How to hire a postdoctoral research scientist

How to hire a postdoctoral research scientist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step postdoctoral research scientist hiring guide:

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

What does a postdoctoral research scientist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a postdoctoral research scientist, 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

   A postdoctoral research scientist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, postdoctoral research scientists 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 postdoctoral research scientist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Postdoctoral Research Scientist	Description	Hourly rate
   Postdoctoral Research Scientist	Medical scientists conduct research aimed at improving overall human health. They often use clinical trials and other investigative methods to reach their findings.	$18-34
   Quality Control Analyst	Quality assurance representatives are professionals who are responsible for ensuring the quality of units produced or manufactured is following the standards set by the industry. These representatives supervise the entire production process to identify erroneous methods or tools being used by workers and observing produced for visible defects... Show more	$19-41
   Chemist	Chemists are generally responsible for observing and investigating chemical substances to create new and safe compounds essential for practical applications. They are often grouped depending on a particular area of specialization to focus and understand the complexities of the matter... Show more	$22-43

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Python
   • C++
   • Research Projects
   • CRISPR
   • Data Analysis
   • Cell Culture
   • Neuroscience
   • Stem Cells
   • Data Collection
   • Chemistry
   • NIH
   • Immunology
   • Statistical Analysis
   • Next-Generation Sequencing

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Process and manage GIS databases to contribute towards research in human transportation behavior.
   • Perform mouse genotyping by purifying mouse DNA and amplifying it using PCR.
   • Establish stable human and rodent cell lines deficient in DNA DSB repair function.
   • Identify a novel role for a leukemia tumor suppressor in DNA repair pathways.
   • Involve in projects for identification and validation of biomarkers for Hodgkin's lymphoma.
   • Contribute to projects at the interface of organic chemistry with biological and materials sciences.

   More postdoctoral research scientist duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, postdoctoral research scientists' average salary in louisiana is 53% less than in hawaii.
   • Seniority. Entry-level postdoctoral research scientists earn 46% less than senior-level postdoctoral research scientists.
   • Certifications. A postdoctoral research scientist 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 postdoctoral research scientist's salary.

   Average postdoctoral research scientist salary

   $53,781yearly

   $25.86 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level postdoctoral research scientist salary

   $39,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average postdoctoral research scientist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$73,770	$35
   2	Tennessee	$70,955	$34
   3	Indiana	$62,845	$30
   4	Pennsylvania	$61,456	$30
   5	Massachusetts	$61,130	$29
   6	Montana	$57,064	$27
   7	Connecticut	$56,778	$27
   8	Colorado	$54,073	$26
   9	Washington	$53,723	$26
   10	Maryland	$52,401	$25
   11	Illinois	$51,171	$25
   12	New York	$50,979	$25
   13	Ohio	$50,397	$24
   14	Florida	$49,127	$24
   15	District of Columbia	$48,532	$23
   16	Utah	$45,054	$22
   17	New Mexico	$44,213	$21
   18	Virginia	$43,944	$21
   19	Texas	$42,839	$21
   20	West Virginia	$40,813	$20

   Average postdoctoral research scientist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$86,474	$41.57	974
   2	Google	$83,195	$40.00	216
   3	Amazon	$79,829	$38.38	727
   4	IBM	$76,052	$36.56	109
   5	Oak Ridge National Laboratory	$73,974	$35.56	39
   6	Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory	$73,797	$35.48	41
   7	Eli Lilly and Company	$70,342	$33.82	42
   8	Intellectual Ventures	$68,761	$33.06	1
   9	Biogen	$68,285	$32.83	1
   10	Zoetis	$67,832	$32.61	15
   11	Elanco	$66,671	$32.05	14
   12	Hoffmann-LA Roche Inc	$63,998	$30.77	13
   13	Pfizer	$63,340	$30.45	49
   14	Columbia University in the City of New York	$61,013	$29.33	46
   15	Eastman	$59,991	$28.84	1
   16	Colgate-Palmolive	$58,954	$28.34	10
   17	VST Consulting	$58,518	$28.13
   18	EMD Millipore	$57,950	$27.86
   19	National Renewable Energy Laboratory	$57,900	$27.84	9
   20	New York University	$57,805	$27.79	48

4. Writing a postdoctoral research scientist job description

   A good postdoctoral research scientist 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 postdoctoral research scientist job description:

   Postdoctoral research scientist job description example

   At Wolfspeed, we do amazing things in a human way.
   
   We know that the achievements of our organization are due to the passion, hard work and creativity of our employees. We celebrate different perspectives to foster excellence across our organization, and our goal is to make diversity a foundation of what we do. We are proudly building an environment where you can bring your authentic self to work.
   
   Enjoy doing things that people say can't be done? Innovation is at the center of everything we do.Hate red tape? We remove roadblocks instead of creating them.Working parent? We provide childcare assistance and paid parental leave.Student? We offer continuing education assistance.Looking for community? There are many ways to get involved, from Employee Resource Groups to local outreach.
   
   Here's the Gist:
   As a Research Scientist, you will utilize your leadership and scientific expertise to initiate, plan, and deliver working processes to the Crystal Growth Engineering team. This is a highly collaborative and cross functional environment where good theoretical ideas intermingle with the hands-on practicality of creating real processes.
   
   The Day-to-Day:
   Combine a deep knowledge of crystalline materials with state-of-the-art equipment to create high functioning crystal growth and wafer fabrication processes Continually achieve independent thinking, hypothesis generation and testing Work constructively with a team of manufacturing personnel, scientists, engineers and technicians Utilize scripting and programming skills Embrace a "hands on" approach working with complex equipment
   
   This Job is Right for You if You Have (Minimum Qualifications):
   PhD in Applied Materials, Chemical, Physical ScienceStrong experimental physics background, with experience with complex equipment sets.Strong materials and crystal growth understanding Strong leadership skills with the ability to work constructively with a diverse team of manufacturing technicians, engineers and scientists Must be able to attain ITAR clearance
   
   This role may require additional duties and/or assignments as designated by management.
   
   To put it legally - Wolfspeed is an equal opportunity employer.
   We recruit, employ, train, compensate and promote regardless of race, sex, religion, color, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation and other protected status as required by law.
   
   We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find postdoctoral research scientists 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 postdoctoral research scientists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level postdoctoral research scientists 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 postdoctoral research scientist job on Zippia to find and recruit postdoctoral research scientist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with postdoctoral research scientist 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.

   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 postdoctoral research scientist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the postdoctoral research scientist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new postdoctoral research scientist. 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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