How to hire an economic development coordinator

How to hire an economic development coordinator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step economic development coordinator hiring guide:

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

Post an economic development coordinator job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The economic development coordinator 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

   An economic development coordinator's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, economic development 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 economic development coordinator salaries for various positions.

   Type of Economic Development Coordinator	Description	Hourly rate
   Economic Development Coordinator	Training and development specialists plan, conduct, and administer programs that train employees and improve their skills and knowledge.	$19-42
   Trainer Lead	As a training lead, you are responsible for overseeing a company's employee training and development activities. You are also expected to perform various tasks that may include identifying training needs for the organization, supervising trainers' work, and developing effective employee training programs... Show more	$22-53
   Trainer	A trainer is responsible for instilling knowledge and process techniques for a specific business role. Duties of a trainer include facilitating engaging classes, identifying areas of improvement and opportunities for the learner, evaluating skills and attending to the learner's challenges, organizing training materials and scheduling training sessions, and submitting timely reports to the management on progress... Show more	$14-35

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Community Outreach
   • Economic Development
   • Community Development
   • Business Community
   • Business Development
   • Real Estate
   • GIS
   • Technical Assistance
   • Business Retention
   • Press Releases
   • Strategic Plan
   • Community Organizations
   • Business Attraction
   • County Region

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage all aspects of donor prospecting, cultivation, stewardship, and budget/vendor/consultant management for special events and individual giving.
   • Prepare and edit donor stewardship and proposals, physician presentations, and leadership communications independently and in conjunction with communications teammates.
   • Present to loan review committee, SBA, or commercial lender.
   • Develop effective working relationships with villagers, community partners, government extension agents, and ministry officials.

   More economic development coordinator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the economic development coordinator job description is a good way to get more applicants. An economic development coordinator 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 an economic development coordinator in Hawaii may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level economic development coordinator. Additionally, an economic development coordinator with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average economic development coordinator salary

   $61,044yearly

   $29.35 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level economic development coordinator salary

   $41,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average economic development coordinator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Illinois	$81,211	$39
   2	New Jersey	$72,507	$35
   3	New York	$71,692	$34
   4	District of Columbia	$71,513	$34
   5	California	$70,008	$34
   6	North Carolina	$67,354	$32
   7	Ohio	$66,125	$32
   8	Indiana	$63,424	$30
   9	Missouri	$61,467	$30
   10	Maryland	$61,300	$29
   11	Pennsylvania	$59,787	$29
   12	Texas	$55,994	$27
   13	Florida	$50,666	$24
   14	New Mexico	$49,424	$24

   Average economic development coordinator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	International Rescue Committee	$66,369	$31.91
   2	Minnesota Limited	$64,399	$30.96
   3	Americorps	$64,295	$30.91	34
   4	City of Largo	$59,564	$28.64	2
   5	Orange County	$58,194	$27.98	1
   6	City of Ypsilanti	$56,146	$26.99
   7	City of Austin	$55,479	$26.67	1
   8	Summit County	$50,649	$24.35
   9	City of O'Fallon	$50,519	$24.29
   10	City of Las Cruces Government	$49,755	$23.92
   11	Village of Orland Park	$46,859	$22.53
   12	Chapel Hill Country Club	$46,118	$22.17

4. Writing an economic development coordinator job description

   An economic development 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 an economic development coordinator job description:

   Economic development coordinator job description example

   Under general direction, is responsible for coordinating and managing the City's planning activities for various American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) projects to support economic recovery and resiliency within the City. Working conditions are primarily inside an office environment. May exercise supervision over assigned staff.
   
   This position is a "grant funded" position, therefore unclassified and has no disciplinary appeal rights to the Municipal Civil Service Commission. This position is likewise subject to at-will employment status and can be terminated at any time for any reason.
   Work Hours
   
   8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday - Friday
   
   Essential Job Functions
   
   * Serves as the City point of contact for coordinating and planning activities with and between City departments, community groups, business development organization partners, professional consultant services, and advisory boards, such as the Small Business Advisory Commission.
   * Administers and manages professional services contracts with businesses and organizations leading ARPA related programs.
   * Serves as a department expert on ARPA for small business.
   * Prepares and makes presentations to City Council, City staff, advisory boards, community groups and other outside organizations or businesses as necessary.
   * Performs related duties and fulfills responsibilities as required.
   
   Job Requirements
   
   * Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university.
   * Three (3) years of increasingly responsible experience in municipal government, economic development, or a related field.
   
   Preferred Qualifications
   
   * Ability to coordinate large stakeholder groups.
   * Bi-lingual (Spanish and English).
   
   Applicant Information
   
   * If selected for this position, official transcripts, diplomas, certifications and licenses must be submitted at the time of processing. Unofficial transcripts and copies of other relevant documents may be attached to the application for consideration in advance.
   * Please be advised that if selected for this position, information regarding employment history as it relates to the qualifications of the position will be needed for employment verification. Applicants claiming military service to meet the experience requirement for this position may attach a DD214 to the application.
   * Unless otherwise stated, applicants are permitted to substitute two years of related full-time experience for one year of higher education or one year of related higher education for two years of experience in order to meet the minimum requirements of the job. One year of full-time experience is defined as 30 or more hours worked per week for 12 months. One year of higher education is defined as 30 credit hours completed at an accredited college or university.
   * Applicants selected for employment with the City of San Antonio in this position must receive satisfactory results from pre-employment drug testing and background checks. If required for the position, a physical, motor vehicle record evaluation, and additional background checks may be conducted.
   
   Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
   
   * Knowledge of City planning procedures related to economic development.
   * Knowledge of economic factors and incentives that motivate individual businesses to expand, modernize, or relocate.
   * Knowledge of various City policies and procedures that impact individual businesses, including the permit and license system, zoning regulations, provision of municipal services such as police and Fire, etc.
   * Knowledge of full range of techniques for providing financial assistance to firms.
   * Knowledge of general acquisition regulations, the Federal procurement system, and contract negotiations.
   * Knowledge of private sector business operations.
   * Knowledge of current Federal market needs and applicable laws in government contracting.
   * Skill in utilizing a personal computer and associated software programs.
   * Ability to operate a computer keyboard and other basic office equipment.
   * Ability to communicate clearly and effectively.
   * Ability to work with senior representatives of the business communities and City department Directors to design and implement business service programs.
   * Ability to interpret Federal contact regulations.
   * Ability to research and analyze information to develop and implement an effective marketing plan.
   * Ability to prepare and conduct presentations.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right economic development coordinator for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with economic development coordinators they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit economic development coordinators who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your economic development coordinator job on Zippia to find and recruit economic development coordinator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting economic development 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 to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you 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 economic development coordinator

   Once you've selected the best economic development coordinator candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new economic development coordinator. 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire an economic development coordinator?