How to hire an appointment clerk

How to hire an appointment clerk, step by step

Here's a step-by-step appointment clerk hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The appointment clerk hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an appointment clerk to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an appointment clerk that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of appointment clerk salaries for various roles:

   Type of Appointment Clerk	Description	Hourly rate
   Appointment Clerk	Receptionists perform administrative tasks, such as answering phones, receiving visitors, and providing general information about their organization to the public and customers.	$10-20
   Salon Receptionist	A salon receptionist is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support daily salon operations. Salon receptionists greet customers, direct them to the beauticians for their needs, and log their information in the database... Show more	$11-17
   Legal Receptionist	In law firms, a legal receptionist serves the clients' first point of contact. They are primarily in charge of greeting and professionally interacting with clients, identifying their needs, answering questions, and escorting visitors to offices... Show more	$12-20

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Computer System
   • Primary Care
   • Medical Care
   • Phone Calls
   • Booking
   • Customer Service
   • Medical Appointments
   • Tricare
   • CHCS
   • Provider Schedules
   • Medical Terminology
   • Patient Appointments
   • AHLTA

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage booking and statistical spreadsheets for mammography and cervical cancer screening outreach care projects.
   • Confirm TRICARE data in CRIS, and update patient's demographics in CHCS.
   • Schedule patient appointments, prepare medical charts for new patients, maintain organization and ensure confidentiality of medical records.
   • Use of AS400 software to complete tasks.10.
   • Adhere to strict HIPPA regulations.
   • Complete all tasks while complying with HIPPA

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, appointment clerks' average salary in alabama is 44% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level appointment clerks 49% less than senior-level appointment clerks.
   • Certifications. An appointment clerk 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 appointment clerk's salary.

   Average appointment clerk salary

   $15.27hourly

   $31,753 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level appointment clerk salary

   $22,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

4. Writing an appointment clerk job description

   A good appointment clerk 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 appointment clerk job description:

   Appointment clerk job description example

   Avosys is a growing integrator of professional, technological and management solutions services. Founded in 1998, Avosys provides services nationwide to Federal, Commercial, Local and State clients. We recognize the foundation of our firm is our people and we continue to rise above our competition by hiring the best.
   
   Is it your calling to serve our Nation's Heroes? Avosys is seeking Medical Appointment Clerks to provide outpatient services to the military and their families.
   Employment with Avosys Maximize family time with no weekend, Holiday, or on-call requirements Maintain work-life balance with guaranteed 8-hour shifts Take advantage of our competitive, comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life, short-term disability, long-term disability & 401(k) Responsibilities
   Schedules appointments in a government computer system for primary care, specialty and subspecialty medical care. In addition to scheduling requested appointments, this position will call patients or respond to secure messaging submissions to schedule, reschedule, and/or cancel appointments as needed, to include appointments for consult/referral specialty care within the MTF or at civilian facilities.
   Schedules medical appointments and determines patient eligibility for services from phone calls, secured messaging or other methods used for appointment requests. Supports PCM by name processing for appointment and appropriate access to care timeframes during allocation of standard appointment types.
   Maintains appointment schedules using a Government computer system (Composite Health Care Systems (CHCS), AHLTA or MHS GENESIS.
   Validates eligibility through appropriate booking through Defense Eligibility Report System (DEERS). May be required to register patients not already in computer system, such as newborns.
   Maintains accurate and up-to-date patient schedules and logs. Utilizes the Government computer system tools and standard protocols (detail codes, freezing slots, and TRICARE on-line usage) to facilitate maintenance of appointment slots, rescheduling options or cancellation processing.
   Validates basic patient demographic information prior to booking appointment for patients. Makes required updates.
   Call patients or responds to secure messaging requests as needed to schedule, reschedule, and/or cancel appointments. Promotes consult/referral specialty medical care within the MTF or at civilian facilities. Provides patient with specific visit instruction.
   Pulls records and files documentation as needed. Confirms medical records are available for upcoming appointments on provider schedules.
   May assist in preparation of patient notices (telephonically or form letter formats) for appointment reminders, no shows, or reschedule/cancellations.
   Receive and electronically deliver telephone messages (t-cons) to PCMs and/or clinic nurses by using the Government computer system, standard protocols and individual clinic guidelines as needed.
   If in the lead clerk position, attendance to the clinic Access to Care Meeting mandatory for central booking representation.
   Qualifications
   Mandatory knowledge and skills.
   A fully qualified typist (computer keyboard) with a minimum of 50 WPM is required.
   Clearly speak and understand the English language.
   Use of standard office equipment, such as personal computers, copiers, fax machines, and telephone systems.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right appointment clerk for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your appointment clerk job on Zippia to find and recruit appointment clerk candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit appointment clerks, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 appointment clerk

   Once you've selected the best appointment clerk 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 important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new appointment clerk. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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