How to hire a bilingual secretary

How to hire a bilingual secretary, step by step

Here's a step-by-step bilingual secretary hiring guide:

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

Post a bilingual secretary job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your bilingual secretary 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 a bilingual secretary 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

   A bilingual secretary's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, bilingual secretaries 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 presents bilingual secretary salaries for various positions.

   Type of Bilingual Secretary	Description	Hourly rate
   Bilingual Secretary	Secretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.	$10-27
   Administrative Professional	An administrative professional specializes in performing administrative support and clerical tasks in a company or office, ensuring accuracy and smooth workflow. Their responsibilities typically revolve around managing schedules, arranging appointments and meetings, producing progress reports and presentations, delegating tasks, and attending meetings on behalf of executives or staff... Show more	$11-31
   Administrative Clerk	An administrative clerk provides support to staff and does clerical works. These clerical duties include answering and making phone calls, typing documents, compiling and filing records, and scheduling appointments... Show more	$12-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Telephone Calls
   • Payroll
   • Scheduling Appointments
   • Provide Clerical Support
   • Student Data
   • Office Equipment
   • Financial Statements
   • Foreign Language
   • PowerPoint
   • Word Processing
   • Office Procedures
   • Multi-Line Phone System
   • Student Attendance
   • Greeting Visitors

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage financial bookkeeping efficiently for the company using QuickBooks.
   • Maintain, file employee file maintenance and record of employee's attendance, generate school site payroll.
   • Generate bi-weekly payroll and quarterly tax filings.
   • Prepare discharges, enter all updates into OASAS system and review patient information to verify patients eligibility to receive transportation reimbursement.
   • Interpret sensitive information to Latino residents who are not proficient.

   More bilingual secretary duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your bilingual secretary job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A bilingual secretary salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, bilingual secretaries' average salary in indiana is 46% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level bilingual secretaries earn 63% less than senior-level bilingual secretaries.
   • Certifications. A bilingual secretary with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a bilingual secretary's salary.

   Average bilingual secretary salary

   $35,383yearly

   $17.01 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level bilingual secretary salary

   $21,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average bilingual secretary salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$44,358	$21
   2	New York	$37,087	$18
   3	Connecticut	$36,743	$18
   4	Colorado	$35,920	$17
   5	New Jersey	$33,884	$16
   6	District of Columbia	$32,095	$15
   7	Michigan	$29,520	$14
   8	Florida	$26,101	$13
   9	Texas	$25,693	$12
   10	Georgia	$23,650	$11

   Average bilingual secretary salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	San Luis Coastal Unified School District	$36,709	$17.65
   2	Alvord Unified School District	$36,508	$17.55
   3	National Prosource	$35,962	$17.29
   4	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	$35,857	$17.24	1
   5	Engineering Incorporated	$33,068	$15.90
   6	Zion Elementary School District 6	$32,262	$15.51
   7	M C Co LLC	$32,105	$15.44	1
   8	Grand Rapids High School	$31,279	$15.04
   9	Robert Half	$30,400	$14.62	264
   10	Oaks Integrated Care	$26,021	$12.51	4

4. Writing a bilingual secretary job description

   A bilingual secretary 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a bilingual secretary job description:

   Bilingual secretary job description example

   PURPOSE AND SCOPE:
   
   Performing general office duties incorporating a variety of basic and routine clerical and secretarial duties in a clinical environment.
   
   PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
   
   + Under direct/close supervision, performs a variety of basic and routine clerical and secretarial duties. These may include but are not limited to:
   
   + Preparing and typing routine correspondence, form letters and reports
   
   + Answering telephone & routing calls to the appropriate person,
   
   + Greeting visitors and patients as applicable and conducting them to the appropriate location or person as needed.
   
   + Setting up and maintaining filing systems and basic databases as applicable.
   
   + Completing forms and reports as required by the various company offices and outside vendors and agencies.
   
   + Recording the minutes of meetings and providing the resulting documents as necessary.
   
   + Making copies of correspondence and other printed matter as required by manager.
   
   + Preparing purchase orders using the appropriate software application.
   
   + Assisting with department/facility accounts receivable and accounts payable functions and responsibilities as needed.
   
   + Distributing incoming mail.
   
   + Maintaining calendar and daily schedules.
   
   + Scheduling appointments & arranging meetings.
   
   + Maintaining inventory of the necessary office forms and supplies.
   
   + Assisting with various basic personnel administrative functions as needed.
   
   + Acting as backup to other clerical personnel in office as needed.
   
   + Assists in the collection of Patient Statistical Profile and Continuous Quality Improvement Data.
   
   + Assists with month-end reporting requirements
   
   + Assists in auditing records for ongoing compliance with medical records standards.
   
   + Maintains accurate records of hospitalization, patient travel, etc. to facilitate coordination of patient scheduling, ancillary testing, etc.
   
   + Prepares medical records for facsimile or mail related to travel, transplant, disability and others.
   
   + Organizes travel for patients by contacting and providing requested medical records.
   
   + Coordinates with transient patient paperwork.
   
   + Coordinates transfer placements and confirmations along with Clinical Manager.
   
   + Confirms admissions paperwork is completed and sent to designated department(s), such as billing, by collecting, faxing and scanning.
   
   + Assist with medical appointment referrals and scheduling.
   
   + Assist with transportation coordination and referrals.
   
   + Ensures data entry has been completed for Crown Web. Related to ESRD 2728. ESRD 2746 and PART.
   
   + Other duties as assigned.
   
   Additional responsibilities may include focus on one or more departments or locations. See applicable addendum for department or location specific functions.
   
   PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING CONDITIONS:
   
   + The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
   
   + Day to day work includes desk and personal computer work and possible interaction with patients, facility staff and physicians. The position may require travel between assigned facilities and various locations within the community. The work environment may be characteristic of a health care facility with air temperature control and moderate noise levels. May be exposed to infectious and contagious diseases/materials
   
   EDUCATION:
   
   + High School Diploma required
   
   EXPERIENCE AND REQUIRED SKILLS:
   
   + Minimum 6 months relevant experience without a degree - 0-6 months experience with an Associate degree or secretarial school.
   
   + Experience working knowledge of computers with Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint preferred. Good verbal communication skills.
   
   + Pleasant telephone manner.
   
   EO/AA Employer: Minorities/Females/Veterans/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity
   
   **Fresenius Medical Care North America maintains a drug-free workplace in accordance with applicable federal and state laws.**

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find bilingual secretaries for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with bilingual secretary 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.

   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 bilingual secretary

   Once you've found the bilingual secretary candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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.

   To prepare for the new bilingual secretary first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a bilingual secretary?