How to hire a research technician

How to hire a research technician, step by step

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

What does a research technician do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The research technician hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   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 technician 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 technicians.

   Type of Research Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Research Technician	Biological technicians help biological and medical scientists conduct laboratory tests and experiments.	$14-28
   Laboratory Analyst	A Laboratory Analyst helps conduct experiments, run laboratory tests, and analyze results. They compile and record data for the documentation needed for testing and report preparation.	$14-29
   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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Data Collection
   • Cell Culture
   • Laboratory Equipment
   • Research Projects
   • Lab Equipment
   • Data Entry
   • Tissue Culture
   • Data Analysis
   • Biochemistry
   • Analyze Data
   • PI
   • Laboratory Techniques
   • Animal Handling

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage a DNA database and work with researchers to retrieve or send out samples and results.
   • Lead experiments to assess survivor behavior differences in zebrafish contaminate with dietary mercury.
   • Prepare reagents for use in processing samples, DNA and RNA extractions, and QC.
   • Investigate and validate various acute phase protein assays as OA biomarkers in rodent animal models.
   • Perform DNA extraction and analysis for the purpose of identifying bacterial strand for waste stream characterization.
   • Extend course knowledge of CRISPR to experiment.

   More research technician duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average research technician salary

   $43,034yearly

   $20.69 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level research technician salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average research technician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$54,951	$26
   2	Illinois	$46,208	$22
   3	New Mexico	$46,196	$22
   4	Virginia	$45,014	$22
   5	Massachusetts	$44,951	$22
   6	New York	$44,388	$21
   7	Washington	$43,538	$21
   8	Arizona	$42,624	$20
   9	Arkansas	$41,951	$20
   10	District of Columbia	$41,464	$20
   11	Texas	$41,417	$20
   12	Florida	$41,266	$20
   13	Ohio	$40,653	$20
   14	Pennsylvania	$39,842	$19
   15	Wisconsin	$39,179	$19
   16	Minnesota	$38,590	$19
   17	Oklahoma	$37,213	$18
   18	Tennessee	$36,995	$18
   19	Michigan	$36,836	$18
   20	Maryland	$36,267	$17

   Average research technician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	GCP Applied Technologies	$80,997	$38.94
   2	Evonik	$64,605	$31.06	3
   3	Boehringer Ingelheim	$63,676	$30.61	3
   4	Los Alamos National Laboratory	$62,325	$29.96	58
   5	Los Alamos National Security LLC	$61,558	$29.60
   6	Battelle	$61,446	$29.54	15
   7	Birch	$61,313	$29.48
   8	Universal Display	$58,854	$28.30	4
   9	Novelis	$58,017	$27.89	2
   10	Salesforce	$57,547	$27.67	25
   11	Arizona State University	$56,122	$26.98	6
   12	Institute for Energy Research	$55,782	$26.82
   13	MediaTek	$55,089	$26.49
   14	Point72	$54,965	$26.43	32
   15	Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets	$54,865	$26.38
   16	Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute	$54,346	$26.13
   17	KANA Software	$53,990	$25.96
   18	La Jolla Institute for Immunology	$53,954	$25.94
   19	Versum Materials	$53,879	$25.90
   20	Stanford University	$53,702	$25.82	171

4. Writing a research technician job description

   A research technician 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 technician job description:

   Research technician job description example

   PPD is a leading global contract research organization providing comprehensive, integrated drug development, laboratory and lifecycle management services.? At PPD, we are passionate, deliberate, and driven by our purpose- to improve health!
   
   Phase I and IB trials represent the first practical tests of a compound’s clinical relevance and commercial viability. They are the culmination of years or even decades of research. Moreover, they set the stage for subsequent studies that will ultimately determine your compound’s efficacy, safety and positive impact on patient’s lives.
   
   As a Research Technician you will be offered comprehensive training to provide technical support services such as phlebotomy, vital signs, ECGs, EKGs to the study conduction teams, helping to assure successful study completion.
   
   At PPD we hire the best, develop ourselves and each other, and recognize the power of being one team. We offer continued career advancement opportunities, award winning training and benefits focused on the health and wellbeing of our employees.
   Summarized Purpose: Supports the study conduction process for Phase I clinical studies. Collects study-specific data by performing technical and non-technical procedures. __ Essential Functions: * Performs technical procedures including Automated Vital Signs, Electrocardiogram, blood collections, etc. * Performs non-technical procedures including urine collections, subject walks and safety monitoring. * Interacts regularly with study subjects in all in-house and outpatient studies in order to perform study related procedures. * Performs other duties as assigned.
   Education and Experience: High / Secondary school diploma or equivalent and relevant formal academic / vocational qualification Technical positions may require a certificate Previous experience that provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the job or ability to be trained in Phase I technical procedures. In some cases an equivalency, consisting of a combination of appropriate education, training and/or directly related experience, will be considered sufficient for an individual to meet the requirements of the role. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: * Ability to be trained in all Phase I technical procedures * Ability to interact with subjects and staff in a professional manner * Ability to work well in a collaborative team environment Working Environment: PPD values the health and wellbeing of our employees. We support and encourage individuals to create a healthy and balanced environment where they can thrive. Below is listed the working environment/requirements for this role: Able to communicate, receive, and understand information and ideas with diverse groups of people in a comprehensible and reasonable manner. Able to work upright and stationary and/or standing for typical working hours. Able to lift and move objects up to 25 pounds. Able to work in non-traditional work environments. Able to use and learn standard office equipment and technology with proficiency. May have exposure to potentially hazardous elements typically found in healthcare or laboratory environments. Able to perform successfully under pressure while prioritizing and handling multiple projects or activities.
   PPD’s Defining Principles: We have a strong will to win - We earn our customer’s trust - We are gamechangers - We do the right thing - We are one PPD - If you resonate with our five principles above, and ultimately wish to accelerate the delivery of safe and effective therapeutics for some of the world’s most urgent health needs, then please submit your application – we’d love to hear from you
   Job: **Phase I Clinics*
   Organization: **US BU*
   Title: Research Tech (Phlebotomist) - Per Diem
   Location: NV-Las Vegas

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5. Post your job

   To find research technicians 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 research technicians they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level research technicians 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 research technician job on Zippia to find and recruit research technician candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with research technician 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.

   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 technician

   Once you have selected a candidate for the research technician position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize 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 technician. 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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