How to hire a research laboratory manager

How to hire a research laboratory manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step research laboratory manager hiring guide:

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

What does a research laboratory manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the research laboratory manager you need to hire. Certain research laboratory manager 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

   Hiring the perfect research laboratory manager 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.

   This list shows salaries for various types of research laboratory managers.

   Type of Research Laboratory Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Research Laboratory Manager	Medical scientists conduct research aimed at improving overall human health. They often use clinical trials and other investigative methods to reach their findings.	$21-43
   Microbiologist	Microbiologists are responsible for studying the microscopic organisms causing infections and environmental damage, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Their work focuses on the identification and growth of these microbes to better understand their characteristics that may help in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of infectious and bacterial diseases... Show more	$18-36
   Staff Scientist	The primary role of a Staff Scientist is to develop and manage scientific research projects with minimal supervision. They are also responsible for the technical and budgetary aspects of scientific research projects.	$30-65

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Lab Equipment
   • Research Projects
   • Lab Safety
   • Cell Culture
   • Patients
   • Research Lab
   • Excellent Organizational
   • PI
   • Data Collection
   • Biochemistry
   • Laboratory Procedures
   • Data Analysis
   • Lab Operations
   • R

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and order equipment and materials for lab usage with NIH grant and write monthly credit card reports.
   • Manage laboratory team activities v. assist set up and revision of project plans under the guidance of NIH vi.
   • Design, development and validation of cell-base assays; infrare EMSA analysis, western blotting, ELISA.
   • Prepare, perform RT-PCR and Q-PCR and analyze the results.
   • Write grant proposal, project reports, IRB applications, and documentation.
   • Compose and maintain all lab IRB protocols in accordance with HIPAA guidelines.

   More research laboratory manager duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average research laboratory manager salary

   $64,333yearly

   $30.93 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level research laboratory manager salary

   $45,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 23, 2025

   Average research laboratory manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Maryland	$90,184	$43
   2	California	$88,744	$43
   3	New Jersey	$83,307	$40
   4	Massachusetts	$77,489	$37
   5	New York	$77,031	$37
   6	District of Columbia	$76,103	$37
   7	Ohio	$70,248	$34
   8	Pennsylvania	$67,998	$33
   9	Virginia	$67,560	$32
   10	Illinois	$65,757	$32
   11	Washington	$65,662	$32
   12	Oregon	$65,064	$31
   13	North Carolina	$62,629	$30
   14	Florida	$59,163	$28
   15	Wisconsin	$57,086	$27
   16	Nebraska	$54,481	$26
   17	Alabama	$54,093	$26
   18	Missouri	$53,964	$26
   19	Kansas	$53,039	$26
   20	South Carolina	$51,936	$25

   Average research laboratory manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$167,743	$80.65	527
   2	Intel	$115,682	$55.62
   3	Nokia	$112,196	$53.94	50
   4	Novartis	$100,581	$48.36	2
   5	Sutro Biopharma	$99,505	$47.84
   6	TeleCommunication Systems	$90,824	$43.67
   7	Johnson & Johnson	$84,020	$40.39	43
   8	Stanford University	$82,153	$39.50	164
   9	Institute for the Future	$79,322	$38.14
   10	Kaleida Health	$78,364	$37.67	15
   11	Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center	$76,785	$36.92	21
   12	Children's Hospital Colorado	$76,419	$36.74	13
   13	Pacific Companies	$75,919	$36.50
   14	Bayside Solutions	$75,880	$36.48
   15	Fred Hutch	$75,013	$36.06	31
   16	University of California	$74,835	$35.98	106
   17	UMiami Health System	$74,734	$35.93	18
   18	HealthTrust	$74,229	$35.69	15
   19	The University of Chicago	$73,661	$35.41	155
   20	Emory Healthcare	$72,314	$34.77	207

4. Writing a research laboratory manager job description

   A good research laboratory manager 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 research laboratory manager job description:

   Research laboratory manager job description example

   + Department: McGovern Institute for Brain Research
   
   + School Area: Office of Provost
   
   + Employment Type: Full-Time
   
   + Employment Category: Exempt
   
   + Visa Sponsorship Available: No
   
   + Schedule:
   
   Email a Friend Save Save Apply Now
   
   Information on MIT's COVID-19 vaccination requirement can be found at the bottom of this posting.
   
   RESEARCH PROGRAM MANAGER, McGovern Institute for Brain Research-Feng Lab, to manage the scientific operations of a neuroscience research laboratory engaged in studies of neurobiological mechanisms of synapse and circuit development and dysfunction in brain disorders. Responsibilities include serving as primary contact and resource for all laboratory staff; participating in and/or overseeing the lab's research activities, including developing new systems/processes to improve operations, troubleshooting and developing solutions to problems; managing laboratory budgets, including following resource allocation requirements for general supplies and working with MIT financial officers to keep budgets in line; serving as liaison to principal investigator (PI) on all personnel matters, including hiring, onboarding, and reappointing lab personnel; training lab members on general lab operations, equipment, protocols, and safety conduct; working with PI on researching, writing, and submitting grants/proposals; developing research progress reports for internal/external audiences; helping to write, edit, and submit manuscripts; overseeing research laboratory facility, including researching, procuring, and maintaining laboratory equipment and instruments, organizing clean-ups and inspections, and managing vendor relationships and service contracts; overseeing lab safety management; coordinating external/internal collaborations, meetings, and events; and managing lab website, servers, software/licenses, data storage, workstations, and calendar.
   
   Job Requirements
   
   REQUIRED: Ph.D. in neuroscience or related scientific field; at least five years' experience working in a large research laboratory; strong technical/scientific writing skills; experience with research/grant proposal development writing and editing; budget management experience; strong interpersonal and written and verbal communication and presentation skills; and ability to work as part of a diverse team of graduate students, postdocs, and research staff and to promote collaboration and cooperation among teams. Job #20208
   
   revised 8/24/22

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find research laboratory managers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your research laboratory manager job on Zippia to find and recruit research laboratory manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit research laboratory managers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   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 research laboratory manager

   Once you've selected the best research laboratory manager 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 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 research laboratory manager?