How to hire a program instructor

How to hire a program instructor, step by step

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

What does a program instructor do?

Post a program instructor job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a program instructor, 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 program instructor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, program instructors 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.

   This list shows salaries for various types of program instructors.

   Type of Program Instructor	Description	Hourly rate
   Program 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.	$13-28
   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
   Lecturer	A lecturer, also known as a university lecturer, is a teaching professional who teaches students in colleges and educational establishments. Lecturers provide support to students in their research activities by assessing their work and through a pastoral and advisory role... Show more	$17-48

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • K-12
   • Math
   • Mathematics
   • Excellent Interpersonal
   • CPR
   • Autism
   • Developmental Disabilities
   • Python
   • Java
   • Customer Service
   • Social Work
   • Course Content
   • Independent Living

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Facilitate, manage and implement each classroom student's IEP
   • Lead DCMA personnel consolidation plan to increase synergies and communication amongst the teams.
   • Manage groups of kids on a daily basis in the field to ensure safety while participating in activities.
   • Assist in achieving and maintaining DoD certification and national accreditation where applicable.
   • Perform general maintenance work including HVAC, electrical, refrigeration and plumbing.
   • Assist high school students with math, computers science and computer programming (Java).

   More program instructor duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, program instructors' average salary in ohio is 35% less than in hawaii.
   • Seniority. Entry-level program instructors 52% less than senior-level program instructors.
   • Certifications. A program instructor 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 program instructor's salary.

   Average program instructor salary

   $42,380yearly

   $20.38 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level program instructor salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

   Average program instructor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Hawaii	$50,266	$24
   2	Minnesota	$49,252	$24
   3	Wisconsin	$48,953	$24
   4	California	$48,874	$24
   5	Iowa	$48,268	$23
   6	North Dakota	$47,308	$23
   7	Oregon	$47,177	$23
   8	Alaska	$46,746	$22
   9	Washington	$46,282	$22
   10	Michigan	$45,581	$22
   11	New Mexico	$45,165	$22
   12	Nebraska	$44,750	$22
   13	Delaware	$43,687	$21
   14	Texas	$43,577	$21
   15	Missouri	$43,292	$21
   16	New Jersey	$43,214	$21
   17	Wyoming	$42,845	$21
   18	Alabama	$42,462	$20
   19	Virginia	$42,433	$20
   20	New York	$42,395	$20

   Average program instructor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Los Alamos National Laboratory	$66,118	$31.79	6
   2	Point72	$65,913	$31.69	3
   3	Ross Institute	$58,824	$28.28
   4	Chicago State University	$57,555	$27.67	2
   5	Sparrow Health System	$54,917	$26.40	11
   6	Holland	$53,563	$25.75
   7	Grays Harbor College	$53,409	$25.68	2
   8	Wonderful College Prep Academy	$53,241	$25.60
   9	Andover Public Schools	$53,099	$25.53
   10	COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN MARYLAND	$53,053	$25.51	70
   11	New Jersey Institute of Technology	$52,500	$25.24	14
   12	Cleveland Clinic	$52,365	$25.18	38
   13	Multnomah Education Service District	$51,800	$24.90	1
   14	World Learning	$51,646	$24.83
   15	University of California	$51,042	$24.54	8
   16	MSG Entertainment	$51,022	$24.53	1
   17	Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station - State Headquarters	$50,877	$24.46	6
   18	Snapology	$50,460	$24.26	77
   19	Xcel Energy	$50,271	$24.17	1
   20	University of California-Berkeley	$50,044	$24.06

4. Writing a program instructor job description

   A program instructor 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 program instructor job description:

   Program instructor job description example

   Job DescriptionLife’s too short to not work some place awesome! If you have tons of energy, love kids, and are looking for a way to give back to your community, you may be the person we are looking for! We offer an amazing company culture, mentorship, and training to help YOU grow while growing and having Serious Fun with our students!
   We are currently looking for Part-Time Instructors to teach Parent-Child/Children's Enrichment classes. Background in childhood education and experience with children 3 and under highly preferred. Everyone is required to complete 90-day introductory period/training period. Once you have successfully passed, there is full-time opportunity with additional responsibilities in event planning, operations, marketing, sales, etc. So it's an awesome learning experience and a place to grow!
   
   What we expect from you…
   
   Teach amazing classes based on our proven curriculum and teaching method (don’t worry, we’ll teach you how!) Provide outstanding customer service and membership experience. We treat our members like family here. Commitment to your team and your students. Please keep in mind that this is NOT a seasonal position. We take our training seriously here. You will learn gymnastics skills in addition to business training in sales, customer experience, operations, marketing, special events, etc. We are a symbiotic team environment where we work hard AND play hard! Some weekend and week night availability required. You’d fit in here if…
   
   You’re totally open to being a goofball and love giving high 5’s. (A background in child development, physical education and/or gymnastics helps as well) You live to serve! Making others feel good makes you feel good. Kids really like you, but their parents really like you too. You were voted most likely to be in a good mood by your high school class mates. You love to have fun but you know when to buckle down and do work. You may think we’re awesome because…
   
   Kids walk out of our classes more confident than when they walked in every single day. You’ll get your steps in and close your activity rings while you work because you’ll be moving all day. We take our fun pretty seriously but also take the role we play in our community and with each child we meet seriously. The relationships you’ll build here will last a lifetime. You could get paid to fold t-shirts or you could get paid to act like a dinosaur. The choice is yours. This may not be your career but we are sure going to train you like it is. See what we do!!
   
   Check us out on social media (Facebook and Instagram @tlgocoeefl) to see what we do! You can also visit our website at www.tlgocoeefl.com!
   
   But seriously read the fine print…
   
   With more than 400 locations across the globe, The Little Gym is the world’s premier enrichment and physical development center for kids 4 months through 12 years. For nearly four decades, The Little Gym has helped millions of kids experience the thrill of achievement, develop new skills, and find new confidence through a variety of gymnastics-based programs. Parent/Child, Pre-K and Grade School classes are all taught in a clean, fun, safe and nurturing environment, which encourages children to develop at their own pace.
   
   As a part of The Little Gym team, you will be part of a family dedicated to the growth and development of children all over the globe. If this sounds like the job you’ve been dreaming about, what are you waiting for? We’ve been waiting for you! This franchise is independently owned and operated by a franchisee. Your application will go directly to the franchisee, and all hiring decisions will be made by the management of this franchisee. All inquiries about employment at this franchisee should be made directly to the franchise location, and not to The Little Gym Franchising Corporate.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find program 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 program instructors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level program 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 program instructor job on Zippia to find and recruit program instructor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with program instructor 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.

   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.

   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 program instructor

   Once you've decided on a perfect program 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a program instructor?