How to hire an administrative assistant/scheduler

How to hire an administrative assistant/scheduler, step by step

Here's a step-by-step administrative assistant/scheduler hiring guide:

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

What does an administrative assistant/scheduler do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your administrative assistant/scheduler 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 administrative assistant/scheduler 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

   An administrative assistant/scheduler's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, administrative assistant/schedulers 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 shows salaries for various types of administrative assistant/schedulers.

   Type of Administrative Assistant/Scheduler	Description	Hourly rate
   Administrative Assistant/Scheduler	Secretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.	$13-23
   Administrative Support	Administrative support specialists provide different types of governmental assistance. They carry out varied clerical duties in almost all industries... Show more	$12-25
   Administrative Staff	As the administrative staff, they primarily provide administrative and secretarial support for the department. Typically, they do report-writing, filing and scheduling, and payroll... Show more	$27-48

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Administrative Tasks
   • Patients
   • HR
   • Data Entry
   • Excellent Interpersonal
   • Patient Care
   • PowerPoint
   • Schedule Appointments
   • Surgery
   • Scheduling Software
   • Office Equipment
   • Word Processing
   • Front Desk

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage effective communication with patients on informative instructions and expectations prior to surgery and responding to questions due to post surgery.
   • Deposit all checks and ACH remittances on time.
   • Transition the patient medical records from hard charts to full EMR system within a matter of months.
   • Prepare PowerPoint presentations, facilities coordination and inventory.
   • Communicate with clinical staff via EMR telephone encounters/messages.
   • Verify insurance information and demographics according to HIPPA laws.

   More administrative assistant/scheduler duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, administrative assistant/schedulers' average salary in oklahoma is 43% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level administrative assistant/schedulers 41% less than senior-level administrative assistant/schedulers.
   • Certifications. An administrative assistant/scheduler 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 administrative assistant/scheduler's salary.

   Average administrative assistant/scheduler salary

   $38,024yearly

   $18.28 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level administrative assistant/scheduler salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average administrative assistant/scheduler salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$46,958	$23
   2	New York	$46,244	$22
   3	Texas	$43,432	$21
   4	Nevada	$42,243	$20
   5	North Dakota	$39,647	$19
   6	Utah	$38,707	$19
   7	Colorado	$38,181	$18
   8	Indiana	$37,397	$18
   9	Massachusetts	$37,194	$18
   10	Alabama	$36,394	$18
   11	North Carolina	$36,246	$17
   12	Ohio	$36,130	$17
   13	Nebraska	$36,071	$17
   14	Michigan	$35,975	$17
   15	Iowa	$35,939	$17
   16	New Hampshire	$34,932	$17
   17	Minnesota	$34,265	$16
   18	West Virginia	$34,199	$16
   19	Virginia	$33,366	$16
   20	Georgia	$32,929	$16

   Average administrative assistant/scheduler salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	True Care Home Care	$51,281	$24.65
   2	University of California	$50,010	$24.04	55
   3	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	$46,558	$22.38	2
   4	PepsiCo	$45,452	$21.85	6
   5	Bk	$42,785	$20.57
   6	Anheuser-Busch	$40,214	$19.33	12
   7	University of Pennsylvania	$39,481	$18.98	3
   8	CME Associates	$39,478	$18.98	2
   9	Lutheran Care Center	$39,388	$18.94
   10	F.H. Furr	$39,343	$18.91
   11	Kitchen Tune-Up Franchise System	$38,614	$18.56	6
   12	Security Industry Specialists	$38,521	$18.52
   13	Robert Half	$38,322	$18.42	268
   14	Business Impact Group	$38,128	$18.33	3
   15	Zel Technologies	$38,076	$18.31
   16	CAE	$38,052	$18.29	4
   17	Koorsen Fire & Security	$37,987	$18.26
   18	Baptist Health Home Care	$37,753	$18.15	18
   19	DJ's Landscape Management	$37,574	$18.06
   20	Eyas Landing	$37,383	$17.97

4. Writing an administrative assistant/scheduler job description

   A good administrative assistant/scheduler 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 an administrative assistant/scheduler job description:

   Administrative assistant/scheduler job description example

   The Clinic Scheduler performs a variety of clerical duties and front office operations in support of the patient care activities ensuring even patient flow and continuous communication within the department, referring physician offices, and organization staff. Interacts with patients, their family members or surrogate decision-makers, and the public courteously and according to established standards. Greets visitors and answers telephones. May collect Copays, close the Cash Drawer, and prepare Month End deposits. Collects initial demographic and clinical patient information and accurately enters it into the medical record. Compiles and prepares charts. Assists with coordination and execution of patient scheduling including confirmations, cancellations, and rescheduling. Follows through with prompt communication of schedule changes to all appropriate locations and individuals including clinical staff/Supervisors. Maintains accurate information and utilizes various software, including department-specific programs, to schedule, enter charges, find and scan documents, and accurately enter patient information. Ensures the patient chart has all the required paperwork prior to the patient's procedure. As directed by medical staff orders patient tests are to be performed as needed during the patient stay.
   
   The position may work in various Departments as needed. Assist clinical staff as needed with patients and family members. Always maintains patient confidentiality. Participates in the continuous quality improvement process. Performs other duties as assigned.
   Education and Experience:
   
   * High School Graduate or equivalent education and experience required
   * Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Word, and Excel, required
   * Clerical experience including filing, calculator, and telephone skills required
   * Typing skills of a minimum of 35 WPM required
   * Minimum one (1) year of medical front office or equivalent administrative experience required
   * Working knowledge of medical terminology, and anatomy required
   * Two years' (2) medical front office experience preferred
   * Experience within an acute healthcare system environment preferred
   * Knowledge of healthcare database systems preferred
   * Understanding of insurance procedures preferred
   * Bachelor's degree in a healthcare-related field preferred
   
   Certifications:
   
   * BLS - Basic Life Support through American Heart Association preferred.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right administrative assistant/scheduler 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 administrative assistant/schedulers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit administrative assistant/schedulers 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 administrative assistant/scheduler job on Zippia to find and recruit administrative assistant/scheduler candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit administrative assistant/schedulers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 administrative assistant/scheduler

   Once you have selected a candidate for the administrative assistant/scheduler 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 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new administrative assistant/scheduler. 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 administrative assistant/scheduler?