How to hire a senior biologist

How to hire a senior biologist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step senior biologist hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a senior biologist, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   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 senior biologist 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.

   Here's a comparison of senior biologist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Senior Biologist	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Biologist		$21-46
   Computational Biologist	A computational biologist is an expert in computational management, high-performance computing, data algorithm, and biological and statistical processes. You study to understand biological systems using computational theoretical principles... Show more	$18-47
   Molecular Biologist	A molecular biologist is a specialist who explores and studies the complex functions of cells on a molecular level as well as the biological laws governing the operations of each cellular component. To conduct research and academic activities, molecular biologists use equipment such as microscopes, lab centrifuges, and computers with software that allows the analysis of obtained data... Show more	$25-50

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Renewable Energy
   • Data Collection
   • Species ACT
   • Research Projects
   • Sops
   • Cell-Based Assays
   • GIS
   • Laboratory Practices
   • FDA
   • GPS
   • Cell Culture
   • Water ACT
   • Water Quality
   • DNA

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead teams involve in preclinical toxicity assessment of anticancer NCEs and establishment of GLP compliant toxicology division.
   • Design a bedbug assay used for GLP testing.
   • Assist in development of the GPS data dictionaries used for the project.
   • Participate in the design and implementation of genetic DNA contract research with NCI.
   • Supervise biologists, radar software engineers, and GIS staff during preparation of the interim and final reports.
   • Perform biological surveys using handheld GPS units for threaten, endanger and sensitive species, to include botanical species.

   More senior biologist duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average senior biologist salary

   $66,143yearly

   $31.80 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior biologist salary

   $45,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average senior biologist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Nevada	$82,708	$40
   2	Massachusetts	$80,625	$39
   3	Pennsylvania	$78,857	$38
   4	California	$78,303	$38
   5	Hawaii	$78,119	$38
   6	New Hampshire	$75,512	$36
   7	New York	$74,824	$36
   8	Delaware	$73,247	$35
   9	Washington	$73,233	$35
   10	North Dakota	$71,099	$34
   11	Virginia	$67,814	$33
   12	Georgia	$65,730	$32
   13	Indiana	$65,036	$31
   14	Maryland	$63,453	$31
   15	Wyoming	$62,089	$30
   16	West Virginia	$61,348	$29
   17	Colorado	$60,089	$29
   18	Iowa	$59,440	$29
   19	Kentucky	$59,308	$29
   20	North Carolina	$57,510	$28

   Average senior biologist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Eli Lilly and Company	$95,683	$46.00	5
   2	Pacific Northwest National Laboratory	$85,437	$41.08
   3	HDR	$76,924	$36.98	1
   4	ATCC	$73,444	$35.31
   5	AECOM	$72,425	$34.82	4
   6	Jacobs Enterprises	$71,139	$34.20
   7	HELIX Environmental Planning	$71,008	$34.14	2
   8	Anchor QEA	$70,882	$34.08
   9	Lilly & Company	$70,706	$33.99	5
   10	EAG Services	$69,644	$33.48
   11	Stantec	$69,316	$33.33	36
   12	Tetra Tech	$69,208	$33.27	4
   13	Witt O'Brien's	$69,143	$33.24
   14	TRC Companies	$68,949	$33.15
   15	Hunter	$68,895	$33.12
   16	Belcan	$63,389	$30.48
   17	ICF	$63,296	$30.43	14
   18	Florida International University	$62,951	$30.26
   19	MITRE	$60,785	$29.22
   20	Aerotek	$58,584	$28.17

4. Writing a senior biologist job description

   A senior biologist 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 senior biologist job description:

   Senior biologist job description example

   • Bachelor’s degree in biology, ecology, or related natural resources field.
   • 3+ years professional experience working in natural resources or related fields
   • Attention to detail, ability to work independently and as part of a team and strong written and oral communication skills.

   Preferred Qualifications

   • Experience with special-status species (plant and/or wildlife) of California
   • Familiarity with California vegetation communities, particularly wetland/aquatic types and systems
   • Experience with biological resources impact analyses and mitigation identification/planning
   • Experience with state and federal regulatory permitting processes, including laws regulated and enforced by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Water Quality Control Boards, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
   • Ability to conduct fieldwork and lead teams in challenging terrain and weather conditions.

   About Dudek

   Dudek is a leading environmental and engineering firm that helps public and private clients plan and implement reliable, effective, and compliant projects. Founded in 1980, Dudek is a company that has grown steadily to more than 600 professionals across the U.S., located primarily in offices in California, Hawai’i, and Oregon.

   As an employee-owned company, Dudek’s culture rewards smart, productive team members with professional and financial benefits. Our offices are designed to encourage collaboration, sustainability, and connectivity with the surrounding communities.

   At Dudek, we need inclusivity to succeed and diversity to lead. We understand that the best problem solving happens when diverse viewpoints and experiences are applied. We recognize that different perspectives, inclusivity, and trust build a stronger culture and add value to our firm. We celebrate our differences and strive to make meaningful progress toward becoming a more diverse company.

   Please visit www.dudek.com to learn more!

   Dudek is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by applicable law.

   COVID-19 Update: Protecting the health and safety of our communities is our highest priority. Please note that due to the federal government’s recent Executive Order for federal contractors, Dudek has adopted a policy requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, subject to limited exemptions/accommodations based on medical conditions, sincerely held religious beliefs, or applicable state laws and regulations.

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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find senior biologists 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 senior biologist job on Zippia to find and recruit senior biologist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit senior biologists, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 senior biologist

   Once you've decided on a perfect senior biologist candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your 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.

   To prepare for the new senior biologist first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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