How to hire a social sciences lecturer

How to hire a social sciences lecturer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step social sciences lecturer hiring guide:

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

What does a social sciences lecturer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your social sciences lecturer job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a social sciences lecturer for hire on a part-time basis or as a 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 social sciences lecturer 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 presents social sciences lecturer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Social Sciences Lecturer	Description	Hourly rate
   Social Sciences Lecturer	Postsecondary teachers instruct students in a wide variety of academic and career and technical subjects beyond the high school level. They also conduct research and publish scholarly papers and books.	$22-44
   Lecturer	A lecturer, also known as a university lecturer, is a teaching professional who teaches students in colleges and educational establishments. Lecturers provide support to students in their research activities by assessing their work and through a pastoral and advisory role... Show more	$17-48
   Adjunct Lecturer	An Adjunct Lecturer is responsible for teaching college classes. They prepare course guides, teach content that matches courses standards, and assist students with inquiries outside of class.	$20-71

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Social Science
   • Physiology
   • Syllabus
   • Undergraduate Courses
   • Data Structures
   • Computer Architecture
   • Computer Science Courses
   • Algorithms
   • Python
   • Course Materials
   • Sociology
   • Science Education
   • Java
   • Computer Network

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage a database, compile, retrieve, review and analyze test scores.
   • Instruct computer science courses in web page design with hard-coding of HTML and use of Java applets.
   • Assign and direct projects to simulate various statistical models and calculate their performance measures in C++ and JAVA.
   • Revise the syllabus to meet accreditation standards.
   • Prepare course syllabus for the computer classes.
   • Tutor student athletes in sociology, history, philosophy, and criminology.

   More social sciences lecturer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your social sciences lecturer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A social sciences lecturer 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 social sciences lecturer in Montana may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level social sciences lecturer usually earns less than a senior-level social sciences lecturer. Additionally, a social sciences lecturer 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 social sciences lecturer salary

   $66,896yearly

   $32.16 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level social sciences lecturer salary

   $47,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average social sciences lecturer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$85,946	$41
   2	California	$84,430	$41
   3	Utah	$81,057	$39
   4	District of Columbia	$77,457	$37
   5	North Dakota	$75,981	$37
   6	New Jersey	$72,545	$35
   7	Massachusetts	$72,071	$35
   8	Vermont	$69,378	$33
   9	Arizona	$68,174	$33
   10	Virginia	$66,966	$32
   11	North Carolina	$65,391	$31
   12	Maryland	$63,485	$31
   13	Pennsylvania	$61,912	$30
   14	Indiana	$61,101	$29
   15	Nebraska	$61,062	$29
   16	Illinois	$60,980	$29
   17	Ohio	$60,225	$29
   18	Florida	$57,867	$28
   19	Colorado	$54,279	$26
   20	Texas	$53,106	$26

   Average social sciences lecturer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Flatiron School	$76,552	$36.80
   2	North Dakota State University	$72,862	$35.03
   3	University of Vermont	$72,254	$34.74	6
   4	Metropolitan State University of Denver	$72,088	$34.66	6
   5	Southern Utah University	$69,213	$33.28	1
   6	Harvard University	$69,006	$33.18
   7	The City University of New York	$68,636	$33.00	50
   8	Babson College	$68,215	$32.80	8
   9	San Jose State University	$67,898	$32.64	22
   10	PSEA	$67,276	$32.34	1
   11	Binghamton University	$67,037	$32.23	4
   12	California State University, Fullerton	$66,933	$32.18
   13	Rutgers University	$66,739	$32.09	95
   14	Skidmore College	$66,699	$32.07	3
   15	Grand Canyon University	$66,488	$31.97	6
   16	California Baptist University	$66,103	$31.78	1
   17	University of Colorado Denver	$65,921	$31.69
   18	UC Merced	$65,888	$31.68
   19	Columbia University in the City of New York	$65,615	$31.55	36
   20	University of Southern California	$65,571	$31.52	4

4. Writing a social sciences lecturer job description

   A social sciences lecturer 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 social sciences lecturer job description:

   Social sciences lecturer job description example

   Grand Canyon University is one of Arizona's leading institutions of higher learning. Located in the Valley of Sun in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona, GCU is a regionally accredited, private, nondenominational Christian University.
   
   Do you want to be part of a growing college with a servant-leader and teaching-focused mission? Are you an industry expert who wants to share your expertise as a Social Work Professional with undergraduate students?
   We may have the teaching opportunity you have been looking for.
   
   Grand Canyon University's College of Humanities and Social Sciences is seeking a full-time Lecturer faculty member to teach Bachelor's Level Behavioral Health Science and Counseling courses! We are especially interested in applicants who can strengthen the diversity of our academic community.
   
   * Please note, this is an in person, 9-month Lecturer position based at GCU's Main Campus in Phoenix, AZ.
   
   What we are offering:
   
   * Projected start date - January 2023.
   * The opportunity to work at a thriving diverse campus.
   * The opportunity to contribute to and purposefully enrich the learning and development of the next generation of Behavioral Health Science practitioners.
   
   Responsibilities:
   
   Responsibilities include equipping students with the required skill set, facilitating classroom discussions, assessing student performance and preparing students to be successful leaders in their chosen profession. This is a 9 month position targeted to start in January 2023.
   
   Other main responsibilities include:
   
   * Teach undergraduate behavioral health and counseling courses with a focus on: BHS-350, BHS-420, BHS-490, PCN-360, PCN-475.
   * Available to teach during the day and possible evenings.
   * Assist students outside classroom hours.
   * Stay current on topics related to licensure and accreditation and best practices related to behavioral health and counseling.
   * Maintain license(s).
   * Actively support college/university mission and initiatives.
   * Active engagement in professional development activities.
   * Compliance with all college and University policies.
   * Assist with the integration of Christian worldview in the counseling programs.
   
   Minimum Qualifications:
   
   * Master's degree in Counseling, Behavioral Health, Marriage and Family Therapy, Social Work, Clinical or Counseling Psychology.
   * Currently licensed at the independent level.
   * Candidate will have clinical experience with a focus in the areas of working with children and families, and addictions.
   * Two-years' experience providing counseling services in a clinical setting.
   * Two-years' experience providing addictions counseling in a clinical setting.
   * One-year instructional experience in counseling and/or addictions at the post-secondary level.
   * Familiarity with web enhanced instructional tools such as LoudCloud.
   * Familiarity with academic research.
   * Ability to articulate a clear understanding of values-based education from a Christian perspective.
   * Strong communication, time management and organizational skills.
   * Demonstrated teamwork, self-motivation, integrity, and commitment to maintaining high professional standards.
   
   Preferred Qualifications:
   
   * Doctorate in Counseling Education and Supervision.
   * Two years of traditional instructional experience in counseling and/or addictions at the post-secondary level.
   * Currently licensed at the independent level in the State of Arizona.
   * Two years of clinical experience in Substance Use Disorders and Addiction.
   * Demonstrates excellence in teaching across multiple modalities.
   * Demonstrates excellence in teaching traditional and non-traditional students.
   * Demonstrates knowledge conducting academic research.
   * Demonstrates knowledge in curriculum writing, development, and review.
   
   Why work at GCU:
   
   * Exceptional workplace benefits including medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, flexible spending accounts, and a 401K savings plan.
   * Free covered parking, access to our state-of-the-art Campus Activity Center and onsite gym.
   * We also offer full-time employees and their qualified dependents a Tuition Benefit Program of up to 100% of tuition costs.
   * Generous holiday and paid time off package - we aren't kidding, it's good!

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right social sciences lecturer 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 social sciences lecturer job on Zippia to find and attract quality social sciences lecturer candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with social sciences lecturer 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 social sciences lecturer

   Once you've found the social sciences lecturer candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new social sciences lecturer. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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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