How to hire a visiting assistant professor

How to hire a visiting assistant professor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step visiting assistant professor hiring guide:

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

What does a visiting assistant professor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a visiting assistant professor, 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 visiting assistant professor 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 visiting assistant professor that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of visiting assistant professors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Visiting Assistant Professor	Description	Hourly rate
   Visiting Assistant Professor	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.	$19-60
   Faculty	A faculty member is a professional whose primary responsibility is to provide teaching and research to students in colleges and universities. Faculties must work with colleagues to design a curriculum to keep up with the changes in the discipline... Show more	$20-73
   Summer School Teacher	A Summer School Teacher is a teacher who works during the summer period. They develop and implement schemes of work and lesson plans in line with curriculum objectives... Show more	$17-36

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Philosophy
   • Literature
   • Mathematics
   • Economics
   • Research Methods
   • Fine Arts
   • Social Justice
   • Undergraduate Courses
   • Seminar
   • C++
   • Sociology
   • Syllabus
   • Anthropology
   • Research Projects

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Conduct weekly one-on-one and small group seminar meetings with multiple graduate students.
   • Instruct freshman-level mathematics courses, serve on departmental committees, and advise students.
   • Develop, organize, and teach university courses in sociology and behavioral sciences.
   • Conduct research in sea lamprey neurobiology and physiology in the laboratory of Dr. Weiming Li.
   • Offer a course in Bayesian dynamic time series models to graduate students in statistics and economics.
   • Research and instruction in mathematics and finance with a focus on the fields of aviation and aerospace.

   More visiting assistant professor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your visiting assistant professor job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A visiting assistant professor salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, visiting assistant professors' average salary in south carolina is 60% less than in oregon.
   • Seniority. Entry-level visiting assistant professors earn 67% less than senior-level visiting assistant professors.
   • Certifications. A visiting assistant professor with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a visiting assistant professor's salary.

   Average visiting assistant professor salary

   $72,541yearly

   $34.88 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level visiting assistant professor salary

   $41,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average visiting assistant professor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$97,434	$47
   2	Massachusetts	$93,214	$45
   3	California	$91,931	$44
   4	Louisiana	$87,170	$42
   5	Maryland	$86,938	$42
   6	New York	$83,709	$40
   7	Ohio	$79,547	$38
   8	Pennsylvania	$77,155	$37
   9	Texas	$73,012	$35
   10	North Carolina	$72,459	$35
   11	Colorado	$70,021	$34
   12	Missouri	$68,257	$33
   13	Indiana	$67,134	$32
   14	Georgia	$66,413	$32
   15	Iowa	$62,664	$30
   16	Virginia	$59,741	$29
   17	Illinois	$58,638	$28
   18	Michigan	$57,017	$27
   19	Oklahoma	$52,948	$25

   Average visiting assistant professor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	University of Illinois System	$158,754	$76.32	1
   2	Harvey Mudd College	$153,754	$73.92
   3	Tulane University	$146,961	$70.65	165
   4	Middlebury College	$138,416	$66.55	11
   5	Pace University	$134,467	$64.65	9
   6	Johns Hopkins University	$130,298	$62.64	49
   7	Loyola University New Orleans	$129,199	$62.11	3
   8	Harvard University	$126,206	$60.68
   9	Providence College	$122,223	$58.76
   10	University Surgical Associates	$116,270	$55.90
   11	The George Washington University	$115,496	$55.53	1
   12	LA State University Continuing	$113,209	$54.43	353
   13	Cornell University	$112,355	$54.02	8
   14	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	$111,910	$53.80	1
   15	Georgetown University	$110,427	$53.09
   16	American Chemical Society	$108,028	$51.94
   17	Northeastern University	$107,765	$51.81	69
   18	IUPUI	$107,491	$51.68
   19	University of Nevada, Reno	$106,385	$51.15	89
   20	Saint Louis University	$106,350	$51.13	15

4. Writing a visiting assistant professor job description

   A visiting assistant professor 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 visiting assistant professor job description:

   Visiting assistant professor job description example

   George Fox University announces a visiting position in management, to begin in August 2022. We seek applicants with the ability to teach in a broad range of undergraduate, MBA and DBA management courses. In addition, the successful candidate will be expected to engage in appropriate professional and scholarly activities, participate in doctoral dissertation work, supervise internships, advise students, and carry out other faculty responsibilities.

   
   

   George Fox University , a Christ-centered community, prepares students spiritually, academically, and professionally to think with clarity, act with integrity, and serve with passion. Professors teach all truth as God's truth, integrating all fields of learning around the person and work of Jesus Christ, bringing the divine revelations through sense, reason, and intuition to the confirming test of Scripture. As a Christ-centered community, George Fox University is an institution that values diversity as an essential dimension of God's design for human communities. In seeking to become a more inclusive community, we especially encourage applications from women and candidates from racial and ethnic backgrounds that are underrepresented on our faculty.

   
   

   Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

   • Applicants should have expertise in and be academically qualified to teach courses in strategy and general management. Courses to teach include Global business, organizational behavior, business communication, strategy and various MBA courses in management.
   • Engagement with professional management communities.
   • Participation in the work of the department and the university, including advising and serving on university committees as needed.

   
   

   Qualifications

   • Candidates an earned doctorate in a related field, PhD preferred. ABD candidates will be considered.
   • Demonstrated excellence in teaching is essential.
   • All applicants must express a personal commitment to Jesus Christ and express their Christian testimony in a local church. In addition, professors agree to live in agreement with the Community Lifestyle Statement and affirm the theological commitments expressed in the Statement of Faith.

   
   

   Salary and Rank

   Appointment at the Assistant Professor level is anticipated, though candidates with significant teaching experience at previous institutions may be considered for appointment at the rank of Associate Professor. Salary and benefits are competitive with comparable institutions.

   
   

   Application Procedures – kindly apply only through this website

   When completing the online application, please upload the following as Word or .pdf documents in the section marked Cover Letter, Curriculum Vitae, and Essay Requirement :

   • Letter of Interest
   • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
   • Faith and learning essay

   
   

   Other supporting materials may be requested at a later stage of the review process.

   Interested applicants are encouraged to apply immediately as review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find visiting assistant professors 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 visiting assistant professors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level visiting assistant professors 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 visiting assistant professor job on Zippia to find and recruit visiting assistant professor 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 visiting assistant professors, 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 visiting assistant professor

   Once you've selected the best visiting assistant professor candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   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 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 visiting assistant professor?