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How to hire a subcontract administrator

Subcontract administrator hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring subcontract administrators in the United States:

  • The median cost to hire a subcontract administrator is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per subcontract administrator on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • There are a total of 10,938 subcontract administrators in the US, and there are currently 51,285 job openings in this field.
  • Golden, CO, has the highest demand for subcontract administrators, with 11 job openings.

How to hire a subcontract administrator, step by step

To hire a subcontract administrator, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire a subcontract administrator, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step subcontract administrator hiring guide:

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

What does a subcontract administrator do?

As a subcontract administrator, you will be responsible for identifying the needs of a company and implement measures and initiatives to fulfill those needs. This role will require you to perform a few tasks, including responding to purchase requisitions, soliciting bids and proposals from new and existing sources, and evaluating terms and awarding the subcontract. You are then expected to monitor the subcontract terms, including plans, progress, and payments. You will also be responsible for negotiating additions, modifications, and deletions of subcontracts.

Learn more about the specifics of what a subcontract administrator does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    First, determine the employments status of the subcontract administrator you need to hire. Certain subcontract administrator roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a subcontract administrator to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a subcontract administrator that fits the bill.

    Here's a comparison of subcontract administrator salaries for various roles:

    Type of Subcontract AdministratorDescriptionHourly rate
    Subcontract AdministratorBuyers and purchasing agents buy products and services for organizations to use or resell. They evaluate suppliers, negotiate contracts, and review the quality of products.$20-49
    Planner/BuyerThe role of buyers/planners is to ensure that office materials and equipment are well-supplied within their organization. They decide and purchase the materials needed for use or resale by their organization... Show more$17-37
    Media BuyerMedia Buyers are marketing professionals who manage the company's advertisements. They create the company's media plan to determine the advertising needs of the company... Show more$26-47
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Price Analysis
    • Purchase Orders
    • Program Management
    • Bid Packages
    • Non-Disclosure Agreements
    • DOD
    • RFP
    • Project Management
    • Procurement Policies
    • Subcontractor Proposals
    • Subcontract Agreements
    • Prime Contract
    • Source Selection
    • Deltek Costpoint
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Coordinate requirements and interface with other division personnel to accomplish timely and cost effective procurement of assign commodities.
    • Create moderate to complex RFP solicitations and provide additional proposal support including pricing reviews and source selection support.
    • Administer IDIQ contracts with multiple task orders.
    • Assist with FFP hardware subcontract in support of NSA contracts.
    • Negotiate and coordinate additions, deletions, or modifications of DOD subcontracts.
    • Review and advice on matters of ITAR, FCPA, other Import/Export matters.
    More subcontract administrator duties
  3. Make a budget

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

    $65,686yearly

    $31.58 hourly rate

    Entry-level subcontract administrator salary
    $42,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 5, 2025

    Average subcontract administrator salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1District of Columbia$84,004$40
    2California$83,451$40
    3Florida$78,152$38
    4Georgia$76,914$37
    5Texas$73,226$35
    6Kentucky$71,896$35
    7Virginia$71,047$34
    8Michigan$70,160$34
    9Maryland$69,830$34
    10Nevada$66,934$32
    11Utah$66,664$32
    12Louisiana$66,460$32
    13Arizona$65,078$31
    14Alabama$63,909$31
    15Colorado$61,072$29
    16Oklahoma$60,528$29
    17Tennessee$59,872$29
    18Washington$52,068$25
    19Massachusetts$50,974$25

    Average subcontract administrator salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Urban Institute$121,424$58.38
    2Parsons$105,128$50.5417
    3General Atomics$101,614$48.8529
    4Noblis$99,576$47.872
    5Torch Technologies$93,705$45.052
    6Aerojet Rocketdyne$93,398$44.90
    7Technip USA Corporation$92,636$44.54
    8Northrop Grumman$91,921$44.1997
    9Elbit Systems of America$90,021$43.281
    10SimVentions$88,708$42.65
    11Air Products$88,048$42.33
    12Lockheed Martin$87,509$42.07180
    13Woods Services$87,080$41.87
    14Laserfiche$86,970$41.811
    15Systems & Technology Research$86,813$41.74
    16Integration Innovation$86,443$41.564
    17Jacobs Engineering Group$85,321$41.02
    18HRL Laboratories$84,238$40.502
    19L3Harris$84,223$40.4943
    20Rosendin Electric$83,976$40.3712
  4. Writing a subcontract administrator job description

    A job description for a subcontract administrator role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a subcontract administrator job description:

    Subcontract administrator job description example

    Versar, Inc. is a global project management company based in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, with 21 locations around the world. Since 1969, Versar has provided technical and management support to federal, state, and local government clients as well as to industries worldwide, delivering construction management, environmental sciences and engineering infrastructure solutions. Versar offers tailored and secure solutions in harsh environments providing clients with comprehensive engineering and construction management, environmental and professional services.

    Versar is seeking an experienced Subcontracts Administrator/Purchaser with a focus on internal and external client service to manage a variety of government (federal, state & local) and commercial subcontracts in accordance with company policies and procedures, applicable laws and customer requirements.

    The position supports all aspects of purchasing within Versar including the negotiation, drafting, and management of subcontracts, purchase orders, and consultant agreements.

    Assures that all requirements are met (signed agreements, certificates of insurance, bonds, contractor license, Reps & Certs, valid cost estimates, or other applicable documents) prior to subcontractor or consultant mobilization.

    Generates purchase orders, NTPs, LOIs or other documents, as required.

    Other general responsibilities include subcontract document control file development and maintenance; costing and price analyses; disputes, liens and claims. In addition, attends project meetings, develops and distributes vendor RFPs and works proactively with project managers and G&A teams to facilitate subcontract management.

    The successful candidate must have a flexible, “can-do” attitude and a willingness to take on many tasks within the organization.

    The position requires the ability to work independently, as well as the ability to collaborate and contribute in a team environment.

    Attention to detail and excellent organizational skills are required. In addition, you must be a strong written and verbal communicator and must be very responsive to internal and external client requests.

    Responsibilities:

    Administer subcontracts both directly and through supervision of appropriate internal and external resources.

    Review and assist in formulating statements of work, specifications, drawings or other required deliverables to ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes and regulations.

    Participate in contract/task proposal reviews and subcontractor selection.

    Preside over pre-startup meetings with subcontractors after award.

    During performance, conduct status updates with management and others impacted by individual projects.

    Prepare documents and justify subcontract change orders and estimates, negotiate subcontract change orders and amendments and approve those within signature authority.

    Administer subcontracts to resolve and avoid potential claims and lawsuits.

    Prepare all documentation and coordinate with legal and technical representatives to resolve inquiries, concerns, protests, and disputes from subcontractors.

    Negotiate or assist in negotiating problem resolution with project managers and subcontractors.

    Enforce corporate procurement policies and procedures in compliance with CPSR requirements.

    Job Requirements

    Bachelor’s degree in Contract Administration or Business related field preferred.

    3-7 years of progressively responsible subcontract administration (or management) experience with Federal and state and local Government projects required.

    Knowledge of government contracting laws, rules, and regulations including, but not limited to, the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), and commercial contracting requirements

    Experience supporting an organization in a constantly changing, fast-paced environment.

    Ability and willingness to learn about new areas of government contracts law.

    Proficient in Deltek/Costpoint, Microsoft Office Suite, SharePoint, etc.

    Ability to work with minimum supervision in a collaborative team environment, and commitment to the highest quality in all aspects of project delivery required.

    Preferred Qualifications:

    Government or Commercial contracting certification.

    Membership in a nationally recognized contracting organization.


  5. Post your job

    To find the right subcontract administrator for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with subcontract administrators they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit subcontract administrators who meet your education requirements.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your subcontract administrator job on Zippia to find and recruit subcontract administrator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Recruiting subcontract administrators requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

    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 subcontract administrator

    Once you've decided on a perfect subcontract administrator 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.

    After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new subcontract administrator. 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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How much does it cost to hire a subcontract administrator?

Recruiting subcontract administrators involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

You can expect to pay around $65,686 per year for a subcontract administrator, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for subcontract administrators in the US typically range between $20 and $49 an hour.

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