How to hire a data modeling specialist

How to hire a data modeling specialist, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The data modeling specialist 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

   A data modeling specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, data modeling specialists 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 modeling specialist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Data Modeling Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Data Modeling Specialist	Database administrators (DBAs) use specialized software to store and organize data, such as financial information and customer shipping records. They make sure that data are available to users and are secure from unauthorized access.	$29-52
   Data Analyst	Data analysts are responsible for interpreting the company's statistics and providing sound recommendations to the organization. They manage the organization's data sets, usually related to market performance, finance, or human resources... Show more	$25-49

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CAD
   • GIS
   • SQL Server
   • Analytical Tools
   • Physical Data Models
   • Statistical Analysis
   • Regression
   • Database Objects
   • DDL
   • MATLAB
   • Data Marts
   • Data Analysis
   • DTS
   • PL/SQL

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead efforts to analyze data for source/target mappings, create T-SQL scripts for data processing.
   • Assist in the development and maintenance of monthly corporate catastrophe reports for portfolio and accumulation management using RMS's RiskLink application.
   • Perform validation of SAS programs using various sophisticate techniques and communicate findings to the programmer /data manager/statistician.

   More data modeling specialist duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, data modeling specialists' average salary in south dakota is 33% less than in maryland.
   • Seniority. Entry-level data modeling specialists earn 45% less than senior-level data modeling specialists.
   • Certifications. A data modeling specialist 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 data modeling specialist's salary.

   Average data modeling specialist salary

   $82,130yearly

   $39.49 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level data modeling specialist salary

   $61,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average data modeling specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Maryland	$96,144	$46
   2	Texas	$94,315	$45
   3	Alabama	$89,493	$43
   4	Missouri	$86,643	$42
   5	Connecticut	$86,470	$42
   6	Massachusetts	$86,367	$42
   7	New Jersey	$85,467	$41
   8	Virginia	$85,033	$41
   9	District of Columbia	$84,773	$41
   10	New York	$84,579	$41
   11	California	$84,148	$40
   12	North Carolina	$80,367	$39
   13	Hawaii	$78,178	$38
   14	Arizona	$77,983	$37
   15	Georgia	$77,557	$37
   16	Florida	$77,092	$37
   17	Wisconsin	$75,066	$36
   18	Minnesota	$74,678	$36
   19	Pennsylvania	$73,356	$35

   Average data modeling specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Chevron	$119,835	$57.61	1
   2	BNY Mellon	$105,529	$50.74	3
   3	Texas Instruments	$98,892	$47.54	6
   4	Southern California Edison	$97,082	$46.67	9
   5	TD Bank	$95,850	$46.08	40
   6	Tesla	$94,545	$45.45	10
   7	IIF	$91,014	$43.76
   8	Wells Fargo	$90,198	$43.36	4
   9	The General	$89,585	$43.07
   10	Accenture	$87,275	$41.96	215
   11	Xceedance	$85,877	$41.29
   12	Allianz of America, Inc.	$85,699	$41.20
   13	The Aerospace Corporation	$85,385	$41.05	5
   14	Ventois	$84,531	$40.64
   15	The Research Corporation of the University of Hawai'i	$84,419	$40.59
   16	WisdomTree Investments	$84,206	$40.48
   17	IBM	$83,992	$40.38	90
   18	Nissan	$82,752	$39.78
   19	Trideum	$82,454	$39.64	2
   20	Lincoln Financial Group	$81,200	$39.04	4

4. Writing a data modeling specialist job description

   A good data modeling specialist 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 modeling specialist job description:

   Data modeling specialist job description example

   About the Role
   
   As a member of the Catastrophe Perils and Cyber team, you will join our efforts to develop innovative models used for quantifying physical and economic impacts of natural catastrophes. You will collaborate with internal partners and external organizations and craft solutions to reduce negative consequences of catastrophes. You will have opportunities to transition into a wide range of technical and non-technical roles and advance your career in the financial industry.
   
   In your role as a Natural Catastrophe (Nat Cat) Specialist with expertise related to flood, you will:
   
   * Develop and improve models for quantifying risk associated with hydrometeorological hazards (including inland flooding, storm surge, heavy rainfall, drought, and other associated perils)
   * Collaborate with underwriting and engineering teams to review and assess vulnerability to flood hazards
   * Leverage novel technologies such as remote sensing and machine learning to evaluate exposure to natural hazards
   * Build and commercialize innovative products and solutions to expand climate resilience
   * Support business units in the Nat Cat underwriting and pricing process
   * Act as a liaison between the scientific/engineering community and Swiss Re
   
   About the Team
   
   The Catastrophe Perils and Cyber team is responsible for Swiss Re's global risk assessment framework and related client services in three locations across the globe. We are accountable for developing and disseminating Swiss Re's view of Nat Cat risk. To achieve this, we develop and use probabilistic models for assessing impacts of natural catastrophes such as windstorms, earthquakes, and floods. We operate with a clear business objective to grow Swiss Re's edge in Nat Cat (re)insurance in collaboration with underwriters and clients.
   
   About You
   
   * Advanced degree in natural sciences, engineering, or a related technical field
   * Solid background in hydrology, meteorology, or inland or coastal flood risk
   * Strong analytical and quantitative background; sound understanding of probability or statistics
   * Strong computing and programming skills (e.g., MATLAB, Python); knowledge about structured databases and GIS a plus
   * Independent thinking and creative problem-solving skills
   * Highly motivated with an ability to effectively manage own time and priorities in a collaborative environment
   * High-level of curiosity to scout for new ideas and eagerness to transform them into products or services with commercial value
   * Strong communication and presentation skills and ability to explain complex problems with clarity and effectiveness Nat Cat Specialist
   
   About Swiss Re
   
   Swiss Re is one of the world's leading providers of reinsurance, insurance and other forms of insurance-based risk transfer, working to make the world more resilient. We anticipate and manage a wide variety of risks, from natural catastrophes and climate change to cybercrime. We cover both Property & Casualty and Life & Health. Combining experience with creative thinking and cutting-edge expertise, we create new opportunities and solutions for our clients. This is possible thanks to the collaboration of more than 14,000 employees across the world.
   
   Our success depends on our ability to build an inclusive culture encouraging fresh perspectives and innovative thinking. We embrace a workplace where everyone has equal opportunities to thrive and develop professionally regardless of their age, gender, race, ethnicity, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, skillset, thought or other characteristics. In our inclusive and flexible environment everyone can bring their authentic selves to work.
   
   Swiss Re is an equal opportunity employer. It is our practice to recruit, hire and promote without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, pregnancy, sexual orientations, marital status, military status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Decisions on employment are solely based on an individual's qualifications for the position being filled.
   
   During the recruitment process, reasonable accommodations for disabilities are available upon request. If contacted for an interview, please inform the Recruiter/HR Professional of the accommodation needed.
   
   As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the world, it is our responsibility to help keep our employees, customers, partners and communities healthy and safe. SwissRe will require all candidates interviewing in person in Canada to provide evidence of vaccination when arriving at our offices.
   
   Keywords:
   
   Reference Code: 121141
   
   Nearest Major Market: White Plains
   
   Nearest Secondary Market: New York City
   
   Job Segment: HR, Underwriter, Human Resources, Insurance

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting data modeling specialists 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.

   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.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with a data modeling specialist applicant. In those cases, having candidates complete a test project can go a long way in figuring out who's the most likely to succeed in the role. If you aren't a technical person and 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 data modeling specialist

   Once you've found the data modeling specialist 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 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new data modeling specialist. 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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