How to hire an admissions assistant

How to hire an admissions assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step admissions 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 admissions assistant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new admissions assistant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an admissions assistant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your admissions 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 admissions 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

   An admissions assistant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, admissions assistants 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 admissions assistant salaries for various roles:

   Type of Admissions Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Admissions Assistant	Secretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.	$9-18
   Admissions Clerk	An admissions clerk caters to all incoming customers, applicants, or patients in a facility. Their primary job is to handle the personal data of those customers, applicants, or patients... Show more	$11-19

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Patients
   • Data Entry
   • Phone Calls
   • Facility Tours
   • Admission Paperwork
   • Admissions Process
   • Admissions Database
   • Financial Aid
   • Front Desk
   • Schedule Appointments
   • Student Applications
   • Assist Admissions
   • Insurance Verification

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage company's twitter account and communicate with multiple physical therapy providers around the country
   • Insure that patient release of information forms are signed and educate patients of their rights provide by HIPAA.
   • Process applications, figuring GPA, and locate documents for file completion.
   • Enable social sharing to Facebook and LinkedIn using plugins for social networks.
   • Call Medicaid and Medicare to confirm coverage on inpatient, outpatient and or emergency room coverage.
   • Calculate GPA's on all applicant files and prepares the file to be present for admissions consideration.

   More admissions assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your admissions assistant job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An admissions assistant salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for an admissions assistant in Nebraska may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level admissions assistant usually earns less than a senior-level admissions assistant. Additionally, an admissions assistant with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average admissions assistant salary

   $13.70hourly

   $28,490 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level admissions assistant salary

   $20,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average admissions assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$43,037	$21
   2	California	$37,793	$18
   3	Washington	$36,090	$17
   4	Massachusetts	$35,909	$17
   5	Rhode Island	$34,914	$17
   6	Minnesota	$32,957	$16
   7	Delaware	$32,930	$16
   8	Colorado	$32,027	$15
   9	Nevada	$31,588	$15
   10	Maryland	$30,691	$15
   11	North Carolina	$27,839	$13
   12	New Jersey	$27,784	$13
   13	Virginia	$27,648	$13
   14	Missouri	$26,154	$13
   15	Michigan	$26,127	$13
   16	Texas	$26,030	$13
   17	South Carolina	$25,352	$12
   18	Utah	$25,089	$12
   19	Arizona	$24,086	$12
   20	Florida	$23,156	$11

   Average admissions assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	University of California-Berkeley	$43,543	$20.93	1
   2	Grand View University	$40,841	$19.64
   3	State College of Florida	$39,284	$18.89
   4	Herkimer County Community College	$36,192	$17.40
   5	Boston College	$35,804	$17.21	1
   6	University of Nevada, Reno	$35,575	$17.10	17
   7	Austin Community College District	$34,554	$16.61	4
   8	The Nueva School	$33,814	$16.26
   9	University of Houston	$33,482	$16.10	5
   10	American Addiction Centers	$33,466	$16.09	2
   11	St. Peter's Health	$32,634	$15.69
   12	University of Central Florida	$32,569	$15.66	10
   13	PSEA	$32,105	$15.44	14
   14	University of Delaware	$32,066	$15.42	6
   15	Sharp HealthCare	$31,921	$15.35	2
   16	Huntsville Hospital	$31,878	$15.33	9
   17	Life Care Centers of America	$31,267	$15.03	13
   18	Tufts University	$31,222	$15.01	7
   19	Chapman University	$31,171	$14.99	29
   20	UT Health East Texas	$30,639	$14.73

4. Writing an admissions assistant job description

   A job description for an admissions assistant 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 an admissions assistant job description:

   Admissions assistant job description example

   Paul Mitchell The School [insert school name here] is seeking a qualified Admissions Assistant to join our family! With over one hundred schools nation-wide, Paul Mitchell Schools is growing faster than ever. Our "One Size Fits All" and "Be Nice" culture creates a uniquely wonderful learning environment that attracts the most qualified staff team members who always put our Future Professionals first. Not only do we offer an education second to none, we also make time for personal and communal growth through opportunities such as FUNraising; we've raised over $13.3 million for selected charities in 11 years, including $2.1 million in 2014!

   Admissions Assistant Role

   Admissions Assistants are often the first point of contact for prospective Future Professionals looking to pursue their educational/career goals in the beauty industry. You must have a desire to help make a difference in people's lives. This person will be responsible for guiding prospective Future Professionals through the entire enrollment process and through career placement after graduation.

   What We Are Looking For

   This is a fast-paced, high-demand position requiring the candidate to wear many different "hats" in a busy, high-energy cosmetology school. Bring a positive and professional attitude and you'll fit right in with our "Be Nice" culture. The ideal candidate will have a strong sales background and the ability to manage goal-driven daily tasks efficiently and professionally. The candidate must be self-motivated to assist in meeting and exceeding enrollment goals. This position requires confidence, resilience, strong organizational and communications skills, exceptional persistence, a high level of commitment, and the ability to guide and motivate others.

   Skills/Competencies Required:

   • Ability to meet and exceed monthly/weekly goals
   • Maintain timely follow-up with all leads according to established processes
   • Ensure zero error rate in data gathering and entry
   • Maintain database in an organized, error-free manner
   • Proficiency on a PC computer, Internet, and email applications(CRM experience a plus)
   • Skills in marketing, teamwork, documentation, and business writing
   • Passion for the beauty industry
   • Maintain honesty and professionalism
   • Solid work history with verifiable references
   • Degree in Sales, Business, or comparable degree and/or experience

   Paul Mitchell The School [insert school name here] is an equal opportunity employer.

   
   
   Job Posted by ApplicantPro
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with admissions assistant candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   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 admissions assistant

   Once you've selected the best admissions assistant candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

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