How to hire a graduate research student

How to hire a graduate research student, step by step

Here's a step-by-step graduate research student hiring guide:

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

What does a graduate research student do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a graduate research student, 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

   Hiring the perfect graduate research student also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of graduate research students.

   Type of Graduate Research Student	Description	Hourly rate
   Graduate Research Student		$9-28
   Postdoctoral Scholar	A Postdoctoral Scholar is responsible for supporting an educational research group to conduct studies and gather relevant data to support study claims and scientific evidence. They review initial findings, perform field investigations, and interview the target respondents for data and statistical analysis... Show more	$19-37
   Laboratory Internship	A laboratory intern is responsible for assisting laboratory operations and perform examinations and experiments under the supervision of tenured laboratory staff. Laboratory interns shadow all the laboratory processes, document their observations, and conduct an in-depth analysis of the results... Show more	$12-23

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Lab Equipment
   • Laboratory Equipment
   • Python
   • C++
   • Chemistry
   • Cell Culture
   • R
   • Data Analysis
   • Analyze Data
   • Research Student
   • Molecular Biology
   • Protein Purification
   • Data Collection
   • RT-PCR

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Evaluate patients' study eligibility via medical history, obtain informed consent, enroll patients, and achieve enrollment quotas.
   • Conduct molecular and cellular biology research techniques including DNA, RNA and protein isolation and analysis
   • Assist in organic chemistry laboratory on synthesis of molecule that behaves as fluorescent switch with cation binding properties
   • Perform Parkinson's psychological test on undergraduate students at UCLA and analyze data using statistical analysis software SPSS.
   • Analyze data using SAS statistical software, and map populations using GIS.
   • Summarize statistics from SAS outputs for USDA research grant investigating WIC and food insecurity.

   More graduate research student duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, graduate research students' average salary in utah is 47% less than in pennsylvania.
   • Seniority. Entry-level graduate research students 68% less than senior-level graduate research students.
   • Certifications. A graduate research student 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 graduate research student's salary.

   Average graduate research student salary

   $16.66hourly

   $34,658 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level graduate research student salary

   $19,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average graduate research student salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$46,801	$23
   2	New Jersey	$43,449	$21
   3	Wisconsin	$41,781	$20
   4	Ohio	$40,213	$19
   5	Michigan	$39,380	$19
   6	California	$37,526	$18
   7	Illinois	$37,174	$18
   8	Texas	$37,095	$18
   9	Virginia	$35,829	$17
   10	Alabama	$35,421	$17
   11	Rhode Island	$35,341	$17
   12	Colorado	$35,103	$17
   13	Oregon	$34,903	$17
   14	Mississippi	$32,715	$16
   15	Kansas	$32,608	$16
   16	Washington	$32,086	$15
   17	Alaska	$30,997	$15
   18	North Carolina	$30,184	$15
   19	Tennessee	$28,881	$14
   20	Iowa	$28,598	$14

   Average graduate research student salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Capgemini	$92,862	$44.65	1
   2	ConocoPhillips	$88,947	$42.76	1
   3	Google	$88,716	$42.65	137
   4	Los Alamos National Laboratory	$70,379	$33.84	80
   5	Dana-Farber Cancer Institute	$58,728	$28.23	23
   6	Abbott	$52,223	$25.11	19
   7	Cleveland Clinic	$43,990	$21.15	39
   8	PSEA	$42,893	$20.62	37
   9	Henry Ford Health System	$41,805	$20.10
   10	UES	$40,909	$19.67
   11	Fred Hutch	$39,719	$19.10	43
   12	Lifespan	$39,711	$19.09
   13	Legacy Health	$39,352	$18.92	4
   14	Maverick Transportation	$38,230	$18.38
   15	UCLA	$35,519	$17.08	49
   16	The University of Kansas Health System	$35,518	$17.08	14
   17	Randstad North America, Inc.	$34,924	$16.79	1
   18	Selmet	$34,271	$16.48
   19	CIA Inc	$33,748	$16.23
   20	Broken Hill Proprietary	$33,748	$16.23

4. Writing a graduate research student job description

   A graduate research student 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 graduate research student job description:

   Graduate research student job description example

   Sogeti is a leading provider of professional technology services, specializing in Application Management, Infrastructure Management and High-Tech Engineering. Sogeti offers cutting-edge solutions around Testing, Business Intelligence, Mobility, Cloud and Security, combining world class methodologies and the global delivery model, Rightshore . Sogeti brings together more than 20,000 professionals in 15 countries and is present in over 100 locations in Europe, the US and India. Sogeti is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cap Gemini S.A., listed on the Paris Stock Exchange.
   
   At Sogeti USA, we are committed to building a long and enduring relationship with our employees and to creating an environment that rewards and empowers. Our mission is to constantly exceed our employees' expectations in the same way that we strive to exceed our clients' expectations. We offer an environment that celebrates innovation and helps you to achieve a good balance between your professional and personal life. We strive to be an employer of choice!
   
   Bachelors or Master-s Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or related software development programs. Strong technical skills for problem solving, communication, working within teams and individual projects. Sound technology concepts and fundamentals. Fast learner, flexibility and motivated to learn and develop new technical solutions.
   
   Sogeti USA Colorado has several entry level IT new graduate positions available for 2022 new graduates. As a new hire your first two weeks will be at our technology practice training academy with other New Grads from around the country. AKA -Boot Camp- Followed by starting on your first project back in Colorado. National statistics continues to prove having a combination of training, program design and working with the best and brightest Sogeti Consultants is by far one of the best entry level positions in the country. Getting to work with multiple technology teams, projects, environments and industry leaders are Key Components for building a highly successful and diversified technology career. No need to pick just one Company to go work for when you can join Sogeti as a Consultant and have multiple Companies and Projects right in your own backyard. Our projects are regional to Colorado and may be onsite at the client location.
   
   All Sogeti Consultants are encouragement to explore their passion and stay on top of technology. We don't hire for a specific client or a specific project. We hire "Consultants" who are smart, well-rounded, motivated and strive for success. We hire employees who can figure things out, make adjustments and deliver results. Working on multiple projects, new challenges and technologies over time will drive your professional growth and development above and beyond the rest. As a Sogeti Consultant, you will be positioned to make an impact on day one.
   
   During the one week training academy, you will learn many things about Sogeti, what is being a consultant all about, learning specific and new technologies, building friendships, and having a great time. You will also have a group project with a capstone deliverable at the end. When you come back to Colorado, you now have the opportunity to work with Sr. Consultants, Managers, Sr. Managers and clients and start delivering high quality Technology Solutions.
   
   Keep in mind, with our flexible career path model, you will develop strong specialize skills while still having the exposure to learn new technologies you may never have thought about. We offer several different Technology Solutions for our clients including Web Application Development, Digital Transformation, Application Testing, Big Data, Mobile, Cloud and Infrastructure Solutions. We understand technology careers are challenging and always changing, so we provide a pro-active versus re-active approach with our employees. Along with our higher education and training programs, we provide each new hire with an experienced Sogeti mentor. These mentoring Consultants are available to meet with you, work with you, listen to you, as well as provide insight and guidance for your personal and professional development.
   **The benefits our employees enjoy:**
   
   + 401(k) Savings Plan- Matched 150% up to 6%. (Our 401k is in the top 1% of 401(k) plans offered in the US!)
   
   + Medical/Prescription/Dental/Vision Coverage!
   
   + $12,000 in Tuition Reimbursement
   
   + 100% Company-paid mobile phone plan
   
   + Personal Time Off (PTO)- Ensuring a balance of work and home life
   
   Sogeti is an Equal Opportunity Employer encouraging diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, gender identity/expression, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, genetics, veteran status, marital status or any other characteristic protected by law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find graduate research students 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 graduate research students they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level graduate research students 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 graduate research student job on Zippia to find and recruit graduate research student candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting graduate research students 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.

   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 graduate research student

   Once you've decided on a perfect graduate research student 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 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.

   To prepare for the new graduate research student first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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