How to hire a laboratory instructor

How to hire a laboratory instructor, step by step

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

What does a laboratory instructor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The laboratory instructor 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

   Hiring the perfect laboratory instructor 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 instructor salaries for various roles:

   Type of Laboratory Instructor	Description	Hourly rate
   Laboratory Instructor	Career and technical education teachers instruct students in various technical and vocational subjects, such as auto repair, healthcare, and culinary arts. They teach academic and technical content to provide students with the skills and knowledge necessary to enter an occupation.	$14-37
   Teaching Fellow	An individual who works at an institution to foster the students' academic strive is known as a teaching fellow. They are known as a self-motivated and education-based counselor... Show more	$12-35
   Adjunct Faculty	Adjunct faculty is the collective term for adjunct professors or lecturers. The adjunct faculty teaches students based on the limited-term of their contract... Show more	$21-73

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Lab Procedures
   • Molecular Biology
   • Patient Care
   • Anatomy
   • Student Performance
   • Organic Chemistry
   • Lab Equipment
   • Physiology
   • Scientific Methods
   • Mathematics
   • Lab Reports
   • EMT
   • Syllabus
   • Course Content

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Assist classmates with developing positive study habits and strategies for managing classroom material.
   • Lecture on physiology via computer simulations which include group student discussion.
   • Prepare physiology equipment and dissection demonstration cats for other teaching assistants to follow.
   • Upgrade PowerPoint presentations with audio/visual animations and computer graphics, which appeal to the students thus increasing their attentiveness.
   • Demonstrate unit components utilizing hands-on instruction and PowerPoint presentations; describe experimentation process, and guide students through executing experiments.
   • Identify appropriate techniques for teaching and responding to literature, and ways to effectively use literacy to positively impact diversity education.

   More laboratory instructor duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average laboratory instructor salary

   $49,931yearly

   $24.01 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level laboratory instructor salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average laboratory instructor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$70,438	$34
   2	Minnesota	$65,168	$31
   3	Michigan	$64,516	$31
   4	New Jersey	$62,755	$30
   5	Pennsylvania	$58,149	$28
   6	North Carolina	$57,203	$28
   7	California	$54,149	$26
   8	New York	$53,954	$26
   9	Washington	$53,411	$26
   10	Virginia	$52,511	$25
   11	Maryland	$49,594	$24
   12	Tennessee	$47,034	$23
   13	Kentucky	$46,463	$22
   14	Illinois	$44,554	$21
   15	Colorado	$44,116	$21
   16	Alabama	$43,440	$21
   17	Kansas	$42,022	$20
   18	Louisiana	$38,350	$18
   19	Oklahoma	$38,128	$18
   20	Texas	$37,938	$18

   Average laboratory instructor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Hutchinson Community College	$87,873	$42.25	17
   2	New York University	$75,235	$36.17	12
   3	Utica College	$72,513	$34.86	3
   4	Edmonds Community College, Lynnwood	$69,626	$33.47	5
   5	Tulsa Tech	$63,932	$30.74	31
   6	Suffolk University	$63,055	$30.31	7
   7	Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College	$62,044	$29.83	34
   8	Elgin Community College	$61,987	$29.80	10
   9	Molloy College	$59,234	$28.48	10
   10	Lawrence University	$59,169	$28.45
   11	Salem State University	$59,167	$28.45
   12	Western Governors University	$58,206	$27.98	16
   13	State College of Florida	$57,974	$27.87	19
   14	Georgian Court University	$57,362	$27.58
   15	Springfield Technical Community College	$56,316	$27.07	62
   16	Jamestown Community College	$56,253	$27.04	3
   17	Pima Medical Institute	$55,872	$26.86	59
   18	PSEA	$55,624	$26.74	15
   19	Iona College	$55,204	$26.54	14
   20	Jacksonville State University	$53,961	$25.94

4. Writing a laboratory instructor job description

   A good laboratory instructor job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a laboratory instructor job description:

   Laboratory instructor job description example

   **Type of Requisition:** SCA
   
   **Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain:** None
   
   **Job Family:** SCA
   
   Job Responsibilities: Plans, coordinates, and conducts training and related instructional programs for customer personnel. Demonstrate subject matter expertise/mastery of the course content requirements. Demonstrate expertise and proficiency in the methods and techniques for delivery of instruction. Provide training and education (T&E) to prepare service members in area of expertise. Instruct individuals/teams/units in establishment and reconstitution of DEPMEDs. Ensure accountability and maintenance of assigned equipment. Provide instruction as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for elementary and advanced examinations of biological and environmental specimens to aid in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease and other medical disorders. Provide instruction on elementary blood-banking and clinical laboratory procedures in hematology immunohematology, biochemistry, serology, bacteriology, parasitology, and urinalysis.
   
   1. Conducts training sessions and may assist in evaluating the effectiveness of training activities.
   
   2. Coordinates logistics for instruction events, including scheduling classes, reserving classrooms, and preparing workstations.
   
   3. Maintains records of training activities, participant progress, and program effectiveness.
   
   4. May assist in the development and establishment of course content and objectives.
   
   5. May update course documentation as needed to ensure timeliness and relevance.
   
   6. Maintains current knowledge of relevant technologies as assigned.
   
   7. Participates in special projects as required.
   
   8. Maintains current knowledge of relevant technology as assigned.
   
   9. Adheres to ethical, behavioral and professional standards.
   
   Education/Equivalent Training Required: Associate's degree, or equivalent experience.
   
   Experience: Two years of recent experience with the military with at least some of this time as a commissioned, warrant, or noncommissioned officer, with a laboratory AOC/MOS or civilian equivalent qualification and familiarity with military medical systems.
   
   Unique/Additional Requirements: Must have a valid driver's license. Effective communications skills. Computer literate with current Microsoft Windows Operating System, Microsoft Office Systems and possess a working knowledge of current Army automated systems.
   
   COVID-19 Vaccination: GDIT does not have a vaccination mandate applicable to all employees. To protect the health and safety of its employees and to comply with customer requirements, however, GDIT may require employees in certain positions to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Vaccination requirements will depend on the status of the federal contractor mandate and customer site requirements.
   
   We are GDIT. The people supporting some of the most complex government, defense, and intelligence projects across the country. We deliver. Bringing the expertise needed to understand and advance critical missions. We transform. Shifting the ways clients invest in, integrate, and innovate technology solutions. We ensure today is safe and tomorrow is smarter. We are there. On the ground, beside our clients, in the lab, and everywhere in between. Offering the technology transformations, strategy, and mission services needed to get the job done.
   
   GDIT is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status, or any other protected class.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find laboratory instructors 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 laboratory instructors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level laboratory instructors 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 laboratory instructor job on Zippia to find and attract quality laboratory instructor candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting laboratory instructors 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. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 instructor

   Once you've decided on a perfect laboratory instructor 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 important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is 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 laboratory instructor?