How to hire a laboratory administrator

How to hire a laboratory administrator, step by step

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

What does a laboratory administrator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The laboratory administrator 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 laboratory administrator's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, laboratory administrators 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 laboratory administrator salaries for various roles:

   Type of Laboratory Administrator	Description	Hourly rate
   Laboratory Administrator	Computer networks are critical parts of almost every organization. Network and computer systems administrators are responsible for the day-to-day operation of these networks.	$24-66
   Help Desk Administrator	Help desk administrator is responsible for handling activities related to system support for their company or organization. They are in charge of providing superb client experiences and working in resolving support issues in a professional and timely manner... Show more	$16-34
   Unix Systems Administrator	UNIX system administrators install, configure, and maintain the UNIX systems of organizations. The administrators are in charge of the troubleshooting of server errors... Show more	$30-57

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Lab Equipment
   • Linux
   • Customer Service
   • Data Entry
   • Chemistry
   • Switches
   • Tcp Ip
   • IP
   • OS
   • VMware
   • Lab Environment
   • Test Results
   • Unix
   • Sops

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Install and manage Cisco routing and switching equipments, IOS upgrades and configuration changes.
   • Manage integrated network connectivity, reporting, and troubleshooting including switch, router, and firewall connectivity to increase system stability.
   • Set up and configure test beds for routers and switches for engineers.
   • Install and uninstall networking switches, routers, servers, etc., in lab racks.
   • Perform maintenance/troubleshooting for lab computers and printers.
   • Provide UNIX and graphic software support to students.

   More laboratory administrator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your laboratory administrator job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A laboratory administrator salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a laboratory administrator in New Mexico may be lower than in California, and an entry-level laboratory administrator usually earns less than a senior-level laboratory administrator. Additionally, a laboratory administrator with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average laboratory administrator salary

   $83,338yearly

   $40.07 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level laboratory administrator salary

   $50,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average laboratory administrator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$123,412	$59
   2	Nevada	$101,298	$49
   3	New York	$96,298	$46
   4	Massachusetts	$93,601	$45
   5	Washington	$92,617	$45
   6	Ohio	$89,544	$43
   7	Pennsylvania	$89,230	$43
   8	Maine	$83,737	$40
   9	Texas	$83,625	$40
   10	North Carolina	$83,407	$40
   11	Utah	$79,574	$38
   12	Florida	$73,626	$35
   13	Minnesota	$69,707	$34
   14	Iowa	$68,572	$33
   15	Colorado	$66,353	$32
   16	Alaska	$61,686	$30

   Average laboratory administrator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Arista Networks	$155,520	$74.77
   2	Mercy Health	$151,733	$72.95	70
   3	Kaiser Permanente	$143,868	$69.17	99
   4	Quest Diagnostics	$123,264	$59.26	401
   5	Harvard University	$121,512	$58.42
   6	Generac Holdings	$118,417	$56.93
   7	Providence Health & Services	$118,146	$56.80	16
   8	Kelly Services	$108,224	$52.03	63
   9	UnityPoint Health	$108,115	$51.98	26
   10	Bon Secours Community Hospital	$100,849	$48.49	157
   11	The Rockefeller University	$97,271	$46.76
   12	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	$95,946	$46.13	13
   13	Clear Choice Health Care	$93,912	$45.15
   14	Fusion Technology	$90,605	$43.56	2
   15	Northrop Grumman	$90,016	$43.28	72
   16	Duke University Health System	$89,420	$42.99	19
   17	Basic Solutions	$84,342	$40.55
   18	IBM	$80,477	$38.69	51
   19	Pharmaceutical Product Development	$78,617	$37.80
   20	Lockheed Martin	$77,034	$37.04	177

4. Writing a laboratory administrator job description

   A job description for a laboratory 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 laboratory administrator job description:

   Laboratory administrator job description example

   Indiana University Health is Indiana's most comprehensive health system, with 16 hospitals and more than 34,000 team members serving Hoosiers across the state. We're looking for team members who are inspired by challenging and meaningful work for the good of every patient. People who are compassionate and serve with a purpose. People who aspire to excellence every day.
   
   The laboratories of IU Health offer some of the most comprehensive laboratory services in Indiana! Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the laboratories perform more than 19 million tests a year. In addition to IU Health, laboratory testing services are provided to hospitals and physicians across the country.
   
   Supervises, directs and coordinates work performed by laboratory assistants and float pool personnel (i.e., phlebotomy, order entry, specimen processing, scheduling, and performance evaluations). Provides administrative and logistical instruction and support. Maintains phlebotomy and processing equipment, materials and supply inventories. Ensures accurate record keeping and procedures are in place. Collects and analyzes data and prepares a variety of special and recurring analyses and reports. Provides support to obtain department goals and objectives that meet established professional standards of laboratory services. Serves as a resource person to aid and ensure quality patient care. Models, upholds and ensures compliance with the laboratories defined patient experience expectations. Recommends improvements in laboratory support procedures.
   • Requires the 3-5 years? experience in a clinical laboratory or specimen collection setting.
   
   • Background or experience in supervision preferred.
   
   • Requires knowledge about computers and use of various software programs.
   
   • Requires in-depth knowledge of standard operating procedures and testing techniques.
   
   • Requires ability to troubleshoot equipment.
   
   • Requires knowledge of state and federal regulations.
   
   • Requires ability to perform basic analytical procedures on automated and non-automated equipment.
   
   • Requires the ability to track and perform multiple tasks, manage several assignments simultaneously and prioritize appropriately.
   
   • Requires the ability to work independently.
   
   • Requires ability to adapt to change, integrate new information into practice and problem solve to meet customer demands. Bachelors in medical technology, chemical, physical or biological science is preferred.
   
   REQNUMBER: 340395

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right laboratory administrator 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 laboratory administrators they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit laboratory administrators 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 laboratory administrator job on Zippia to find and recruit laboratory administrator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit laboratory administrators, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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.

   Sometimes, it's not enough to interview laboratory administrator candidates, so you can ask them to do a test project. If you are not a technical person and don't know what a test project should be, you can use these websites:

   • 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 laboratory administrator

   Once you've selected the best laboratory administrator 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 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.

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