How to hire a data manager

How to hire a data manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step data manager hiring guide:

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

What does a data manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

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

   Here's a comparison of data manager salaries for various roles:

   Type of Data Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Data Manager	Computer and information systems managers, often called information technology (IT) managers or IT project managers, plan, coordinate, and direct computer-related activities in an organization. They help determine the information technology goals of an organization and are responsible for implementing computer systems to meet those goals.	$35-76
   Manager, Systems Engineering	A systems engineering manager is responsible for monitoring the efficiency of the company's technology systems and network infrastructure. System engineering managers inspect the output deliverables of computer systems, identifying process improvement techniques to improve optimal performance and maintain high-quality results... Show more	$46-84
   Information Technology Technical Services Manager	An information technology/technical services manager is responsible for supervising the operations of the information technology team, assisting the technical staff in providing efficient performance by improving technology systems and network infrastructure to support business functions. This job requires extensive knowledge of the technology industry, as well as an excellent command of programming and system processes to ensure smooth navigation and consistent transitions... Show more	$41-72

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Data Analysis
   • Visualization
   • Data Quality
   • Data Collection
   • Project Management
   • Patients
   • SAS
   • Java
   • Clinical Data
   • Statistical Analysis
   • Data Governance
   • ETL
   • B Testing
   • Strong Analytical

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage all Salesforce customer tech support inquiries.
   • Use of SalesForce and CRM for leads tracking.
   • Manage internal department & team initiatives including QA and documentation work.
   • Manage the profiling and cleansing of legacy data to new data structures.
   • Manage and lead scrum meetings for both reporting and commissioning development teams.
   • Manage CRO trials from selection, statement of work, through database lock.

   More data manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your data manager job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A data manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a data manager in Utah may be lower than in California, and an entry-level data manager usually earns less than a senior-level data manager. Additionally, a data manager with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average data manager salary

   $108,359yearly

   $52.10 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level data manager salary

   $73,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average data manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$138,125	$66
   2	Washington	$113,403	$55
   3	New York	$105,509	$51
   4	Oregon	$103,749	$50
   5	New Jersey	$103,215	$50
   6	Connecticut	$98,489	$47
   7	Massachusetts	$98,468	$47
   8	Arizona	$97,408	$47
   9	Delaware	$95,484	$46
   10	Texas	$94,715	$46
   11	Ohio	$93,465	$45
   12	Virginia	$92,846	$45
   13	Michigan	$92,709	$45
   14	Georgia	$92,136	$44
   15	Illinois	$91,529	$44
   16	North Carolina	$90,887	$44
   17	Pennsylvania	$88,349	$42
   18	Maine	$88,011	$42
   19	District of Columbia	$86,905	$42
   20	Missouri	$86,437	$42

   Average data manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$195,132	$93.81	920
   2	Airbnb	$195,034	$93.77	3
   3	Lyft	$194,878	$93.69	13
   4	Flexport	$194,078	$93.31	9
   5	Yelp	$186,600	$89.71
   6	Grubhub	$182,511	$87.75	6
   7	StubHub	$181,572	$87.29	21
   8	The Walt Disney Company	$179,068	$86.09	118
   9	Credit Karma	$177,785	$85.47
   10	Twitter	$177,741	$85.45
   11	Didi Chuxing	$177,320	$85.25
   12	DoorDash	$177,021	$85.11	33
   13	Circle Internet Financial	$176,522	$84.87	5
   14	Asana	$176,322	$84.77	3
   15	eBay	$175,692	$84.47	9
   16	Condé Nast	$175,318	$84.29
   17	Chegg	$174,103	$83.70
   18	ZS	$172,460	$82.91	10
   19	Coinbase	$171,998	$82.69	251
   20	Hunton & Williams LLP	$170,983	$82.20

4. Writing a data manager job description

   A good data manager 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 data manager job description:

   Data manager job description example

   • MS or PhD in Computer Science, Operations Research, Applied Math, Data Science, Machine Learning, Statistics, or equivalent in a related discipline.
   • Ideally 5+ years of experience, including 2 years leading a team to develop machine learning, data science and/or optimization applications.
   • Biased toward action. Do what it takes to ramp up and solve problems quickly. Ability to synthesize large amounts of data to make informed decisions and act on them.
   • Hands on experience with one or more of the following programming languages (Python, Julia, R, C#); additional languages valued.
   • Experience with at least one major deep learning framework.
   • Experience solving large scale optimization problems using AMPL, JuMP, Pyomo, CPLEX, Gurobi, Xpress and/or open-source solvers.
   • Experience with cloud-based solutions (preferably Azure).
   • Excellent communication skills with an ability to clearly and concisely articulate complex ideas to various groups. Strong interpersonal skills to lead and develop teams.
   • Commitment to producing high quality, well-designed and flexible solutions.
   • Experience with customer interaction to discuss requirements and use cases is highly desired.
   • Warehousing/Distribution experience is a plus

   About Us

   Lucas Systems helps companies transform their distribution center operations and continuously adapt to changing market dynamics. We dramatically increase worker productivity, operational agility, accuracy, and reduce the need for labor. Lucas solutions are built on 23-plus years of deep process expertise and smart software using AI-based optimization technologies. Our solutions feature Jennifer, the brain, voice, and orchestration engine that drives performance improvement gains. We help customers make the smartest moves at the lowest cost with Jennifer.

   Founded in 1998, Lucas is a growing and consistently profitable organization with an expanding global customer base and offices in North America and Europe. We offer a dynamic, collaborative, innovative and entrepreneurial work environment that continues to create opportunities for both personal and professional growth for high-performing individuals throughout the United States and Europe.

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5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit data managers, 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.

   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 data manager

   Once you've found the data manager 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 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 data manager. 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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How much does it cost to hire a data manager?