How to hire a student officer

How to hire a student officer, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a student officer, 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

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

   The following list breaks down different types of student officers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Student Officer	Description	Hourly rate
   Student Officer	Police officers protect lives and property. Detectives and criminal investigators, who are sometimes called agents or special agents, gather facts and collect evidence of possible crimes.	$13-47
   Military Police Officer	A military police officer is responsible for ensuring the safety and security of the areas assigned for their duly protection. Military police officers monitor their premises efficiently, inspecting suspicious individuals within the territory, and enforcing strict legislation protocols and military regulations for everyone's compliance... Show more	$12-26
   Student Ambassador	The role of student ambassadors is to welcome students and their families to campus and provide assistance to staff at events. They are carefully chosen based on their personality, character, communication skills, and grades... Show more	$9-15

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • PowerPoint
   • Student Organizations
   • Alumni
   • Financial Aid
   • UC
   • Emergency Situations
   • Student Body
   • GPA
   • Student Life
   • Graduate Assistants
   • International Student
   • Event Planning
   • Community Services
   • Front Desk

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Help troubleshoot public computers according to directions and also manage database of library.
   • Assist and setup daily chemistry department meeting for graduate students according to proper specifications, and upon instruction deliver bank deposits.
   • Assist and setup daily chemistry department meeting for graduate students according to proper specifications, and upon instruction deliver bank deposits.

   More student officer duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, student officers' average salary in hawaii is 72% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level student officers 71% less than senior-level student officers.
   • Certifications. A student officer 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 officer's salary.

   Average student officer salary

   $54,284yearly

   $26.10 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level student officer salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average student officer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$76,076	$37
   2	New York	$68,348	$33
   3	Pennsylvania	$61,341	$29
   4	Ohio	$52,207	$25
   5	California	$51,761	$25
   6	Virginia	$51,107	$25
   7	Florida	$49,831	$24
   8	Missouri	$42,341	$20
   9	Indiana	$41,890	$20
   10	Georgia	$41,146	$20
   11	Iowa	$40,596	$20
   12	Nebraska	$38,891	$19
   13	Alabama	$36,147	$17
   14	Mississippi	$34,597	$17
   15	Washington	$32,189	$15
   16	Utah	$30,518	$15

   Average student officer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Pace University	$109,011	$52.41	14
   2	Los Alamos National Laboratory	$86,883	$41.77	18
   3	Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center	$67,242	$32.33	2
   4	PSEA	$66,036	$31.75	8
   5	Columbia University in the City of New York	$64,760	$31.13	38
   6	University of California	$64,747	$31.13	47
   7	Lincoln Memorial University	$60,945	$29.30	17
   8	UC Santa Barbara	$57,361	$27.58
   9	Grand View University	$56,086	$26.96
   10	Washington State University	$51,935	$24.97
   11	University of California-Berkeley	$51,845	$24.93
   12	UCI Health	$49,840	$23.96	1
   13	San Diego College of Continuing Education	$49,479	$23.79	1
   14	University of Mississippi Medical Center	$47,180	$22.68	4
   15	University of Kentucky	$40,490	$19.47	27
   16	University of Nebraska System	$40,032	$19.25	1
   17	Crowley Holdings Inc.	$39,532	$19.01	1
   18	New Hope Integrated Behavioral Healthcare	$37,535	$18.05
   19	Lehigh Valley Health Network	$36,006	$17.31
   20	UCLA	$28,765	$13.83	44

4. Writing a student officer job description

   A student officer 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 student officer job description:

   Student officer job description example

   This position is responsible for the administration and processing of outside scholarships and insuring funds are applied to student accounts in a timely manner. This includes completion of required forms and online certification required of individuals for funds to be received. This position is also responsible for processing the Kentucky state mandated tuition waivers.
   
   The University of Kentucky Office for Student Success operates from a student-centered foundation. We seek to build a strong community through the care of and concern for every member of Student Success. We cultivate an equity-minded working and learning environment where people are seen and valued. We strive to revolutionize student success practice through a culture of ingenuity, excellence, agency, and accountability.
   
   The University of Kentucky considers the health, safety and well-being of our entire community to be a top priority. In alignment with this priority, all new hires must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or obtain an approved medical or religious exemption as a condition of employment. For areas that fall under the federal CMS mandate, start of employment cannot occur until two weeks after receiving the full COVID-19 vaccination series or upon obtaining an approved exemption. Only vaccines approved by the World Health Organization can be accepted.
   Skills / Knowledge / Abilities
   
   Microsoft Office, Effective Communication (written and oral), Organization
   
   Does this position have supervisory responsibilities? Yes Preferred Education/Experience Deadline to Apply 10/25/2022 University Community of Inclusion
   
   The University of Kentucky is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce by ensuring all our students, faculty, and staff work in an environment of openness and acceptance. We strive to foster a community where people of all backgrounds, identities, and perspectives can feel secure and welcome. We also value the well-being of each of our employees and are dedicated to creating a healthy place to work, learn and live. In the interest of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our students, employees, patients and visitors the University of Kentucky is a Tobacco & Drug Free campus.
   
   As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we strongly encourage veterans, individuals with disabilities, women, and all minorities to consider our employment opportunities.
   
   Any candidate offered a position may be required to pass pre-employment screenings as mandated by University of Kentucky Human Resources. These screenings may include a national background check and/or drug screen.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right student officer 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 student officer job on Zippia to find and recruit student officer 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 student officers, 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you 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 student officer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the student officer 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new student officer. 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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