How to hire a research project coordinator

How to hire a research project coordinator, step by step

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

What does a research project coordinator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the research project coordinator you need to hire. Certain research project coordinator 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 research project coordinator's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, research project coordinators 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 research project coordinator salaries for various roles:

   Type of Research Project Coordinator	Description	Hourly rate
   Research Project Coordinator	Natural sciences managers supervise the work of scientists, including chemists, physicists, and biologists. They direct activities related to research and development, and coordinate activities such as testing, quality control, and production.	$17-31
   Clinical Research Manager	A clinical research manager is responsible for leading a clinical research team in conducting clinical trials for medical purposes. Clinical research managers conduct scientific investigations, following critical methods and procedures within the budget goals and discussed timeframe... Show more	$31-67
   Research Fellow	A research fellow is an academic researcher who conducts research and analysis of comprehensive literature, data, and results and provides literature reviews. He/She supervises research assistants and recruits study participants to interview them for a particular study... Show more	$18-34

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Data Collection
   • Patients
   • Project Management
   • Public Health
   • IRB
   • Data Analysis
   • Informed Consent
   • Research Study
   • Data Entry
   • PowerPoint
   • Data Management
   • R
   • PI
   • Clinical Trials

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage study documentation throughout study life cycle including IRB annual renewals, modifications, patient study charts and regulatory binder.
   • Recommend administrative revisions to IRB submit studies including inform consent documents.
   • Demonstrate small molecule are protective against DNA damage in mouse model of melanoma.
   • Conduct analysis using SPSS which result in developing a new software for students to selecting college.
   • Conduct primary research through interviews with Boston area travelers and analyze raw data into reports via SPSS.
   • Maintain FDA correspondence and government documentation.

   More research project coordinator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your research project coordinator job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A research project coordinator salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a research project coordinator in Alabama may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level research project coordinator usually earns less than a senior-level research project coordinator. Additionally, a research project coordinator with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average research project coordinator salary

   $48,683yearly

   $23.41 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level research project coordinator salary

   $36,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average research project coordinator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Connecticut	$62,142	$30
   2	New York	$61,660	$30
   3	California	$60,126	$29
   4	Ohio	$56,322	$27
   5	Oregon	$56,214	$27
   6	Massachusetts	$56,107	$27
   7	District of Columbia	$53,692	$26
   8	Illinois	$53,455	$26
   9	Pennsylvania	$51,977	$25
   10	Michigan	$51,759	$25
   11	Texas	$50,352	$24
   12	Minnesota	$49,614	$24
   13	Washington	$49,175	$24
   14	North Carolina	$48,641	$23
   15	Maryland	$47,375	$23
   16	Nebraska	$46,820	$23
   17	Florida	$46,441	$22
   18	Kansas	$45,524	$22
   19	Arizona	$45,420	$22
   20	Georgia	$44,736	$22

   Average research project coordinator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Dignity Health	$58,411	$28.08	11
   2	Cook Children's Medical Center	$58,034	$27.90	16
   3	Columbia University in the City of New York	$56,826	$27.32	68
   4	Bungie	$56,247	$27.04
   5	PROLIM	$55,486	$26.68
   6	Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center	$55,372	$26.62	4
   7	Johnson & Johnson	$55,051	$26.47	46
   8	Software Technology	$54,966	$26.43
   9	Charles R. DrewUniversity of Medicine and Science	$54,891	$26.39
   10	Booz Allen Hamilton	$54,561	$26.23	18
   11	Georgetown University	$54,203	$26.06	13
   12	Northwestern University	$54,064	$25.99	74
   13	Mount Sinai Health System	$53,833	$25.88	90
   14	Yale University	$53,795	$25.86	31
   15	Cedars-Sinai	$53,635	$25.79	219
   16	Dartmouth	$53,482	$25.71	28
   17	Emory University	$53,051	$25.51	107
   18	Geisinger Medical Center	$52,796	$25.38	1
   19	Carnegie Mellon University	$52,606	$25.29	74
   20	University of Colorado Boulder	$52,398	$25.19	17

4. Writing a research project coordinator job description

   A research project coordinator 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a research project coordinator job description:

   Research project coordinator job description example

   Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is seeking a Research Project Coordinator II for the Rutgers' National Institute for Early Education Research ( NIEER ). The Project Coordinator II will coordinate various aspects of preschool education research and evaluation projects at the National Institute for Early Education Research ( NIEER ).
   Among the key duties of this position are the following:
   Plans for and coordinates the data collection effort in association with 2-3 research and evaluation projects. Prepares and delivers trainings for data collection efforts. Maintains project documentation in association with early education research projects. Supports other research projects or tasks as needed.
   
   Minimum Education and Experience
   
   BA degree in early childhood education or a social science (psychology, anthropology, sociology, human development, education) or an equivalent combination of
   education and/or experience. Two years of experience in research, coordination or early childhood settings.
   
   Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
   
   Experience with early childhood research and early childhood assessment measures. Must possess strong communication and organizational skills, capacity for independent work, and successful experiences working with early childhood education providers. Experience in two or more of the following also required: e.g. CLASS , APEEC , CASEBA , ECERS -3.
   
   Overview
   
   Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a leading national research university and the state of New Jersey's preeminent, comprehensive public institution of higher education. Established in 1766 and celebrated a milestone 250th anniversary in 2016, the university is the eighth oldest higher education institution in the United States. More than 70,800 students and 27,000 faculty and staff learn, work, and serve the public at Rutgers locations across New Jersey and around the world.
   
   Rutgers University-New Brunswick took root over 250 years ago. We are the state's most comprehensive intellectual resource-the flagship campus of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, as designated by the Association of American Universities. We are the region's most high-profile public research institution and a leading national research center with a global impact.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with research project coordinator 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 research project coordinator

   Once you've selected the best research project coordinator 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new research project coordinator. 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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How much does it cost to hire a research project coordinator?