How to hire a pulmonologist

How to hire a pulmonologist, step by step

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

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the pulmonologist you need to hire. Certain pulmonologist 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

   A pulmonologist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, pulmonologists 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 pulmonologists.

   Type of Pulmonologist	Description	Hourly rate
   Pulmonologist	Physicians and surgeons diagnose and treat injuries or illnesses. Physicians examine patients; take medical histories; prescribe medications; and order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests... Show more	$55-368
   Resident Physician	A Resident Physician participates in a program of graduate medical education and training in a specialized area of medicine. They work with other members of the healthcare team to provide direct medical care to patients.	$37-165
   Physician	Physicians' general responsibility is to check, diagnose, and treat a patient's condition to improve their overall wellness. A physician could be General Practitioners or Specialist Physicians, wherein General Practitioners are physicians who provide regular checkups for patients depending on their needs and refer them to a Specialist Physicians who are more skilled in a particular field of expertise for a thorough diagnosis... Show more	$61-212

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Internal Medicine
   • EMR
   • Exam Rooms
   • Family Practice
   • Medical History

   Responsibilities:

   • Perform IM injections, SubQ injections, EKG's, and peak flows.
   • Use of EKG machine, placement of holter monitors, performance of PT/INR, and lab testing specimen collections.
   • Prepare necessary correspondence that is related to medical records of patients including sending lab results to outside physicians/hospitals.
   • Scan and index medical records in the ICS (NextGen).

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, pulmonologists' average salary in hawaii is 53% less than in north dakota.
   • Seniority. Entry-level pulmonologists 85% less than senior-level pulmonologists.
   • Certifications. A pulmonologist 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 pulmonologist's salary.

   Average pulmonologist salary

   $297,512yearly

   $143.03 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level pulmonologist salary

   $115,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average pulmonologist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	North Dakota	$471,211	$227
   2	Alaska	$440,707	$212
   3	Montana	$407,049	$196
   4	Indiana	$389,353	$187
   5	Iowa	$383,472	$184
   6	Illinois	$357,491	$172
   7	Michigan	$352,709	$170
   8	Nebraska	$350,440	$168
   9	Pennsylvania	$345,454	$166
   10	Kentucky	$332,445	$160
   11	Maine	$305,791	$147
   12	Missouri	$305,093	$147
   13	Ohio	$294,364	$142
   14	West Virginia	$292,727	$141
   15	New York	$282,007	$136
   16	Massachusetts	$279,752	$135
   17	Tennessee	$269,210	$129
   18	Virginia	$268,297	$129
   19	Arkansas	$255,298	$123
   20	Maryland	$252,540	$121

   Average pulmonologist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Tucson Medical Center	$539,978	$259.60
   2	Billings Clinic	$510,064	$245.22
   3	Trinity Health	$502,192	$241.44	185
   4	Mercy Health	$479,409	$230.49	2
   5	Altru Health System	$465,733	$223.91	1
   6	St. Mary's Health Care System	$453,722	$218.14	1
   7	Providence Health & Services	$452,324	$217.46	331
   8	Cumberland Medical Center	$434,388	$208.84
   9	Community Healthcare Center	$433,745	$208.53
   10	Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare	$428,488	$206.00
   11	Deaconess	$422,819	$203.28	23
   12	Pikeville Medical Center	$421,297	$202.55
   13	Appalachian Regional Healthcare System	$420,462	$202.15
   14	Campbell County Health	$418,334	$201.12
   15	Covenant HealthCare	$408,271	$196.28	1
   16	LRGH	$407,771	$196.04
   17	Beebe Healthcare	$407,463	$195.90
   18	White River Health System	$405,355	$194.88
   19	Olathe Health	$404,890	$194.66
   20	St. John Providence	$404,216	$194.33

4. Writing a pulmonologist job description

   A good pulmonologist 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 pulmonologist job description:

   Pulmonologist job description example

   Seeking a Pulmonologist to join our team. A level 2 trauma center, we provide consultation and care of diseases affecting the respiratory system, including treatment for COPD, cystic fibrosis and emphysema.
   
   Our award-winning health system provides exceptional primary care and a range of specialty services throughout the mid-Willamette Valley and Central Oregon coast. Our skilled providers have a passion for building healthier communities through world-class, compassionate health care.
   Job Specifics
   Join a well-established team of intensivists, cardiologists and cardiac surgeons. Practice shares inpatient consults and call but is primarily an office-based practice. Opportunity to develop a pulmonary program with strong support from administration and established intensivist program. Practice includes outpatient and inpatient responsibilities of pulmonary medicine- chest fluoroscopy, chest ultrasound, pleural biopsy, pulmonary function test, thoracentesis, bronchoscopy. Interventional procedures can be done but not required. Hospital employed Referral base from integrated physicians to build a busy practice Active involvement with medical students and residents
   Requirements
   Board certified/board eligible in Pulmonary Medicine New graduates welcome Eligibility to work in the United States Should possess excellent clinical skills, communication skills, and a strong commitment to providing excellent care that is team oriented
   We offer an attractive salary plus incentives, relocation assistance, possible loan repayment, paid malpractice, CME days plus allowance, Electronic Medical Record (EPIC) and a competitive benefit package.
   
   Location Details
   
   Within easy driving distance of mountains, rivers and the famed Oregon Coast, opportunities abound for outdoor enthusiasts such as camping, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking and skiing. As an added bonus, Oregon' s two largest cities and cultural centers - Portland and Eugene - are close by.
   
   Meanwhile, the tree lined city of about 55, 000 residents has earned the reputation as one of the best cities in the nation to call home - though many who live here wish that distinction did not attract so much publicity!

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right pulmonologist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with pulmonologists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit pulmonologists who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your pulmonologist job on Zippia to find and attract quality pulmonologist candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting pulmonologists 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.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 pulmonologist

   Once you've selected the best pulmonologist candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new pulmonologist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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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