30
   4	New Jersey	$60,115	$29
   5	Texas	$56,291	$27
   6	California	$54,592	$26
   7	Maryland	$53,127	$26
   8	Massachusetts	$52,692	$25
   9	District of Columbia	$51,157	$25
   10	Washington	$43,971	$21
   11	New Mexico	$42,969	$21
   12	North Carolina	$40,561	$20
   13	Florida	$39,342	$19
   14	Arizona	$37,211	$18
   15	Tennessee	$35,406	$17

   Average course instructor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Jacobs Engineering Group	$91,447	$43.96
   2	Rutgers University	$68,123	$32.75	120
   3	University Hospitals	$64,139	$30.84
   4	Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine	$62,930	$30.25	55
   5	Covenant	$61,563	$29.60
   6	Loyola University Maryland	$59,130	$28.43	13
   7	PSEA	$56,469	$27.15	66
   8	Goldbelt Falcon	$55,661	$26.76
   9	Syracuse University	$55,529	$26.70	23
   10	Sargent & Lundy	$55,036	$26.46
   11	Virginia's Community Colleges	$47,613	$22.89	197
   12	Western Washington University	$47,157	$22.67	60
   13	Landair Express	$44,717	$21.50
   14	Trocaire College	$44,621	$21.45	6
   15	DataCamp	$43,646	$20.98
   16	Jacobs Enterprises	$43,632	$20.98
   17	University of Rhode Island	$43,610	$20.97	3
   18	Prescient Edge	$43,580	$20.95	31
   19	Guilford Technical Community College	$43,247	$20.79	168
   20	American Museum of Natural History	$42,045	$20.21

4. Writing a course instructor job description

   A good course 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 course instructor job description:

   Course instructor job description example

   Primary Functions: Performance of NCLEX-RN and/or LPN review course.
   
   Minimum Qualifications: An earned associates degree in nursing; a license to practice as a Registered Nurse or Licensed Practical Nurse in the State of New York, evidence of at least one-year of experience in Nursing as an RN or LPN. Experience in teaching or mentoring preferred with a record of understanding the needs of students and a strong commitment to nursing as a profession.
   
   Essential Job Functions:
   
   * Performance of class content instruction & teaching activities as they relate to NCLEX-RN and/or LPN examination
   * Co-development of instructional material for the NCLEX-RN and/or LPN review course in alignment with the NCLEX-RN and/or LPN examination
   * Facilitation of instructional feedback specific for NCLEX-RN and/or LPN examination
   * Availability for three (3)- six (6) hour classes on Saturdays (8am-2 pm) in-person
   * Maintain records of student success on NCLEX-RN and/or LPN examination upon completion of the review course.
   
   Position Specifications and Working Conditions:
   
   The physical demands and the work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
   
   Minimal physical effort is required. Operate personal computers and related equipment. Travel will be required for offsite trainings. Employee needs to be able to drive a private passenger automobile or to arrange for alternative transportation. Reasonable accommodations will be provided for employees with physical limitations.
   
   While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to see, talk and hear. The employee is frequently required to sit and use hands with fingers to handle or feel. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, climb or balance and stoop. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit course instructors, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 course instructor

   Once you've found the course 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.

   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 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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How much does it cost to hire a course instructor?