How to hire a finance counselor

How to hire a finance counselor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step finance counselor hiring guide:

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

What does a finance counselor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your finance counselor 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 finance counselor 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

   Hiring the perfect finance counselor also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of finance counselors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Finance Counselor	Description	Hourly rate
   Finance Counselor	Personal financial advisors give financial advice to people. They help with investments, taxes, and insurance decisions.	$15-24
   Registration Representative	In medical facilities, a registration representative serves as the patients' first point of contact in clinics and hospitals. They primarily greet patients, identify their needs, gather personal and medical information, and assist them in filling out forms... Show more	$12-20
   Investment Advisor	An investment advisor is responsible for managing the clients' financial portfolios, advising them of investment options according to their financial goals and objectives, and their ability to handle risks. Investment advisors should have excellent knowledge of the investment policies, providing the clients with the best financial strategies according to their interests... Show more	$28-88

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Customer Service
   • Medical Terminology
   • Insurance Benefits
   • Insurance Coverage
   • Payment Arrangements
   • Patient Accounts
   • CPT
   • Health Insurance
   • Excellent Interpersonal
   • Financial Obligations
   • Insurance Eligibility
   • Payment Options
   • Data Entry

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead cleanup of company database and files with pending patient and insurance payments through Meditech software program.
   • Work one on one with the nurses to insure all patients are registered and treat with dignity and compassion.
   • Develop ad implement in-house software financial aid college work-study program.
   • Collect student paperwork to verify FAFSA applications to award accurate financial aid.
   • Provide excellent customer service reflecting respect and compassion towards every patient and visitor.
   • Interview and train college work-study personnel, and counsele students/parents for eligibility for financial aid.

   More finance counselor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your finance counselor job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A finance counselor salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a finance counselor in Arkansas may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level finance counselor usually earns less than a senior-level finance counselor. Additionally, a finance counselor with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average finance counselor salary

   $40,561yearly

   $19.50 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level finance counselor salary

   $32,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average finance counselor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$61,914	$30
   2	Washington	$56,550	$27
   3	Massachusetts	$47,503	$23
   4	California	$46,678	$22
   5	Minnesota	$44,572	$21
   6	Oregon	$44,496	$21
   7	Colorado	$41,176	$20
   8	Illinois	$40,181	$19
   9	Connecticut	$39,542	$19
   10	North Carolina	$36,806	$18
   11	Wisconsin	$36,790	$18
   12	Arizona	$36,422	$18
   13	Missouri	$35,958	$17
   14	Michigan	$35,915	$17
   15	Texas	$35,432	$17
   16	Virginia	$35,376	$17
   17	Pennsylvania	$35,050	$17
   18	Georgia	$34,139	$16
   19	Nebraska	$33,663	$16
   20	Tennessee	$32,847	$16

   Average finance counselor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Morgan Stanley	$54,370	$26.14	32
   2	Columbia University in the City of New York	$53,587	$25.76	2
   3	The University of Chicago	$53,084	$25.52	16
   4	Virginia Eye Institute	$52,204	$25.10
   5	Leidos	$50,650	$24.35	131
   6	UC Merced	$49,509	$23.80
   7	Mary Rutan Hospital	$49,484	$23.79
   8	University of California-Berkeley	$49,374	$23.74	1
   9	T. Rowe Price	$49,263	$23.68	14
   10	Barclays	$48,917	$23.52	1
   11	Parkland Hospital	$48,009	$23.08	5
   12	UMass Memorial Health	$47,921	$23.04	25
   13	Baptist Health Home Care	$47,743	$22.95	11
   14	West Tennessee Healthcare	$47,450	$22.81	1
   15	Health Alliance	$47,376	$22.78	19
   16	Medical University of South Carolina	$46,881	$22.54	9
   17	Pwc	$46,879	$22.54	716
   18	Nebraska Medicine	$46,870	$22.53	3
   19	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	$46,845	$22.52
   20	CACI International	$46,591	$22.40	26

4. Writing a finance counselor job description

   A finance counselor 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 finance counselor job description:

   Finance counselor job description example

   Financial Counselor-Emergency Department - (220002GL) Description
   Facility Profile
   
   TGH is the area's only level I trauma center and one of just two ABA-verified adult & pediatric burn centers in Florida. With five medical helicopters*, we transport critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. The hospital is home to one of the busiest solid organ transplant centers in the country. TGH is a nationally designated comprehensive stroke center, and has a 32-bed Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit. Other outstanding centers include cardiovascular, orthopedics, high-risk and normal obstetrics, urology, ENT, endocrinology, and the Children's Medical Center, which features a nine-bed pediatric intensive care unit and pediatric kidney transplant services. As the region's leading safety net hospital, Tampa General is committed to providing area residents with world-class and compassionate health care ranging from the simplest to the most complex medical services.
   
   Tampa General Hospital was named the #1 hospital in Tampa Bay by U.S. News & World Report, 2020-2021, and recognized as one of America's Best Hospital's in five medical specialties: Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, Nephrology, and Orthopedics. Tampa General Hospital has been designated a Magnet Hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the highest recognition for nursing excellence, for the fourth consecutive time - an accomplishment that fewer than one percent of hospitals nationwide have earned. TGH is accredited by The Joint Commission and was awarded disease-specific certification in five medical specialties. TGH is also accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). *Air transport provided by Metro Aviation, Inc.
   
   Job Summary
   Under minimal supervision of the Lead Coordinator and Patient Access Manager, follows established organizational policies and procedures. Demonstrates working knowledge of scheduling and registration processes, compliance with Medicare requirements, verification and insurance processes, and collections of patient financial responsibility for all medically stable Emergency Department patients. Completes screening process for HCHCP eligibility, files application for HCHCP, calculates self-pay pricing for discharging ED patients. Responsible for obtaining and verifying demographic, confidential clinical and financial information necessary to accurately and efficiently schedule follow up physician appointments and add-on services. Provides excellent concierge assistance to patients, family members, visitors in person or over the phone. Understands and adheres to all EMTALA, CMS, TJC, and HIPAA requirements when validating the hospital account. Works directly with nurses, medical staff, ancillary departments, insurance carriers, care management/utilization, HIM, and other external professionals to assist patients with obtaining health care and financial assistance services. Responsible for performing job duties in accordance with the mission, vision and values of Tampa General Hospital.
   
   Qualifications Required Skills
   
   Requires a level of knowledge equivalent to that ordinarily acquired through the completion of High School Diploma or GED.
   Associate Degree in Business preferred and completion of the CHAA exam is a plus.
   3+ years' experience in Registration, Scheduling, and/or Collections and Billing.
   
   Primary Location: TampaWork Locations: TGH Corporate Center 606 w. Kennedy Blvd. Tampa 33606Job: Patient Financial ServicesOrganization: TGH - HospitalSchedule: Full-time Shift: Day JobShift Hours: 6am-4:30pmJob Posting: Aug 10, 2022, 2:53:04 AM

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find finance counselors 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 finance counselors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level finance counselors 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 finance counselor job on Zippia to find and recruit finance counselor 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 finance counselors, 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.

   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 finance counselor

   Once you have selected a candidate for the finance counselor position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize 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 finance counselor. 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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