How to hire a laboratory courier

How to hire a laboratory courier, step by step

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

Post a laboratory courier job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the laboratory courier you need to hire. Certain laboratory courier roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   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 laboratory courier 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.

   Here's a comparison of laboratory courier salaries for various roles:

   Type of Laboratory Courier	Description	Hourly rate
   Laboratory Courier		$14-30
   Messenger	A messenger takes messages, packages, and other items to requested addresses. The mode of transport used to perform deliveries varies for each messenger... Show more	$9-28
   Courier Driver	A courier driver is responsible for delivering parcels and documents to the appropriate receiver within a specified timeframe. Courier drivers are either self-employed or hired by courier companies, depending on their preference... Show more	$12-20

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Hospital Lab
   • Cell Phones
   • Stat
   • OSHA
   • Specimen Handling
   • Lab Specimens
   • HIPAA
   • Test Results
   • Medical Specimens
   • Drop Offs
   • Hippa
   • Medical Facilities
   • Lab Results
   • Lab Reports

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Well verse with medical terminology associate with lab testing and phlebotomy.
   • Perform electronic patient registration, test ordering, and processing of microbiology specimens.
   • Use of micro-pipettors, scales and centrifuges.
   • Pick up and deliver bank documents, mail and packages on company time routes.
   • Pick up mail from post office and bank mail room and distribute to designate persons or departments.
   • Implement freight forwarding and TSA regulations in oversight of materials expedition via airlines, truck and air charter services.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your laboratory courier job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A laboratory courier salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, laboratory couriers' average salary in alabama is 45% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level laboratory couriers earn 51% less than senior-level laboratory couriers.
   • Certifications. A laboratory courier with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a laboratory courier's salary.

   Average laboratory courier salary

   $44,363yearly

   $21.33 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level laboratory courier salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

4. Writing a laboratory courier job description

   A laboratory courier 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. Below, you can find an example of a laboratory courier job description:

   Laboratory courier job description example

   Wilson Health is looking for a direct hire Lab Courier for our location in Sidney, Ohio (North Dayton, Ohio) area
   .
   
   Key Perks and Benefits:
   
   * Pay (Shift Differential, Weekend Differential, Holiday Pay, and Direct Deposit)
   * Retirement (Defined & Employer Contribution, Employer Match (no waiting period), and Various Investment Options)
   
   Employment Status: PRN
   
   Working Hours: Varied
   
   Shift: 1st
   
   Position Reports to: Director of Laboratory Services
   
   Job Summary: The Lab Courier provides transport items to and from physician offices and hospital.
   
   Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
   
   * The courier is responsible for following all the laboratory's established policies and procedures, and those of the hospital.
   * Responsible for coordinating and monitoring laboratory specimens collected in offices and delivering them to the laboratory.
   * Timely and accurate pick-up and delivery of office specimens.
   * Safe and proper handling of specimens.
   * Practice of safe and defensive driving to ensure, in as far as possible, that no injury or accident occurs in the course of business. This includes representing the hospital by being courteous to other drivers while on duty in the company vehicle.
   * Communication and resolution of issues that may come up during the courier process.
   * Establishing good rapport and customer service with the lab and all office personnel through efficient and timely delivery.
   * Accurate and timely completion of any required reports.
   * This position will also have the responsibility to deliver mail, medical and nonmedical supplies, pharmaceutical items, and central sterile items. This position also has a responsibility to transport financial items between the physician offices and the hospital.
   * Responsible for routine car care duties, examples include oil changes and fuel fill ups.
   
   Qualifications:
   
   * Formal phlebotomy training with certification or comparable program certification (ex. Medical Office Assisting) which includes phlebotomy training.
   * Must be able to respond to emergencies during off-hours.
   
   Mission & Vision & Values:
   
   * Improve the health and wellness of the community by delivering compassionate, quality care.
   * Be a trusted, nationally recognized leader of innovative, collaborative, community health.
   * A.S.P.I.R.E - Always serve with professionalism, integrity, respect, and excellence.
   
   EOE (Equal Opportunity Employer)

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right laboratory courier for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting laboratory couriers 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 laboratory courier

   Once you've found the laboratory courier candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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 laboratory courier 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a laboratory courier?