How to hire a president

How to hire a president, step by step

Here's a step-by-step president hiring guide:

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

What does a president do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your president 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 president 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

   Hiring the perfect president 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 president salaries for various roles:

   Type of President	Description	Hourly rate
   President	Top executives devise strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals. They plan, direct, and coordinate operational activities of companies and organizations.	$54-155
   Chief Operating Officer	A chief operating officer, also known as a COO, is a high-ranking official who oversees a company or organization's daily administrative and overall operations. They are typically the second in the chain of command, reporting directly to the company's chief executive officer, also known as a CEO... Show more	$38-110
   Vice President, Business Development	A vice president of business development is a professional who leads in the execution of business plans and provides new business strategies for an organization. Vice presidents of business development closely work with a team of salespeople, management, and lower-level employees to secure contracts with new customers and manage ongoing agreements... Show more	$50-125

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Financial Statements
   • Product Development
   • R
   • Business Development
   • Real Estate
   • Human Resources
   • Business Plan
   • Payroll
   • Alumni
   • Risk Management
   • Fraternity
   • Strategic Plan
   • Student Organizations
   • Event Planning

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage HVAC contracting business specializing in the installation and service of residential and commercial heating and cooling equipment.
   • Achieve strategic, operational and programmatic goals meeting budget EBITDA expectations.
   • Lead meetings; create and present PowerPoint presentations to members about upcoming events
   • Activate previously undiscovered ERP modules to automate supply chain management and forecasting capabilities.
   • Manage a 75 plus person fraternity as president and implement strict attendance and payment policies that increase chapter operation efficiency.
   • Provide direct oversight and effective leadership through training and identification of strategic priorities to achieve program outcomes and organizational goals.

   More president duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your president job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A president can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, presidents' average salary in idaho is 34% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level presidents 65% less than senior-level presidents.
   • Certifications. A president with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a president's salary.

   Average president salary

   $192,329yearly

   $92.47 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level president salary

   $114,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 15, 2026

   Average president salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$210,207	$101
   2	New Jersey	$207,178	$100
   3	Illinois	$203,583	$98
   4	Texas	$196,691	$95
   5	California	$195,142	$94
   6	Pennsylvania	$192,786	$93
   7	Washington	$192,411	$93
   8	District of Columbia	$191,130	$92
   9	North Carolina	$181,752	$87
   10	Colorado	$171,319	$82
   11	Missouri	$170,289	$82
   12	Massachusetts	$170,161	$82
   13	Delaware	$168,599	$81
   14	Ohio	$167,504	$81
   15	Florida	$162,450	$78
   16	Oregon	$162,092	$78
   17	Georgia	$161,944	$78
   18	Utah	$160,948	$77
   19	Maryland	$159,805	$77
   20	South Carolina	$152,274	$73

   Average president salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	UnitedHealth Group	$282,109	$135.63	70
   2	Lyons Group	$265,953	$127.86
   3	Adtalem Global Education	$240,704	$115.72
   4	Pharmacare Hawaii	$239,901	$115.34
   5	HomeServe USA	$235,491	$113.22
   6	David's Inc	$228,621	$109.91
   7	Texas Health Resources	$225,539	$108.43	11
   8	MCC Holdings Inc	$224,637	$108.00
   9	Parallels	$224,446	$107.91
   10	French Holdings Inc	$222,287	$106.87
   11	Bendon	$220,523	$106.02
   12	Enviro-Tec	$220,143	$105.84
   13	Logan Health	$219,387	$105.47
   14	Mercato	$219,233	$105.40
   15	Physician Partners	$216,494	$104.08
   16	Realized	$214,097	$102.93	2
   17	Fairchild Equipment	$214,077	$102.92
   18	Farm Fresh	$213,797	$102.79
   19	Franke Group	$213,698	$102.74
   20	International Consortium For Health Outcomes Measurement (ichom)	$213,525	$102.66

4. Writing a president job description

   A good president 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 president job description:

   President job description example

   • The President of the Saint Joseph Regional High School in Montvale, Bergen County, NJ is employed by the Archdiocese of Newark to function as the Chief Executive Officer of the school. The President is the “external” face of the school, interacting with its various constituencies, but most especially its parents and alumni, in matters relating to the institutional advancement of the organization. The President is charged with the authority and responsibility of seeing that the school functions within the framework of its mission as an Archdiocesan Regional High School in all its policies and programs. In like fashion, the President is also responsible for developing a strong school community, for supporting a strong program of institutional advancement, for sustaining a functioning Consultative Board and for ensuring the financial stability of the school.
   • Qualifications: Must be Practicing Catholic, Earned advanced degree in relevant field, Background in Business and understand Secondary Education.
     
     For additional job details please visit the school website:
     Please send a resume and cover letter by November 11, 2022 to:
     Brother Christopher D. Hall, C.F.C.,
     Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools

   We believe that:
   
   Through a Catholic education, rooted in the Xaverian tradition and continued with the Marist charism, students will bring to life the richness of their faith through their service and conduct.
   
   A demanding academic program delivered in a safe learning environment forms the foundation for scholastic growth and success by developing organizational skills, encouraging problem solving, fostering a zeal for learning while promoting independent thinking and effective communication.
   
   Students develop a sense of accomplishment in a welcoming community that recognizes the unique gifts, talents, and skills of each individual through academics, athletics, fine arts and extracurricular activities.
   
   The school community is committed to the principles of fairness, dignity, and moral conduct rooted in Gospel values.
   
   Students learn civic responsibility through participation and leadership in service to their local, national, and faith communities.
   
   Educating young men from diverse geographical, religious and socio-economic backgrounds and abilities lies at the heart of our calling.

   
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   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right president 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 president job on Zippia to find and recruit president candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting presidents 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 president

   Once you've decided on a perfect president 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 president 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.)

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How much does it cost to hire a president?