How to hire an activity assistant

How to hire an activity assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step activity assistant hiring guide:

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

What does an activity assistant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your activity assistant job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an activity assistant for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect activity assistant also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of activity assistant salaries for various roles:

   Type of Activity Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Activity Assistant	Social and human service assistants provide client services, including support for families, in a wide variety of fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, and social work. They assist other workers, such as social workers, and they help clients find benefits or community services.	$11-17
   Activity Coordinator	An activity coordinator is someone who creates and plans activities, outings, and events in various settings. Typically, they oversee creating programs, staffing events, and supervising the implementation of activities... Show more	$13-21
   Activities Aide	An activity aide is responsible for facilitating recreation activities under the supervision of a recreation leader within nursing homes or other related institutions. Activity aides ensure the adequacy of resources and supplies according to the activity's instructions and budget limitations... Show more	$10-16

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Home Health
   • Rehabilitation
   • Senior Care
   • Customer Service
   • Good Judgment
   • Compassion
   • Transport Residents
   • Memory Care
   • Social Events
   • Dementia Care
   • Community Outings
   • Bingo
   • CPR

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Prevent or manage aggressive behavior among individuals and administer CPR in emergency intervention.
   • Coordinate and manage group sessions, including recreational activities for senior citizens and occupational therapy with stroke patients.
   • Assist children with homework assignments, peer mediation, social skills and daily program activities.
   • Plan and execute a variety of enjoyable activities for residents and rehabilitation patients in a safe environment.
   • Post daily to Facebook page and also all waitress duties.
   • Conduct dog walks and in home pet sits with precision.

   More activity assistant duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, activity assistants' average salary in arkansas is 51% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level activity assistants 38% less than senior-level activity assistants.
   • Certifications. An activity assistant 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 an activity assistant's salary.

   Average activity assistant salary

   $14.24hourly

   $29,611 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level activity assistant salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average activity assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$43,262	$21
   2	California	$34,528	$17
   3	Massachusetts	$33,701	$16
   4	North Dakota	$33,150	$16
   5	Washington	$32,118	$15
   6	New Jersey	$30,732	$15
   7	New York	$30,270	$15
   8	Minnesota	$29,877	$14
   9	Illinois	$29,505	$14
   10	Virginia	$29,190	$14
   11	Pennsylvania	$28,473	$14
   12	Colorado	$28,319	$14
   13	Arizona	$27,865	$13
   14	Ohio	$27,671	$13
   15	Maryland	$27,607	$13
   16	Texas	$27,241	$13
   17	Missouri	$27,090	$13
   18	Nebraska	$26,933	$13
   19	Florida	$26,609	$13
   20	Indiana	$25,456	$12

   Average activity assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Smithsonian Institution	$58,814	$28.28
   2	Cadence Design Systems	$46,025	$22.13
   3	Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital	$43,206	$20.77
   4	Highland General Hospital	$42,067	$20.22
   5	Alameda Health System	$41,025	$19.72	2
   6	Ilitch Holdings	$40,425	$19.44
   7	Fallon Health	$38,858	$18.68	3
   8	Maine Health/maine Mental Health Partners	$38,229	$18.38	2
   9	RSL	$38,043	$18.29	3
   10	New York State Restaurant Association	$37,775	$18.16
   11	Mayo Clinic	$37,393	$17.98	4
   12	Oxford Health of New Jersey	$37,337	$17.95
   13	New Hope Services	$36,800	$17.69
   14	Kisco Senior Living	$36,297	$17.45	12
   15	Baylor College of Medicine	$36,038	$17.33
   16	Iowa Department of Transportation	$35,906	$17.26
   17	Riverside Community Hospital	$35,758	$17.19	1
   18	Independent Health	$35,238	$16.94
   19	Sunrise Senior Living Management Inc	$35,092	$16.87	145
   20	San Jose Behavioral Health Hospital	$34,775	$16.72

4. Writing an activity assistant job description

   An activity assistant 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. Below, you can find an example of an activity assistant job description:

   Activity assistant job description example

   Come join our team at Academy Manor!
   
   Genesis is one of the nations' leading provider of healthcare services from short-term to long-term care and a wide variety of living options and professional clinical services. We are changing how care is delivered by bringing together people like you -- passionate, highly skilled and motivated to make a difference.
   
   Bring your compassion and positive energy to Genesis and enrich lives as an Activity Assistant. You will coordinate activities that meet the physical, creative, cognitive, social, spiritual, and needs of our patients/residents.
   
   Position Highlights Play a vital role in our patients/residents' well-being by planning and promoting recreation-based activities that stimulate the mind and body and promote social interaction Provides input into the design of monthly recreation services Documents patient/resident attendance and participation level at recreation programs, writes progress notes, and attends care plan meetings as appropriate Assist with set up of volunteer program and appreciation
   
   Why Genesis? We provide career paths for our employees and develop them. We invest in YOU! We are a strong, financially-stable company with industry longevity. Genesis was founded in 1985. We are committed to operate with integrity. We foster a work environment that feels like a family and have a culture of compassion. We Care Deeply!
   
   Our commitment at Genesis affiliated nursing centers is to protect the health and safety of our patients, residents and our heroic employees. We take great pride in meeting or exceeding CDC and CMS standards. On-site experts provide teaching, coaching, and support on infection prevention practices. In addition, we maintain an abundant supply of PPE, including N95/KN95 masks, for all who provide care and services to our patients and residents. Our multiple testing capabilities, including Point-of-Care (POC) testing, are available at every location and comply with CMS and local guidance.
   
   AR01
   
   Qualifications: High school degree or equivalent. Certification in accordance with regulatory agencies governing the center. To protect the health and safety of our patients, residents, employees, family members, and the communities we serve, Genesis has implemented a universal COVID-19 vaccination requirement for employees, care partners and onsite vendors.
   
   Position Type: Full Time
   
   
   Pay Target:
   
   Genesis HealthCare, Inc. and all affiliated entities are proud to practice Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action. Genesis provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, actual or perceived disability, marital status, genetic information, amnesty, or status as covered veterans in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Genesis takes affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified minorities, women, individuals with disabilities and covered veterans. This policy is fully supported by the CEO, COO and all members of the leadership team.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting activity assistants 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.

   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 activity assistant

   Once you have selected a candidate for the activity assistant 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.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new activity assistant. 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 an activity assistant?