How to hire a sample prep technician

How to hire a sample prep technician, step by step

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

What does a sample prep technician do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The sample prep 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

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

   Type of Sample Prep Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Sample Prep Technician	Geological and petroleum technicians provide support to scientists and engineers in exploring and extracting natural resources, such as minerals, oil, and natural gas.	$13-30
   Mud Logger	A mudlogger works at oil and gas companies where they are primarily in charge of supervising drilling operations to gather data from various procedures. They are responsible for maintaining accurate records of drilling activities and other processes, writing down descriptions, and producing detailed reports that companies can utilize when making decisions... Show more	$35-63
   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:

   • QC
   • Lab Equipment
   • AA
   • Safety Regulations
   • Sample Prep
   • Lims
   • Data Entry
   • PPE
   • ALS
   • Cleanliness
   • GMP
   • ISO
   • QA
   • Prep Tech

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Assist in managing technical and regulatory site visits to the laboratory and interface with QA and RA on all vendor/regulatory audits.
   • Maintain cleanliness of car wash.
   • Certify weights of shipments of grain and shipping containers according to USDA regulations.
   • Perform quality control (QC) testing of environmental samples within assign sample batches.
   • Perform calibration checks on pipettes monthly, on microwaves weekly, on scales daily.
   • Experience utilizing proper PPE for task, and ensuring a safe work area through housekeeping.

   More sample prep technician duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your sample prep technician job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A sample prep technician salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, sample prep technicians' average salary in oklahoma is 46% less than in rhode island.
   • Seniority. Entry-level sample prep technicians earn 56% less than senior-level sample prep technicians.
   • Certifications. A sample prep technician with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a sample prep technician's salary.

   Average sample prep technician salary

   $42,504yearly

   $20.43 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level sample prep technician salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average sample prep technician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$53,483	$26
   2	Pennsylvania	$52,454	$25
   3	Maryland	$48,257	$23
   4	Nevada	$45,911	$22
   5	North Carolina	$43,416	$21
   6	Virginia	$42,980	$21
   7	California	$42,909	$21
   8	Texas	$42,562	$20
   9	Florida	$42,030	$20
   10	Louisiana	$40,367	$19
   11	Alabama	$39,549	$19
   12	Wisconsin	$36,768	$18
   13	Georgia	$36,647	$18
   14	Kentucky	$36,222	$17
   15	Indiana	$36,157	$17
   16	Washington	$36,019	$17
   17	Missouri	$35,589	$17
   18	Michigan	$35,431	$17
   19	New Mexico	$35,163	$17
   20	Utah	$35,134	$17

   Average sample prep technician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Los Alamos National Laboratory	$67,229	$32.32	4
   2	Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute	$62,198	$29.90
   3	Baystate Health	$54,533	$26.22	4
   4	Mérieux NutriSciences	$49,433	$23.77	13
   5	ATI Physical Therapy	$48,276	$23.21	4
   6	Mayo Clinic	$47,220	$22.70	51
   7	IDEXX	$46,282	$22.25	3
   8	Curtiss-Wright	$43,990	$21.15
   9	International Paper	$43,280	$20.81	12
   10	Bureau Veritas	$41,362	$19.89	19
   11	Eurofins	$41,318	$19.86	32
   12	Panavision	$40,786	$19.61
   13	Charles River Labs	$40,213	$19.33	76
   14	Doctor's Data	$40,186	$19.32
   15	BioAgilytix	$40,150	$19.30
   16	Biolife Plasma Services	$40,149	$19.30	4
   17	SPL Inc	$40,133	$19.29	1
   18	Custom Truck One Source	$40,130	$19.29	4
   19	Blount Fine Foods	$40,130	$19.29	10
   20	AeroFarms	$40,130	$19.29	2

4. Writing a sample prep technician job description

   A sample prep 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. Below, you can find an example of a sample prep technician job description:

   Sample prep technician job description example

   Why join this virtual experience program?
   
   Welcome to the Girls Who Code Technical Interview Prep program built in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group! We are excited to bring a new approach to preparing for technical interviews that focuses on understanding the entire interview process and the different types of technical interviews you may encounter.
   
   Technical interviews are a core component of the hiring process for most entry-level technical roles, like software developer or data scientist. Many Girls Who Code students report that fear and inexperience with technical interviews prevent them from successfully applying to competitive jobs. We know that most colleges do not provide specific training on technical interview prep, and students who don't have "insider access" or a network of well-connected peers and mentors are at an unfair disadvantage. Through this new offering, Technical Interview Prep (TIP), we will offer hands-on practice with technical interviewing, access to resources and tools that help level the playing field, and a community of other participants with whom to build confidence and skills.
   
   Joining this program allows you to learn about the basic components of typical technical interview questions and receive a high-level overview of potential answers. Not only will you have the opportunity to practice some technical interview prompts, but you will also get to hear from Girls Who Code alumni about how they would go about answering those same prompts, giving you tips and tricks along the way! Lastly, you will get a unique insider perspective hearing from recruiters and hiring managers from Boston Consulting Group who will help you understand what is most important when preparing and participating in technical interviews.
   
   To improve accessibility, please consider downloading Read Aloud (text-to-speech) or Just Read (readability), which are plug-ins for Chrome and Firefox.
   
   How will you benefit?
   
   Conduct Company & Role Research
   
   Conduct research about a specific company and role to draft questions in preparation for an interview and understand if a role is aligned with your personal goals.
   
   Understand the Interview Process
   
   Describe the different stages of a technical interview process from phone screen to offer.
   
   Learn and Practice Different Technical Interviews
   
   Describe three individual types of technical interviews, understand unique approaches for each, and practice applying best practices and strategies for each.
   
   Identify Resources for Continued Practice
   
   Identify resources and platforms you can use for additional technical interview practice based on your own career goals.
   
   Conduct Self Assessment
   
   Using company-provided hiring criteria, apply selection criteria to learnings from each task and develop an understanding of where more practice is needed.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit sample prep technicians, 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 sample prep technician

   Once you have selected a candidate for the sample prep 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.

   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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new sample prep 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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How much does it cost to hire a sample prep technician?