How to hire a Human Factors Specialist

How to hire a human factors specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step human factors specialist hiring guide:

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

What does a Human Factors Specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a human factors specialist, 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 human factors specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, human factors specialists 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 presents human factors specialist salaries for various positions.

   Type Of Human Factors Specialist	Description	Hourly Rate
   Human Factors Specialist	Human resources specialists recruit, screen, interview, and place workers. They often handle other human resources work, such as those related to employee relations, compensation and benefits, and training... Show More	$26-55
   Self-Employed	A self-employed person works without the supervision of a specific employer. Self-employed entrepreneurs decide their business plans to increase profitability and get involved with the current market trends... Show More	$12-21
   Recruiting Coordinator	A recruiting coordinator's tasks include posting job vacancies, coordinating candidate travel, setting up schedules for interviews and handling last-minute scheduling changes, preparing offer letters, and conducting background checks on aspirants. The coordinator assists in the company's recruiting and talent acquisition procedures and strategies by hiring job-seekers to fill in vacant positions and to supply the company's workforce needs and goals... Show More	$16-28

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common Skills:

   • User Research
   • User Interface
   • Industrial Design
   • Human Factors Research
   • I-9
   • Personnel Policies
   • Human Resources Policies
   • UI
   • Performance Management
   • Organizational Charts
   • HRIS
   • HR
   • FMLA
   • Usability Studies

   Check All Skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Reformat and manage team SharePoint page on support unit portal, providing increase accessibility and distribution of team products.
   • Integrate efforts on actions and programs where joint OPM functional effort are necessary to accomplish recruitment and enhance organizational effectiveness.
   • Process arrears payments for employees on LOA or FMLA and other leave as applicable.
   • Coordinate leaves of absence with appropriate laws such as FMLA, work comp and ADA.
   • Categorize non-exempt and exempt positions according to FLSA.
   • Research methods include surveys, questionnaires, laboratory experiments, usability testing, task analyses, prototyping, and human-in-the-loop simulations.

   More Human Factors Specialist duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, human factors specialists' average salary in hawaii is 45% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level human factors specialists 52% less than senior-level human factors specialists.
   • Certifications. A human factors specialist 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 human factors specialist's salary.

   Average human factors specialist salary

   $80,877yearly

   $38.88 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level human factors specialist salary

   $56,000 yearly salary

   Updated March 15, 2025

   Average human factors specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate
   1	California	$111,175	$53
   2	District of Columbia	$102,029	$49
   3	Washington	$100,930	$49
   4	Maryland	$95,378	$46
   5	New Jersey	$91,587	$44
   6	New York	$90,312	$43
   7	Virginia	$88,956	$43
   8	Oregon	$84,881	$41
   9	Illinois	$82,412	$40
   10	Texas	$75,781	$36
   11	North Carolina	$73,623	$35
   12	Minnesota	$72,689	$35
   13	Pennsylvania	$72,206	$35
   14	Ohio	$69,515	$33
   15	Florida	$69,220	$33
   16	Kansas	$68,206	$33
   17	South Carolina	$67,897	$33
   18	Michigan	$65,332	$31
   19	Indiana	$60,856	$29

   Average human factors specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
   1	Apple	$127,919	$61.50	4
   2	BD	$89,360	$42.96	1
   3	FHI 360	$86,555	$41.61
   4	Alaka`ina Foundation Family Of Companies	$85,259	$40.99
   5	Shell Energy North America	$84,750	$40.75
   6	Marsh & McLennan Companies	$84,389	$40.57	19
   7	Sequent Inc.	$83,376	$40.08
   8	Alignment Healthcare	$83,291	$40.04	2
   9	MITRE	$82,159	$39.50
   10	Deloitte	$82,158	$39.50	20
   11	IDEO	$80,896	$38.89
   12	Ball	$79,725	$38.33	5
   13	Aptar	$76,575	$36.81
   14	Mattson	$75,942	$36.51
   15	UL	$71,619	$34.43	3
   16	Yanfeng	$69,956	$33.63	4
   17	Carilion Healthcare Corporation	$69,316	$33.33
   18	Kansas State University	$62,407	$30.00	1
   19	Johns Hopkins Medicine	$61,930	$29.77	6
   20	Parkview Health	$48,335	$23.24	2

4. Writing a Human Factors Specialist Job Description

   A good human factors specialist 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 human factors specialist job description:

   Human Factors Specialist job description example

   Centerstone is among the nation's leading nonprofit behavioral health systems with thousands of employees dedicated to delivering care that changes people's lives. A dynamic, well-established organization, we offer rewarding opportunities to serve all ages in a variety of settings. Come talk to us about joining the Centerstone team!
   
   Ensures continuity of care to consumers through case management services Serves the adult population Links clients and their families to needed resources to help to improve the quality of life for the client
   
   Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor's Degree in human services field required. Knowledge of community resources or ability to learn quickly. Good organizational, time management, writing and verbal skills. Ability to work well with community partners. One year experience working with adult mental health required. Committed to working with adults with both mental illness and substance use disorder. Florida Driver license in good standing; able to meet Centerstone's insurance company standards.
   
   Preferred Qualifications: Bilingual English/Spanish. Experience with Co-occurring services preferred. Enthusiastic about facilitating groups that develop rehabilitation, recovery, and life skills.
   
   Special Skills, Knowledge and Abilities: Knowledge of community services. Experience in a mental health setting preferred. Strong communication, teaming and time management skills necessary. Ability to work well with community partners.
   
   Assume primary responsibility for assessing client and family strengths, challenges and needs of an assigned group of clients. In conjunction with the team, responsible for developing, writing, implementing, evaluating and revising overall treatment goals and plans per on-going assessment of needs and input from the client and family. Conduct on-going assessment of behavior, mental status, signs and symptoms of mental health disorder, physical and dental health, substance use, and educational, social, legal, financial, housing, developmental and family functioning. Refers, advocates and links client and family for additional services as identified. Act as liaison and collaborates with community agencies/institutions and support systems to maintain coordination of the treatment process. Provides supportive and educational counseling services (individual, family and group) to develop daily living and coping skills. Assist clients with developing natural support systems. Provide on-call crisis intervention services during nighttime and weekend hours as assigned. Provide transportation, respite and tutoring services as assigned. Participates in treatment team meetings Maintains client's chart updated and all documentation entered within established timeframe. Completes all required agency and department trainings.
   
   Work Environment/Physical Demands: Work in the field in different environments and involved with clients, residents, family members, personnel, visitors, government agencies/personnel, etc., in a behavioral health setting. If employed in hospitals, case managers work in clean, well-lit establishments, but they can be exposed to various health conditions. Sits, stands, bends, lifts and moves intermittently during work hours. Is subject to frequent interruptions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to occasionally loud.
   
   Position Type, Expected Hours of Work and Travel: This is a full-time position, and the expected work hours are 40 hours per week, Monday - Friday - 8:30-5:00. Early mornings, evenings and weekend might be required to meet need of client. Weekend on call may be required. Travel is required.
   
   Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
   __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Employee Name (Print) Employee Signature Date Centerstone is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability. Time Type: Full time Delivering care that changes people's lives starts with our employees. Below are just some of the great benefits Centerstone employees enjoy: Medical, dental, and vision health coverage Flexible Spending and Health Savings Accounts403b retirement plan with company match Paid time off and ten paid holidays AD&D Insurance, Life Insurance, and Long Term Disability (company paid) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion employee resource groups Continuing education opportunities Employee Assistance Program Centerstone is an equal opportunity employer. Employment at Centerstone is based solely on a person's merit and qualifications directly related to professional competence. Centerstone does not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, creed, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding), or any other basis protected by law. At Centerstone, we use our values as a guide for what we do. Respect, Expertise, Integrity and Empowerment are at the heart of every interaction at Centerstone, and particularly rooted in our beliefs toward diversity and inclusion. Our approach to diversity is simple-it's about embracing everyone. Together, we continue to develop an inclusive culture that encourages, supports and celebrates the diverse voices and experiences of our employees. It powers our innovation and connects us closer to each other, to our clients and the communities we serve. We strive to create a workplace that reflects the growing world around us, and where everyone feels empowered, safe and welcomed.

   Copy This Example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right human factors specialist 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 human factors specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit human factors specialists 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 human factors specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit human factors specialist 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 human factors specialists, 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 human factors specialist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the human factors specialist 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 human factors specialist. 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 human factors specialist?