How to hire a community outreach specialist

How to hire a community outreach specialist, step by step

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

What does a community outreach specialist do?

Post a community outreach specialist job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the community outreach specialist you need to hire. Certain community outreach 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?

   Yes

   No

   A community outreach specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, community outreach 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of community outreach specialists and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Community Outreach Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Community Outreach Specialist	Social and human service assistants provide client services, including support for families, in a wide variety of fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, and social work. They assist other workers, such as social workers, and they help clients find benefits or community services.	$14-30
   Volunteer Coordinator	A volunteer coordinator is a professional who is in charge of recruiting and managing volunteers to help convey the organization's purpose to the general public. Volunteer coordinators must use marketing tools such as outreach programs and emails to attract new customers and maintain relationships with existing customers... Show more	$12-27
   Outreach Worker	An outreach worker is responsible for supporting community events and relief efforts to assist citizens with their needs, providing them resources, and facilitating lifestyle programs. Outreach workers coordinate with participants, suppliers, and sponsors for funding and promotions... Show more	$13-23

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Public Health
   • Mental Health
   • GED
   • Health Education
   • PowerPoint
   • Community Health
   • Community Engagement
   • Health Insurance
   • Community Organizations
   • Community Resources
   • Outreach Efforts
   • Support Services
   • Medicaid

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Help manage company twitter account, including following potential clients.
   • Produce collateral materials including a comprehensive press kit, PowerPoint presentations, project brochures, commuter bulletins, and press releases.
   • Develop PowerPoint presentations for employee orientations and administrative updates.
   • Provide day to day administrative/secretarial support to physicians, including scheduling patients and surgery appointments.
   • Coordinate educational events involving physicians, patients, referring physician practices and other members of the community.
   • Deliver direct services to children with autism by executing individualize plans, completing necessary documentation and communication effectively with team.

   More community outreach specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your community outreach specialist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A community outreach specialist can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, community outreach specialists' average salary in georgia is 53% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level community outreach specialists 51% less than senior-level community outreach specialists.
   • Certifications. A community outreach specialist 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 a community outreach specialist's salary.

   Average community outreach specialist salary

   $44,425yearly

   $21.36 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level community outreach specialist salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average community outreach specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$69,699	$34
   2	New Jersey	$59,428	$29
   3	Oregon	$58,073	$28
   4	California	$55,552	$27
   5	Washington	$55,516	$27
   6	Connecticut	$54,104	$26
   7	Illinois	$53,833	$26
   8	Massachusetts	$52,369	$25
   9	Wisconsin	$51,532	$25
   10	Pennsylvania	$51,498	$25
   11	New York	$51,456	$25
   12	Michigan	$48,883	$24
   13	Colorado	$48,688	$23
   14	Virginia	$48,059	$23
   15	Florida	$47,268	$23
   16	Texas	$46,962	$23
   17	Maryland	$43,726	$21
   18	Indiana	$41,413	$20
   19	Ohio	$39,682	$19
   20	Alabama	$37,541	$18

   Average community outreach specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Conviva	$67,814	$32.60
   2	Federal Bureau of Investigation	$66,029	$31.74
   3	Terros Health	$65,310	$31.40	6
   4	Turner Construction	$64,989	$31.24	3
   5	Solaris Hospice	$63,321	$30.44
   6	City of Louisville	$61,393	$29.52
   7	HealthRIGHT 360	$56,915	$27.36	22
   8	Devoted Health	$56,650	$27.24	4
   9	HealthTrust	$53,804	$25.87
   10	Monroe County	$53,568	$25.75
   11	Deschutes County	$52,999	$25.48	1
   12	City of Houston	$52,991	$25.48
   13	Addiction Recovery Care	$51,783	$24.90	9
   14	Virginia's Community Colleges	$50,580	$24.32	5
   15	University of Colorado Boulder	$49,316	$23.71	1
   16	The Center for Health Care Services	$48,839	$23.48	5
   17	Environmental Charter Schools	$47,612	$22.89
   18	Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs	$47,231	$22.71
   19	Wikimedia Foundation	$47,088	$22.64	1
   20	Planned Parenthood	$46,972	$22.58	4

4. Writing a community outreach specialist job description

   A community outreach 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 community outreach specialist job description:

   Community outreach specialist job description example

   At Centerstone, our mission is delivering care that changes people's lives. For over 60 years, Centerstone has been providing community-based behavioral healthcare, substance-abuse treatment and therapeutic foster care services across the U.S. We're committed to bringing passionate and customer experience-focused individuals to help us continue to provide the best care to our communities. If you think you're a good match to join our organization, please review the career opportunity below and submit your application. We look forward to hearing from you!
   
   Provides outreach and community-based liaison and referral services to local youth/families, and information/education, coordination, and consultation to community individuals/stakeholders that serve children and families such as healthcare providers, youth group organizations, schools, etc. Disseminates educational materials to inform on available services. Assists with developing training materials.
   
   Qualifications: Bachelor's Degree is minimum, preferred in behavioral health/mental health/psychology/social work or related discipline. At least two years' related experience working with children and their families. Valid Florida Driver's License with a good driving record.
   
   Special Skills, Knowledge and Abilities: Outstanding organizational skills with good time management practices to meet multiple deadlines. Effective communication skills, written, verbal, both in person and virtual settings. Able to work independently with an “off-site” supervisor. Ability to identify and implement community projects independently. Ability to speak publicly with members of community organizations and schools. Demonstrates clinical skills in working with participants coming from vulnerable background populations. Experience in emergency screening and in providing linkage services to the consumers and their families in an outpatient or outreach setting. Excellent customer service skills and marketing skills required. Ability to learn and utilize computer software.
   
   Essential Functions/Job Duties: 1. Work as a liaison in communities to increase positive awareness of Centerstone prevention services.2. Work with project director and program coordinator to coordinate distribution of educational information and materials.3. Relate to community organization members, school staff, parents/caregivers, and students while demonstrating professionalism at all times.4. Provides program participants with short-term coordination and recommended referrals as appropriate.5. Consults and maintains a team approach with peers, program coordinator and project manager by working cooperatively on behalf of the prevention programs, and the children served.6. Attends supervisory meetings, conferences, and other training sessions.7. Establishes and maintains a positive working relationship with co-workers.8. Performs other related duties as assigned by supervisor.
   
   Work Environment/Physical Demands: Services are conducted in the community, via Telehealth and operates in a professional office environment; can be exposed to various health conditions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to observe treatment environments and to use speech and hearing to interact with others in person, via telephone, using computer technology and in writing. Reasonable accommodations will be made as needed.
   
   Position Type, Expected Hours of Work and Travel: This is a full-time position, and the expected work hours are 32 hours per week, Monday - Friday, regular daytime work hours may vary based on community organization/school hours available. Travel is required.
   
   Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time
   Time Type: Full time Delivering Care that Changes People's Lives starts with our employees. As a Centerstone employee there are many perks to enjoy. Below are just some of the great benefits you might be eligible for with Centerstone. Health & WellnessMedical CoverageDental CoverageVision CoverageFlexible Spending AccountHealth Savings AccountShort Term DisabilityLong Term Disability - Company PaidWellness Programs - Company Paid Financial WellbeingCompetitive Compensation PackagesLife Insurance - Company PaidAccidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance - Company Paid403b Retirement Plan with Company Funded MatchingRetirement and Financial Planning ServicesEmployee Discounts including Dell Computers, Verizon Wireless, Liberty Mutual, Costco, and Enterprise Rent-a-CarLoan Forgiveness options through federal programs (National Health Service Corps & Public Service Loan Forgiveness) Career Development and GrowthAt Centerstone training is one of our highest priorities. We provide company paid professional training for various skills, certifications, and continuing education Opportunities for growth and movement - We encourage our employees to consider new growth opportunities with us and have a 5 state footprint for those looking to relocate geographically Centerstone Research Institute and Center for Clinical Excellence teach provide staff with industry best practices and processes Work Life BalancePaid Time Off - Generous PTO for Vacations, Illness, Personal Days, Etc. (Paid Holidays) Flexible Work Schedules to promote a Healthy Work Life BalanceEmployee Assistance Program - assists employees with personal problems and/or work-related problems that may impact their job performance, health, mental and emotional well-being Centerstone is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, or protected veteran status. At Centerstone, we use our values as a guide for what we do. Respect, Expertise, Integrity and Empowerment are at the heart of every interaction at Centerstone, and particularly rooted in our beliefs toward diversity and inclusion. Our approach to diversity is simple-it's about embracing everyone. Together, we continue to develop an inclusive culture that encourages, supports and celebrates the diverse voices and experiences of our employees. It powers our innovation and connects us closer to each other, to our clients and the communities we serve. We strive to create a workplace that reflects the growing world around us, and where everyone feels empowered, safe and welcomed.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting community outreach specialists requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   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 community outreach specialist

   Once you've found the community outreach specialist 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 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new community outreach specialist. 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a community outreach specialist?