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How to hire a child development specialist

Child development specialist hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring child development specialists in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a child development specialist is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new child development specialist to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a child development specialist, step by step

To hire a child development specialist, consider the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Follow these steps to hire a child development specialist:

Here's a step-by-step child development specialist hiring guide:

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

What does a child development specialist do?

Child development specialists are psychology experts who work with children suffering from various developmental and psychological disorders. These specialists must ensure that children with developmental and psychological disorders receive the care they need to overcome their difficult obstacles. They are required to socialize with these children while evaluating their ability to regulate emotions and identifying their needs for communication. Child development specialists must also create therapy and counseling programs to help children overcome their developmental obstacles.

Learn more about the specifics of what a child development specialist does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    First, determine the employments status of the child development specialist you need to hire. Certain child development specialist roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    A child development specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, child development specialists 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 child development specialist salaries for various positions.

    Type of Child Development SpecialistDescriptionHourly rate
    Child Development SpecialistTraining and development specialists plan, conduct, and administer programs that train employees and improve their skills and knowledge.$14-31
    TrainerA trainer is responsible for instilling knowledge and process techniques for a specific business role. Duties of a trainer include facilitating engaging classes, identifying areas of improvement and opportunities for the learner, evaluating skills and attending to the learner's challenges, organizing training materials and scheduling training sessions, and submitting timely reports to the management on progress... Show more$14-35
    Training CoordinatorA training coordinator is a professional who develops and conducts training programs for employees or volunteers. Training coordinators create printed and instructional materials as well as maintain an online library of training resources... Show more$15-31
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Child Development
    • Social Work
    • Mental Health
    • Direct Care
    • Childhood
    • Kids
    • Behavioral Issues
    • Direct Supervision
    • Developmental Disabilities
    • Autism
    • Residential Treatment Facility
    • Compassion
    • CPR
    • Early Intervention
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Recruit, manage and motivate volunteers in public education, professional education, service and rehabilitation and tobacco control programs.
    • Assist with ADL'S when need.
    • Conduct CPR classes and new employee training.
    • Administer psychometric batteries pertaining to child language, literacy, and mathematics.
    • Assist individuals to perform daily routines through the implementation of the ISP goals.
    • Conduct and take part in ISP meetings developing yearly life skill goals for consumers working with DDS.
    More child development specialist duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in the child development specialist job description is a good way to get more applicants. A child development specialist salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

    For example, the average salary for a child development specialist in Idaho may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level child development specialist. Additionally, a child development specialist with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

    Average child development specialist salary

    $46,186yearly

    $22.20 hourly rate

    Entry-level child development specialist salary
    $31,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 13, 2026

    Average child development specialist salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1New Jersey$68,292$33
    2Connecticut$58,012$28
    3District of Columbia$57,646$28
    4Illinois$55,360$27
    5New York$52,277$25
    6California$50,861$24
    7Massachusetts$48,973$24
    8Delaware$48,081$23
    9Pennsylvania$45,855$22
    10Missouri$44,257$21
    11Oklahoma$43,231$21
    12Texas$39,748$19
    13Indiana$39,365$19
    14South Carolina$34,434$17

    Average child development specialist salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital$58,216$27.991
    2Chicago Public Schools$56,715$27.275
    3New York State Restaurant Association$54,458$26.18
    4Children's National Medical Center$53,892$25.9114
    5Mount Nittany Medical Center$53,714$25.82
    6San Diego College of Continuing Education$50,617$24.343
    7East Texas Council Of Governments$48,069$23.11
    8Christiana Care Health Services, Inc.$47,718$22.942
    9Medical University of South Carolina$47,705$22.948
    10Mary's Center$47,022$22.61
    11E Center$46,964$22.58
    12Bradley$45,763$22.006
    13Westcare Health Corporation$45,130$21.70
    14Key Autism Services$44,595$21.44
    15Apis$44,346$21.323
    16Nueces County Community Action Agency$43,944$21.13
    17Americorps$43,548$20.9431
    18Crystal Stairs$43,507$20.925
    19Indian Health Service$43,248$20.794
    20The State of Oregon$43,127$20.73
  4. Writing a child development specialist job description

    A child development specialist 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 a child development specialist job description:

    Child development specialist job description example

    ALM Hopewell Center provides comprehensive mental health services to children and adults in the northern and central parts of the City of St. Louis and North St. Louis City. A professional mental health staff serves a growing caseload of 2,800 patients, of which greater than ninety-five percent are chronically mentally ill and suffering from major psychiatric disorders. Hopewell Center operates a Psychosocial Rehabilitation Center and a Comprehensive Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center for adults and youth. Many services are provided at schools. Emergency services, including a crisis bed and mobile outreach, are available twenty-four hours per day. A multi-disciplinary team of psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, counselors, social workers, educators, and support staff work diligently to carry out the mission of providing comprehensive care to patients and their families.

    Summary:

    At ALM-Hopewell Center, the Peer Specialist is who is responsible for assisting and empowering peer consumers by identifying a main concern, developing strength based independent living plans that includes a measurable goal and objectives, and carrying out the independent living plans with the peer consumers. The Peer Specialist helps fellow peers cultivate their independence, self-confidence, and self-esteem in a residential setting. The specialist empowers other people with disabilities to explore new options, resources, relationships, feelings, attitudes, and rights. The Peer Specialist is a companion, educator, advocate and friend to consumers.

    Summary of Job Duties:

    • Inform Peer Consumers of available programs and services and assist in referrals to other agencies/community partners that will assist the consumer in meeting his/her goal of independent living
    • Meet with consumers in their own homes, at designated offices and by phone as need to ensure continued consumer satisfaction and progress towards the independent living plan goal
    • Ensure that consumers have full and unbiased access to a variety of services and service providers to meet their specific needs
    • Assist Peer Consumer in carrying out each objective of the residential treatment plan
    • Abide by 9 CSR 30-4.039 (13) providing services that are person centered and recovery focused

    Minimum Requirements:

    High School Diploma or General Equivalency Diploma

    Participant in recovery support services

    Strong desire for employment and strong desire to help others

    Self starter who enjoys working independently

    Experience that demonstrates organization and planning abilities.

    Certified Peer Specialist (Preferred)

  5. Post your job

    To find child development specialists 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 child development specialists they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level child development specialists 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 child development specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit child development specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    To successfully recruit child development specialists, 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.

    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 child development specialist

    Once you've selected the best child development specialist 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 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 child development specialist. 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 a child development specialist?

Hiring a child development specialist comes with both the one-time cost per hire and ongoing costs. The cost of recruiting child development specialists involves promoting the job and spending time conducting interviews. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider the cost of child development specialist recruiting as well the ongoing costs of maintaining the new employee.

The median annual salary for child development specialists is $46,186 in the US. However, the cost of child development specialist hiring can vary a lot depending on location. Additionally, hiring a child development specialist for contract work or on a per-project basis typically costs between $14 and $31 an hour.

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