How to hire a trainer lead

How to hire a trainer lead, step by step

Here's a step-by-step trainer lead hiring guide:

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

What does a trainer lead do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a trainer lead, 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a trainer lead 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 trainer lead that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of trainer leads and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Trainer Lead	Description	Hourly rate
   Trainer Lead	Training and development specialists plan, conduct, and administer programs that train employees and improve their skills and knowledge.	$22-53
   Instructional Designer And Trainer	Instructional designers are in charge of redesigning the courses, developing the entire curriculum, and creating all instructional mediums, including handouts, presentation materials, participant guides, and job aids. They typically evaluate training, as well as assess what was learned and check if learning solutions led to quantifiable behavior improvements... Show more	$23-41
   Training Facilitator	A training facilitator is responsible for managing the training sessions of employees in an organization, both for career advancement and process-related training. Training facilitators outline the training objectives, prepare the facility and resources, and ensure that all participants are present during the discussion... Show more	$16-37

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Product Knowledge
   • Training Materials
   • CPR
   • Training Programs
   • Subject Matter Experts
   • Leadership
   • Safety Procedures
   • ELearning
   • Training Sessions
   • POS
   • Blended Learning
   • Continuous Improvement
   • Training Development

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead and write UNIX system software courses.
   • Manage and coordinate all ERP relate training activities and communications.
   • Manage content of Internet, Intranet and SharePoint sites associate with training.
   • Manage QA, QC, service test, automation, off-shore, and metrics programs.
   • Coordinate, contract and manage the training budget for the site including ISO auditing schedules and compliance.
   • Coordinate competitive sensitive information design and review of eLearning and instructor lead materials.

   More trainer lead duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, trainer leads' average salary in arkansas is 59% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level trainer leads 59% less than senior-level trainer leads.
   • Certifications. A trainer lead 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 trainer lead's salary.

   Average trainer lead salary

   $72,175yearly

   $34.70 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level trainer lead salary

   $46,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average trainer lead salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$106,229	$51
   2	Washington	$104,278	$50
   3	Massachusetts	$98,866	$48
   4	New York	$92,899	$45
   5	Pennsylvania	$84,306	$41
   6	Delaware	$76,703	$37
   7	District of Columbia	$76,164	$37
   8	Maryland	$74,381	$36
   9	North Carolina	$74,108	$36
   10	Montana	$73,928	$36
   11	Iowa	$72,351	$35
   12	Missouri	$72,157	$35
   13	Illinois	$72,134	$35
   14	Minnesota	$69,638	$33
   15	Nevada	$67,880	$33
   16	Wisconsin	$66,893	$32
   17	Texas	$64,683	$31
   18	Ohio	$64,509	$31
   19	Kansas	$64,137	$31
   20	Colorado	$63,188	$30

   Average trainer lead salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$139,621	$67.13	17
   2	Google	$134,087	$64.46
   3	AstraZeneca	$116,788	$56.15	1
   4	Capital Group	$110,002	$52.89
   5	ServiceNow	$109,629	$52.71	1
   6	Morgan Stanley	$106,377	$51.14	4
   7	Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.	$105,142	$50.55	17
   8	Micron Technology	$104,391	$50.19	1
   9	Fast Enterprises	$103,994	$50.00
   10	CDK Global	$102,336	$49.20
   11	J.P. Morgan	$101,069	$48.59
   12	General Electric	$94,740	$45.55
   13	Medtronic	$93,390	$44.90	22
   14	Ecs Federal	$92,742	$44.59	1
   15	Cigna	$92,486	$44.46
   16	Alteryx	$91,761	$44.12
   17	Teledyne Technologies Incorporated	$91,011	$43.76
   18	Pfizer	$90,573	$43.54	1
   19	Teleflex	$90,532	$43.52
   20	Amazon	$90,321	$43.42	39

4. Writing a trainer lead job description

   A trainer lead 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 trainer lead job description:

   Trainer lead job description example

   TITLE
   Education & Training Leader
   
   LOCATION
   Decatur, AL
   
   REPORTS TO
   SQMS Manager
   
   SUMMARY
   This position will be a key leadership role in a new plant start-up. The Plant ET Leader position is responsible for developing and coaching site personnel on training systems to support a High-Performance Organization (HPO).
   
   KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
   Develop onboarding curriculum and process for salaried and hourly personnel for the plant.Develop site vision for training systems and standards Work with project leadership teams on Technology Training and Transfer (TT&T) Coach functional leaders and mangers on executing the established systems and standards Provide coaching/direction for various group activities including team building & system/program improvements Align training systems with plant pay and progression system and ensure rigor and consistency between both Lead Education & Training PillarProvide leadership and drive consistency from department to department Serve as the training resource and capable of delivering Company sponsored training (i.e. Critical Thinking, Ethics, Why We Are, etc) Partner with business to conduct periodic training assessments and create plans to address skill gap Lead Daily Training OperationsDevelop and coordinate all training manuals for the plant Training Grant AdministrationLearning Center AdministrationInternal/External Training CoordinationCorporate Training CoordinationSupport Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) ProcessManage One Point Lesson/Job Safety Analysis (OPL/JSA) ProcessInternal testing for new roles Technical ClassesAdministers Skill MatricesSupport Smucker Quality Management Systems (SQMS) EffortsProvide training on SQMS and High Performance Organization (HPO) tools Support and model SQMS work system behaviors Safety Key Element (KE) 6 and Quality Key Element (QAKE) KE 2 OwnerResponsible for collaborating with cross functional business units for strategic long-term planning Facilitate performance and career coaching through people managers Partner with business to conduct workforce planning and create strategic staffing plans Participate/Lead specific work system design improvement efforts
   
   SELECTION CRITERIA
   Education
   Bachelor's degree required
   
   Experience
   Minimum of 2 years manufacturing leadership Open to some travel (10-20%) Ability to establish and sustain relationships across the organization Must be able to prioritize work in a high demand work environment Excellent communication skills Self-motivated and able to motivate others Willingness to relocate for future opportunities
   #LI-NO

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find trainer leads for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any trainer leads they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level trainer leads with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your trainer lead job on Zippia to find and recruit trainer lead candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit trainer leads, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 trainer lead

   Once you've decided on a perfect trainer lead 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.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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 trainer lead?