How to hire a student instructor

How to hire a student instructor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step student instructor hiring guide:

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

What does a student instructor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The student instructor 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 student instructor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, student instructors 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 student instructors.

   Type of Student Instructor	Description	Hourly rate
   Student Instructor		$15-35
   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
   Teaching Fellow	An individual who works at an institution to foster the students' academic strive is known as a teaching fellow. They are known as a self-motivated and education-based counselor... Show more	$12-35

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Kids
   • Professional Development
   • Classroom Management
   • Lab Reports
   • C++
   • Undergraduate Courses
   • Syllabus
   • Python
   • Mathematics
   • Organic Chemistry
   • Laboratory Sections
   • R
   • Molecular Biology
   • Student Learning

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Develop expanded communication and teaching skills on explaining the human anatomy and its functions to achieve student understanding and patient education.
   • Present eye-catching PowerPoint shows to introduce and cement biological concepts.
   • Prepare written materials and PowerPoint presentations to supplement college courses.
   • Develop expanded communication and teaching skills on explaining the human anatomy and its functions to achieve student understanding and patient education.
   • Develop curricula for first year course in rhetoric and composition.
   • Organize and clean genetics labs and experiments.

   More student instructor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your student instructor job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A student instructor can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, student instructors' average salary in nebraska is 46% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level student instructors 57% less than senior-level student instructors.
   • Certifications. A student instructor with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a student instructor's salary.

   Average student instructor salary

   $49,436yearly

   $23.77 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level student instructor salary

   $32,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average student instructor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$57,840	$28
   2	Massachusetts	$56,036	$27
   3	New York	$55,662	$27
   4	Texas	$45,551	$22
   5	Hawaii	$43,028	$21
   6	Arizona	$42,456	$20
   7	Michigan	$40,869	$20
   8	Florida	$38,990	$19

   Average student instructor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Kern Community College District	$126,269	$60.71	18
   2	Columbia University in the City of New York	$68,061	$32.72	69
   3	Boston College	$57,054	$27.43	3
   4	University of Michigan	$56,266	$27.05	42
   5	Allianz of America, Inc.	$47,371	$22.77
   6	The Menta Group	$46,921	$22.56	4
   7	University of Hawaii Foundation	$43,852	$21.08	139
   8	Parkhill	$43,109	$20.73
   9	Mohawk Valley Community College	$42,603	$20.48	7
   10	Henry Clay High School	$39,872	$19.17	5
   11	University of Florida	$33,543	$16.13	28

4. Writing a student instructor job description

   A good student instructor job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a student instructor job description:

   Student instructor job description example

   Under minimal supervision from the Operations Manager, the Aquatics Instructor is responsible for leading aquatics classes and promoting the aquatics program at the Bronco Recreation and Intramural Complex (BRIC). The Aquatics Instructor is responsible for offering safe, effective, and fun water-based formats in a group setting and performs skilled tasks requiring advanced certification, specialized knowledge, prior relevant experience, and considerable independent judgment and decision-making.
   
   Lead structured group aquatic classes appropriate for varying levels of physical fitness and fundamental water-based skills
   Arrive on time to scheduled class or clinic; ensure that classes begin and end on time Enforce swimming pool and BRIC policies Maintain current knowledge of other ASI and Campus Recreation programs and services Maintain open communication with the Operations Manager Attend trainings, meetings, and workshops as required Maintain current aquatics instructor certifications including CPR/AED and First Aid for the Professional Rescuer Perform other duties as assigned QUALIFICATIONS Ability to teach one or more aquatics classes such as Learn-to-Swim (fundamental aquatics skills through stroke refinement), Master’s Swim, Master’s Water Polo, Underwater Hockey, Underwater Rugby, SCUBA, Shallow Water Sports, Aquatic Boot Camp, Lifeguarding & CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer, etc. Outstanding customer service and interpersonal skills Demonstrated ability to work with an ethnically diverse and culturally pluralistic student population and campus community Current American Red Cross First Aid, CPR, and AED for the Professional Rescuer certification Minimum of 1 year teaching/coaching experience (internships and co-teaching experience considered) Minimum of 1 of the following certifications or specialty trainings: Current nationally recognized swim instructor certification; American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor (WSI) Starfish Aquatics Institute Swimming Instructor USA Swim America Instructor Current nationally recognized aquatic exercise certification AEA Aquatics Fitness Professional Certification USWFA Water Fitness Instructor Aquatic sport training or coaches certification from a nationally recognized organization USA Swim Coach Level 1, 2 or 3 certification ASCA Swim Coach Level 1, 2 or 3 certification USMS Swim Coach Level 1, 2 or 3 certification USAWP Current Coach Member USAWPR Basic Certification NCAS Underwater Sports Coach Specialty aquatic program certification from a nationally recognized organization American Red Cross Lifeguard Instructor American Red Cross CPR/AED/O2 and First Aid for the Professional Rescuer Instructor PADI Open Water Instructor, Assistant Instructor or Divemaster (or equivalent) WORK ENVIRONMENT
   
   Frequently required to sit, talk and hear; manual dexterity, eye-hand coordination, and verbal communication; use of office equipment: telephones, calculator, copier and fax. Must be able to walk, stand, bend and lift up to 40 pounds.
   
   EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY
   
   Employment with ASI is open to any Cal Poly Pomona student who is eligible to work and has the legal right to work in the United States. In addition, the employee must be currently enrolled and in good academic standing. Individuals enrolled only in extension courses are not eligible for hire.
   
   MANDATED REPORTING REQUIREMENT
   
   In compliance with the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA) and the CSU Executive Order 1083, each ASI employee is designated as a mandated reporter and is required to sign an Acknowledgment of Mandated Reporter Status and Legal Duty to Report Child Abuse and Neglect.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find student instructors 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 student instructor job on Zippia to find and attract quality student instructor candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit student instructors, 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.

   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 student instructor

   Once you've found the student instructor 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.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new student instructor 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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How much does it cost to hire a student instructor?