How to hire a family caregiver

How to hire a family caregiver, step by step

Here's a step-by-step family caregiver hiring guide:

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

Post a family caregiver job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your family caregiver 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 family caregiver 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 family caregiver's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, family caregivers 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 family caregivers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Family Caregiver	Description	Hourly rate
   Family Caregiver	Personal care aides help clients with self-care and everyday tasks. They also provide social supports and assistance that enable clients to participate in their communities.	$10-22
   Home Health Aid	Home health aides provide care and assistance to patients who have chronic illnesses, injuries, disabilities, or age-related challenges inside the patient's home. They monitor the patient's condition and help them in any activity they may need assistance in... Show more	$9-17
   Companion	A companion is responsible for assisting sick and recovered patients, as well as the elderly. Companions perform housekeeping duties, ensuring that a facility is well-maintained and safe for the use of the patients... Show more	$10-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Meal Preparation
   • Companionship
   • In-Home Care
   • Medical Assistance
   • Doctor Appointments
   • Medication Administration
   • Medical Appointments
   • Child Care
   • Medication Reminders
   • Household Chores
   • Vital Signs
   • CPR
   • Physical Therapy
   • Medication Management

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage all household duties, meals, laundry, groceries, appointments, etc.
   • Be up to date on CPR, first aid and classes.
   • Preform a great knowledge of CPR experience.
   • Assist with ADL's, socialization, and developmental progression.
   • Give daily injections of insulin and attempt to prevent complications of diabetes.
   • Instructed/Advise individuals on issues such as household cleanliness, hygiene, nutrition, and infant care.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, family caregivers' average salary in alabama is 53% less than in maine.
   • Seniority. Entry-level family caregivers 52% less than senior-level family caregivers.
   • Certifications. A family caregiver 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 family caregiver's salary.

   Average family caregiver salary

   $15.78hourly

   $32,827 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level family caregiver salary

   $22,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 31, 2025

4. Writing a family caregiver job description

   A family caregiver 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 family caregiver job description:

   Family caregiver job description example

   Weekends Only Overnight Adult Family Home Caregiver - $1000 Sign-On Bonus!

   Join Chileda on our newest adventure as we expand our nationally recognized services with our first Adult Family Group Home in Onalaska, Wisconsin! Chileda's mission is to Improve the quality of life for individuals with cognitive challenges and extraordinary behavioral needs, and we can only achieve that mission with your help! Secure your place in our first Adult Family Group Home by applying today!

   Summary:

   Our AFH Caregivers work directly with our residents to teach important life skills including independent living skills, community integration, activities of daily living (ADL's), social and communication skills, and behavior modification. We do this by helping our students to live their best lives by participating with them on community outings, cooking cooperatively and helping our residents just have fun!

   Status Info :

   This is a FT role that works 36 hours/week on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 7PM to 7:30AM. FT roles come with Chileda's generous benefits package including Health, Vision and Dental, great PTO and company matched 401k!

   Skills :

   Great applicants will demonstrate behavioral skills and judgement conducive to role modeling appropriate skills for residents. Having experience working with individuals with developmental disabilities is preferred, but not required; we will train the right candidates! You must posses a valid driver's license. And while you don't need to be a James Beard award winning chef, some cooking skills will help make meal times all the more fun!

   Job Duties Include :

   • Supervising the residents in the group home.
   • Assisting the residents with personal cares which may include: bathing, grooming, nail care, teeth brushing, ect.
   • Administering medications.
   • Transporting residents to activities outside the group home.
   • Helping to prepare meals and teach cooking skills.
   • Use Crisis management techniques taught in trainings including verbal de-escalation, creative redirection, topic changes, and allowing space and time for processing during a crisis.

   Education :

   Must be at least 18 years old. A high school diploma or equivalency is preferred, but not required.

   
   

   Application Instructions:

   Please apply for the role through Chileda's employment page at chileda.org

   Chileda is an EOE.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit family caregivers, 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.

   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 family caregiver

   Once you've found the family caregiver 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new family caregiver. 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a family caregiver?