Job Description Template: Free Format and Examples

A good job description template gives every role in your business the same clear structure: why the job exists, what the person will do, what they need to bring, how the role is paid and classified, and the conditions of the work. Writing it before you post an ad saves time in hiring, supports fair pay decisions, and gives you a defensible record if a classification or disability question ever comes up.

This guide includes a fill-in-the-blanks template, a complete example for a small-business billing role, the pay transparency rules that now apply in many states, and tips for writing duties that attract the right people. If you are still deciding whether you need an employee at all, start with our guide to hiring your first employee.

Why a written job description matters

• Better hiring. Clear duties and requirements attract candidates who fit and discourage those who do not.
• Correct overtime classification. Writing out duties forces you to check the FLSA exemption tests; see our guide to exempt vs non-exempt employees.
• ADA compliance. A pre-existing written description is evidence of which functions are essential.
• Pay equity. Grouping similar roles makes it easier to set and justify pay ranges.
• Performance management. Reviews can measure against the outcomes the description sets.
• Employee or contractor decision. If you find yourself describing set hours, close supervision and company tools, you are probably describing an employee, not a contractor. Our W-2 vs 1099 guide explains the difference.

Job description template

Copy this structure and fill in the brackets.

1. Job title: [Use a standard, searchable title, e.g. "Accounts Receivable Specialist", not "Cash Ninja".]
2. Department and reports to: [Team, manager's title]
3. Location and work arrangement: [On-site / hybrid / remote; city and state]
4. Employment type and schedule: [Full-time, part-time, seasonal; usual hours]
5. FLSA status: [Exempt / Non-exempt] (internal)
6. Pay range: [$X to $Y per year or hour], plus [bonus, commission]
7. Benefits summary: [Health, retirement, PTO]
8. Role summary: [Two or three sentences on why the role exists and the impact it has.]
9. Essential functions: [6 to 10 bullet points, starting with action verbs, ideally with an approximate share of time.]
10. Other duties: [Marginal tasks, plus "other duties as assigned".]
11. Required qualifications: [Skills, experience, licenses truly needed on day one.]
12. Preferred qualifications: [Nice-to-haves.]
13. Physical requirements and working conditions: [Lifting, standing, travel, driving, shifts.]
14. Equal opportunity statement and accommodation contact.

Example: Billing and Accounts Receivable Coordinator

An illustrative example for a 12-person professional services firm in Illinois:

Job title: Billing and Accounts Receivable Coordinator
Reports to: Operations Manager
Location: Chicago, IL (hybrid, 3 days in office)
Type: Full-time, Monday to Friday, 40 hours
FLSA status: Non-exempt (eligible for overtime)
Pay range: $25.00 to $30.00 per hour, based on experience
Benefits: Medical and dental, 401(k) with profit sharing, 15 days PTO plus paid holidays

Summary: You will make sure every client is billed accurately and on time and that we get paid. You will own the monthly invoicing cycle, follow up on overdue accounts and keep receivables reports current.

Essential functions:

• Prepare and send about 150 client invoices a month from timesheets and project budgets (35%).
• Apply payments, reconcile deposits and resolve short payments (20%).
• Follow up on overdue invoices by email and phone, and escalate accounts more than 60 days past due (20%).
• Maintain client billing details, payment terms and tax settings (10%).
• Prepare weekly aging reports and month-end receivables summaries (10%).
• Answer client billing questions professionally and promptly (5%).

Required: two years of billing or bookkeeping experience; accurate data entry; comfort with spreadsheets and accounting software; clear written communication.
Preferred: experience with time-and-materials or retainer billing; familiarity with sales tax on services.
Working conditions: office and home-office computer work; occasional lifting of document boxes up to 20 pounds.

Notice how each duty describes a measurable outcome. That clarity helps at review time and makes it easy to explain the job in an offer letter. Teams like this often standardize on processes such as net 30 payment terms and invoice collections workflows, so mention the ones you use.

Pay transparency laws: do you have to list the salary?

A growing number of jurisdictions require a good-faith pay range in job postings, and sometimes a general description of benefits. Thresholds vary, as summarized in Jackson Lewis's 2026 pay transparency overview:

Jurisdiction	Applies to employers with
California	15+ employees
Colorado	At least 1 employee in Colorado
Washington	15+ employees
New York State	4+ employees
Illinois	15+ employees
Minnesota	30+ employees
Massachusetts	25+ employees
New Jersey	10+ employees
Vermont	5+ employees
Hawaii	50+ employees
Maryland, Connecticut, Nevada, Rhode Island	Generally all employers (rules differ: some require disclosure on request or before offer)
Washington, D.C.	1+ employee
Delaware	26+ employees, starting September 26, 2027

Several cities, such as Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo in Ohio, have their own rules. Remote roles that could be filled by someone in a covered state may also be caught. When in doubt, include the range; it is good practice anyway.

Writing duties that work

Use outcome-focused, plain language

"Send accurate invoices within two business days of month end" tells a candidate far more than "responsible for billing." Avoid jargon, internal acronyms and gendered terms such as "salesman."

Separate essential from marginal functions

The ADA protects qualified individuals who can perform essential functions with or without reasonable accommodation. If a duty is occasional and could be reassigned, list it under other duties.

Be honest about physical demands

Describe what must be achieved, such as "move supplies up to 40 pounds," rather than requiring a specific method, which leaves room for accommodation.

Keep requirements genuine

Degree requirements and long years-of-experience lists shrink your pool. Ask whether someone could do the job well without each item.

Step by step: creating job descriptions for your business

1. List the work that needs doing, from your own calendar and task list.
2. Group tasks into roles, and decide which are employee roles and which can go to contractors.
3. Draft the description using the template above.
4. Check classification: exempt or non-exempt, and confirm your state's minimum wage. See minimum wage by state 2027.
5. Benchmark pay from salary surveys and postings in your area.
6. Have someone in or near the role review it.
7. Turn it into a posting with a friendlier opening and the required pay range.
8. Store it with your onboarding documents and review it yearly.

Job descriptions for part-time and seasonal roles

Part-time and seasonal jobs deserve the same structure. State the expected hours per week, the season's start and end dates, and whether hours may change. Be precise about eligibility for benefits, since part-time employees may become eligible for a 401(k) under long-term part-time rules, and some states' paid sick leave laws cover every employee from the first hour.

Common mistakes

• Calling a role exempt because it is salaried. Salary alone does not make a job exempt.
• Copying a big-company description that lists duties no one at your business does.
• Leaving out pay in a covered state, or posting an unrealistically wide range.
• Describing a contractor engagement like a job. For contractors, define deliverables in a statement of work instead.
• Never updating it. An outdated description weakens its value as evidence.

Job description vs job posting: side by side

Element	Job description (internal)	Job posting (external)
Purpose	Defines the role for hiring, pay, classification and reviews	Attracts and screens applicants
Tone	Precise, neutral	Engaging, selling the opportunity
FLSA status	Always included	Optional ("overtime eligible" is a selling point)
Pay range	Included	Required in pay transparency jurisdictions
Essential functions with time shares	Yes	Summarized
Physical requirements	Detailed	Brief
About the company and culture	Optional	Prominent
How to apply	No	Yes

Turning the template into a posting that gets applicants

Most candidates skim a posting on a phone in under a minute. Lead with what the person will do and why it matters, then the pay range, location and schedule. Put the five most important duties near the top and move administrative details lower. A few practical tips from small-business hiring:

• Use the title people search for. "Bookkeeper" and "Accounts Receivable Specialist" get far more views than creative internal names.
• Show the range honestly. A $25 to $30 range is credible; $20 to $60 looks like you have not decided and may not satisfy good-faith requirements.
• Describe a real week. "On Mondays you will run the weekly aging report and call the five largest overdue accounts" helps candidates picture the job.
• Mention flexibility and growth, such as hybrid days, training budget or a path to a senior role.
• Keep the application short. A resume and two screening questions are usually enough for a small business.

Once applications arrive, score each candidate against the required qualifications you wrote down. Using the same criteria for everyone makes decisions faster and fairer, and creates a record of why you chose the person you hired.

After the description: onboarding and paperwork

Once you have hired, the description becomes part of the new hire's onboarding packet, together with forms such as the W-4 and I-9. Our employee onboarding checklist lists every step for the first 90 days, and the employee handbook template covers the policies that sit alongside each role.

If the role you are describing will handle billing, give them a simple tool from day one. Our free invoice generator lets anyone on your team create a professional invoice with no sign-up and download it as a PDF.