How to hire a Project Coordinator

How to hire a project coordinator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step project coordinator hiring guide:

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

What does a Project Coordinator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the project coordinator you need to hire. Certain project coordinator 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?

   Yes

   No

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

   Here's a comparison of project coordinator salaries for various roles:

   Type Of Project Coordinator	Description	Hourly Rate
   Project Coordinator	A Project Coordinator runs, administers, and organizes all project activities in an organization. They also provide work direction to staff.	$15-36
   Administrative Coordinator	An Administrative Coordinator oversees the line of communication and schedules within a company, ensuring that every necessary information is delivered and conveyed. An administrative coordinator's responsibilities include responding to inquiries and requests from workforce personnel or client, managing calls and correspondence, maintaining and rotating various forms of documentation, and designing or improving systems that would help the company's operating procedures... Show More	$13-26
   National Account Coordinator	A national account coordinator is primarily in charge of building positive relationships with new and existing clients, ensuring client satisfaction and profit growth. They support a company's sales team by conveying the needs of clients, developing sales strategies through research and analyses, and recommending solutions against problem areas... Show More	$13-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common Skills:

   • Project Management
   • Customer Service
   • PowerPoint
   • Data Entry
   • Purchase Orders
   • Project Coordination
   • Excellent Organizational
   • Meeting Minutes
   • SharePoint
   • Project Documentation
   • HR
   • Data Collection
   • Administrative Tasks
   • Financial Reports

   Check All Skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Create and lead Smartsheet training for team members.
   • Manage timely delivery of regular deliverables to the CIO.
   • Project manages all aspects of office redesign to include; new furniture, layout, logistics, and telephony requirements.
   • Manage FTP site for all projects and coordinate with all consultants and clients to help upload and download auto cad drawings.
   • Manage Minnesota Medicaid billing and patient eligibility from admission and renewals.
   • Manage the PMO Intranet site and develop related standard operating procedure documents.

   More Project Coordinator duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, project coordinators' average salary in maine is 38% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level project coordinators earn 56% less than senior-level project coordinators.
   • Certifications. A project coordinator 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 project coordinator's salary.

   Average project coordinator salary

   $50,375yearly

   $24.22 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level project coordinator salary

   $33,000 yearly salary

   Updated March 16, 2025

   Average project coordinator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate
   1	New York	$59,853	$29
   2	District of Columbia	$59,592	$29
   3	California	$57,733	$28
   4	Maryland	$56,933	$27
   5	Illinois	$55,686	$27
   6	Massachusetts	$52,776	$25
   7	Texas	$51,832	$25
   8	Virginia	$51,109	$25
   9	Indiana	$50,932	$24
   10	Pennsylvania	$50,681	$24
   11	Michigan	$49,692	$24
   12	Washington	$49,106	$24
   13	Arizona	$48,602	$23
   14	Colorado	$48,113	$23
   15	Ohio	$47,289	$23
   16	Wisconsin	$47,035	$23
   17	Nevada	$46,924	$23
   18	Georgia	$46,393	$22
   19	Oklahoma	$46,006	$22
   20	Missouri	$45,832	$22

   Average project coordinator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
   1	Meta	$115,416	$55.49	17
   2	School of Visual Concepts	$105,594	$50.77
   3	PayPal	$100,776	$48.45
   4	Intuitive Surgical	$97,528	$46.89
   5	RH	$94,107	$45.24	2
   6	Micron Technology	$93,758	$45.08
   7	Apple	$92,710	$44.57	3
   8	IBM	$92,044	$44.25	2
   9	Amphenol	$90,374	$43.45
   10	ConocoPhillips	$90,264	$43.40
   11	Cisco	$89,294	$42.93
   12	The Durst Organization	$89,200	$42.88
   13	TIBCO Software	$88,991	$42.78
   14	Genentech	$88,286	$42.45
   15	Regeneron	$86,661	$41.66	1
   16	eBay	$86,566	$41.62
   17	Xavient Information Systems	$85,435	$41.07
   18	Moody's	$85,013	$40.87
   19	Earthjustice	$84,132	$40.45
   20	Essence Global	$84,118	$40.44

4. Writing a Project Coordinator Job Description

   A job description for a project coordinator 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 project coordinator job description:

   Project Coordinator job description example

   We are seeking a Project Coordinator to join our federal team at our Fort McNair/Fort Myer locations. At Johnson Controls, we support our nation’s most critical facilities, the people who occupy them, and the missions they enable. Johnson Controls Federal Systems (JCFS) is a specialized team serving as a trusted partner to the federal government. We help modernize U.S. military installations, Department of Defense and other federal agency facilities to be smarter, more resilient, efficient, sustainable, and secure.
   Shift: 6:00am- 3:00pm EST.
   Benefits: Eligible for benefits on first day of employment
   Vacation: 3 weeks of paid vacation per calendar year
   Travel Required (if applicable) : As a Project Coordinator , you will: Supports the projects business activities such as subcontract processing, managing project documentation, support of booking or cost tracking system entry, and customer invoicing Works with Project Manager and/or Engineering Management to ensure consistent delivery of services and internal financial commitments. Researches and obtains information for reports, tasks and assignments Completes the delivery of project or sales related administrative tasks to ensure customer expectations and internal project financial commitments are met Supports new contracts and manages any changes to existing maintenance and service, retrofit or PSA contracts, Labor and Material tickets, and service order management tickets Assists with the subcontract process. Assists project management by generating the subcontracts online or using templates. Organizes subcontractor documentation such as waivers, certificates of insurance, wrap ups, and bonding information. Manages subcontractor invoices by releasing for payment or researching payment problems. Manages project documentation files. Gathers documents such as submittal documentation, customer communication, subcontracts documents, and proposals. Completes project closeout checklists including as-builts, final invoicing to the customer, warranty letters, project books and training documentation. Produces submittal packages for use by technicians, engineers or the customer. Gathers documents such as network flow diagrams, room schedules, project bill of materials, etc Assists with procurement of materials utilizing electronic purchasing/ordering tools to enter and track project materials Works with project management to ensure cost scheduling and re-estimates are entered into the tracking system. Enters project dates, schedules, and contract costs as directed Assists management in the coordination of safety programs. Verifies that monthly toolbox training and safety reporting are completed. Works with project management to ensure employees have the proper safety equipment Performs other duties as required to support the project team
   
   Required Qualifications:
   
   Experience supporting project related teams in the construction or building maintenance industry, Proficient computer skills with general Windows environment, Microsoft Office software, and email Must have strong interpersonal skills to effectively communicate with both internal and external clients Preferred Qualifications:
   
   Experience working with government contracting Proficiency working with Microsoft Project Advanced skills working with Microsoft Excel Ability to prioritize work activities based upon financial impact to desired business goals Preferred Education:
   
   High School Diploma or equivalent required. Associates Degree (or higher) preferred. Experience and/or basic project accounting or costing principals Who We Are At Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI), we are One Team working collaboratively to create purposeful solutions that make a difference in the world. We are a Fortune 500 company with more than 100,000 employees worldwide offering the world`s largest portfolio of building technology products, solutions and services. As a member of our Federal Systems team, your work matters. We value and recognize your contributions and want to help you succeed. We invest in our employees, provide opportunities for growth and advancement, and foster a culture of inclusion and respect. To learn more about who we are and what we do, please check out our Take a Journey video.
   
   Recently, Johnson Controls has been recognized by several organizations for leadership in Environment, Sustainability and Governance, as well as innovations in smart building platforms:
   
   Named to FORTUNE’s “Most Admired Companies” List Corporate Knights Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World Identified as a Sustainalytics Top-Rated ESG Performer for managing material ESG issues Received HRH The Prince of Wales’ inaugural Terra Carta Seal Ranked 67 on the Drucker Institute’s list of best-managed companies in America Named Chairman and CEO George Oliver IoT CEO of the Year for 2022 Johnson Controls is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a qualified individual with a disability, or any other characteristic protected by law. For more information, please view EEO is the Law. If you are an individual with a disability and you require an accommodation during the application process, please visit www.johnsoncontrols.com/careers Division: JCFS (Johnson Controls Federal Systems)

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5. Post your job

   To find project coordinators 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 project coordinators they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level project coordinators 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 project coordinator job on Zippia to find and recruit project coordinator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting project coordinators 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 project coordinator

   Once you've found the project coordinator candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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 project coordinator first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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 project coordinator?