How to hire a grants administrator

How to hire a grants administrator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step grants administrator hiring guide:

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

What does a grants administrator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your grants administrator 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 grants administrator 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a grants administrator to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a grants administrator that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of grants administrators.

   Type of Grants Administrator	Description	Hourly rate
   Grants Administrator	Buyers and purchasing agents buy products and services for organizations to use or resell. They evaluate suppliers, negotiate contracts, and review the quality of products.	$18-29
   Media Buyer	Media Buyers are marketing professionals who manage the company's advertisements. They create the company's media plan to determine the advertising needs of the company... Show more	$26-47
   Purchasing Agent	A purchasing agent's general task is keeping purchase records and making sure that there won't be any discrepancies with the handling of orders. The purchasing agent should be responsible for the order processing and payment collection... Show more	$17-34

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Grants Management
   • Financial Reports
   • Pre-award
   • Customer Service
   • Research Administration
   • Principal Investigators
   • PIS
   • Budget Development
   • Project Management
   • Financial Management
   • NIH
   • Grant Administration
   • Research Management
   • Payroll

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Establish operating policies and procedures and attain SNF Medicare certification.
   • Update faculty regarding new federal sponsor (NIH and NSF) policies and regulations.
   • Verify compliance documents (IRB, IACUC, internal documents) with RVL and PCRO on inter-institutional agreements.
   • Organize and prepare grant applications for submission to NIH and private foundations.
   • Submit research relate regulatory and annual reports, including IRB applications and updates, annual reports, and the like.
   • Serve as technical resource for grant recipients with knowledge of federal regulations and guidelines; OMB circulars A110 and A122.

   More grants administrator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the grants administrator job description is a good way to get more applicants. A grants administrator 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 a grants administrator in Tennessee may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level grants administrator. Additionally, a grants administrator with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average grants administrator salary

   $49,206yearly

   $23.66 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level grants administrator salary

   $38,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average grants administrator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$61,236	$29
   2	New York	$61,095	$29
   3	Maryland	$59,917	$29
   4	District of Columbia	$59,698	$29
   5	Massachusetts	$57,514	$28
   6	New Mexico	$53,895	$26
   7	Connecticut	$53,361	$26
   8	Colorado	$52,522	$25
   9	Alaska	$51,286	$25
   10	California	$50,056	$24
   11	Wisconsin	$49,285	$24
   12	Virginia	$48,783	$23
   13	Illinois	$48,023	$23
   14	Nebraska	$47,489	$23
   15	Georgia	$45,854	$22
   16	Minnesota	$45,081	$22
   17	Oklahoma	$44,538	$21
   18	Missouri	$43,467	$21
   19	South Dakota	$42,781	$21
   20	Texas	$42,684	$21

   Average grants administrator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Children's Hospital Colorado	$75,396	$36.25	3
   2	University of Southern California	$70,685	$33.98	21
   3	The Asia Foundation	$69,302	$33.32
   4	Salesforce	$66,310	$31.88	1
   5	Children's Hospital Los Angeles	$64,920	$31.21
   6	Brigham and Women's Hospital	$64,760	$31.13	11
   7	Baystate Health	$64,289	$30.91
   8	Moffitt Cancer Center	$64,094	$30.81	4
   9	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	$64,020	$30.78	10
   10	Massachusetts General Hospital	$63,650	$30.60
   11	Boston Medical Center	$63,219	$30.39	1
   12	Columbia University in the City of New York	$63,186	$30.38	6
   13	New York University	$61,585	$29.61	6
   14	Boston College	$59,512	$28.61	1
   15	Lake County	$58,401	$28.08	1
   16	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	$57,932	$27.85	2
   17	Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs	$57,845	$27.81
   18	University of Massachusetts Medical School	$57,536	$27.66	5
   19	Michigan State University	$57,302	$27.55
   20	University of California-Berkeley	$56,583	$27.20

4. Writing a grants administrator job description

   A job description for a grants administrator role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a grants administrator job description:

   Grants administrator job description example

   1. Master’s Degree in Social Work, Psychology, Sociology, Public Health, or related field.

   2. Previous supervisory/administrative/ grant experience. Previous experience in managing and/or writing grants. Some working knowledge of contracts management.

   3. Knowledge and experience working with health service benefits, social service programs, and/or mental health / substance use agencies in LA County.

   4. Thorough working knowledge of business English, spelling, punctuation, and contemporary general office practices and procedures

   5. Computer skills in Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, etc.), electronic health record systems, and database systems.

   6. Effective verbal and written communication skills to communicate clearly and effectively with patients and others.

   7. Effective work organization skills.

   8. Ability to work effectively as a team player.

   9. Ability to be flexible and work in a changing environment.

   10. Sensitivity to the different cultures represented among members and staff.

   11. Demonstrated ability to listen and communicate with others in a professional and caring manner including sensitivity with individuals from diverse cultures and lifestyles.

   12. Demonstrated ability to set priorities for tasks to work effectively in spite of interruptions and under minimal supervision. Self-starter, reliable and dependable.

   13. Demonstrated proficiency with the electronic health record database within three months of attending training session(s).

   14. Fluency in English (speak, read and write) is required. Spanish language skills desirable but not required.

   15. Ability to solve problems and make routine recommendations.

   16. Ability to maintain absolute confidentiality about health care and other patient/client information.

   17. Current California driver’s license, appropriate insurance coverage and a driving record acceptable to the NEVHC’s insurance carrier (if required to drive on the job).

   Northeast Valley Health Corporation provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. Northeast Valley Health Corporation complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find grants administrators for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with grants administrator candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   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 grants administrator

   Once you've decided on a perfect grants administrator 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.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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 grants administrator?