How to hire a design coordinator

How to hire a design coordinator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step design coordinator hiring guide:

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

What does a design coordinator do?

Post a design coordinator job for free, promote it for a fee

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your design coordinator 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 design coordinator 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 design coordinator's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, design coordinators 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 design coordinator salaries for various positions.

   Type of Design Coordinator	Description	Hourly rate
   Design Coordinator	Graphic designers create visual concepts, using computer software or by hand, to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, and captivate consumers. They develop the overall layout and production design for various applications such as advertisements, brochures, magazines, and corporate reports.	$18-35
   Graphic Artist	A graphic artist is either an illustrator or an animator who creates art work that will be used in graphic projects such as advertisements, posters, or even book covers. Although a graphic artist has his/her own style of artwork, he/she may be often commissioned to create art specifically for a particular project... Show more	$16-40
   Freelance Designer	Freelance designers are creative, independent contractors who create visual and graphic designs for their clients. They develop text and illustrated versions of brands, messages, and communications with strong visible influence with their clients... Show more	$18-39

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Revit
   • Sketch
   • BIM
   • Design Projects
   • Project Management
   • Graphic Design
   • PowerPoint
   • Navisworks
   • MEP
   • Autodesk Revit
   • Design Development
   • Auto CAD
   • Design Software
   • Design Layouts

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage all POS project costs, invoice and bill clients.
   • Manage the conversion of catalog data to HTML for FTG's on-line purchasing initiative.
   • Develop construction drawings using AutoCAD; coordinate bid process and vendor selection; and manage construction process through final punch list.
   • Participate in sketch reviews, fittings, and inspiration meetings.
   • Create PDF application forms, edit photos and create PowerPoint presentations.
   • Make Microsoft PowerPoint presentations including all sales aids for each market.

   More design coordinator duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, design coordinators' average salary in south dakota is 48% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level design coordinators 49% less than senior-level design coordinators.
   • Certifications. A design coordinator 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 design coordinator's salary.

   Average design coordinator salary

   $53,594yearly

   $25.77 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level design coordinator salary

   $38,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average design coordinator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$66,590	$32
   2	Washington	$62,758	$30
   3	Massachusetts	$62,736	$30
   4	District of Columbia	$61,243	$29
   5	Illinois	$60,192	$29
   6	New Jersey	$58,641	$28
   7	Virginia	$58,495	$28
   8	New York	$57,296	$28
   9	Pennsylvania	$56,057	$27
   10	Indiana	$51,979	$25
   11	North Carolina	$50,960	$25
   12	Arizona	$49,712	$24
   13	Wisconsin	$48,862	$23
   14	Nevada	$47,588	$23
   15	Florida	$47,177	$23
   16	Texas	$47,154	$23
   17	Colorado	$46,687	$22
   18	Minnesota	$46,198	$22
   19	Missouri	$42,552	$20
   20	Nebraska	$42,261	$20

   Average design coordinator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Jacobs Engineering Group	$75,247	$36.18
   2	KB Home	$69,803	$33.56
   3	Mattel	$68,718	$33.04
   4	Brookfield Properties	$67,954	$32.67
   5	Cambria	$64,544	$31.03
   6	Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing P.c. Or Aza	$64,238	$30.88
   7	Enterprise Products Partners	$63,685	$30.62
   8	HDR	$63,429	$30.49	80
   9	Encore Electric	$62,512	$30.05
   10	Ethan Allen	$62,469	$30.03	43
   11	HGA	$61,688	$29.66	17
   12	Stantec	$61,127	$29.39	209
   13	Solar.com	$60,828	$29.24	2
   14	Calvin Klein	$59,963	$28.83
   15	Illinois Central College	$59,606	$28.66
   16	Snap	$58,743	$28.24	30
   17	MDU Resources	$58,632	$28.19
   18	FleetCor Technologies	$58,463	$28.11
   19	Hendrick Health	$58,283	$28.02
   20	Cardinal Stritch University	$58,268	$28.01

4. Writing a design coordinator job description

   A design coordinator 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a design coordinator job description:

   Design coordinator job description example

   Salary: $70,000 - $100,000/annum
   
   Type: Full-time
   
   Contract type: DirectHire
   
   Job reference: 16439
   
   Posted 04 October 2022
   
   We are in search of Mechanical Design Coordinator and Manager for one of the largest construction projects in Texas history! Our client offers 100% paid benefits for you and your family as well as an opportunity to get paid for working daily overtime pay. These are full-time direct hire positions. Don't miss out on a great opportunity to work with one of the premier brands in technology and the semiconductor industry today.
   
   Responsibilities:
   Coordination of Mechanical design work with other trades such as structure, architecture, and other Electrical work (Electrical, ELV, Vertical transportation work etc. not limited to) Liaison with the local authority (where appropriate to the project) to ensure compliance with local codes Develop work schedule with sub-contractors (or NSC) for shop drawings and CSD (combined shop drawing) submission and approval in time basis and keep monitoring sub-contractors' performance good. Troubleshooting of crashes between M&E systems and structure and architectural system. Lead, manage, and mentor sub-contractor's engineers in the technical aspects of projects Ensure timeliness and cost-effectiveness on M&E works Monitor Sub-Contactors' daily and weekly progress performance (labor status, work area, work done etc.) and make report for reviewing and further planning Managing the project documentation which includes shop drawings
   Qualifications:
   Degree in Mechanical related subject Engineering with more than 10 years of relevant experience Capability of coordination with Mechanical system Familiar with various construction methods and materials, their characteristics, installation procedures and tolerances. Strong computer skills and familiarity with Auto-cad & BIM modeling. Having knowledge of relevant local regulation and Global Standards
   Role and Responsibilities:
   Coordination of Mechanical design work with other trades such as structure, architecture and other Electrical work (Electrical, ELV, Vertical transportation work etc. not limited to) Liaison with the local authority (where appropriate to the project) to ensure compliance with local codes Develop work schedule with sub-contractors (or NSC) for shop drawings and CSD (combined shop drawing) submission and approval in time basis and keep monitoring sub-contractors' performance good. Troubleshooting of crashes between M&E systems and structure and architectural system. Lead, manage, and mentor sub-contractor's engineers in the technical aspects of projects Ensure timeliness and cost-effectiveness on M&E works Monitor Sub-Contactors' daily and weekly progress performance (labor status, work area, work done etc.) and make report for reviewing and further planning

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find design coordinators 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 design coordinators they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level design coordinators 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 design coordinator job on Zippia to find and attract quality design coordinator candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting design coordinators 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.

   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 design coordinator

   Once you've decided on a perfect design coordinator 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 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new design coordinator. 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 design coordinator?