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How to hire a health assistant

Health assistant hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring health assistants in the United States:

  • HR departments typically spend 15% of their expenses on recruitment.
  • It usually takes about 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • It typically takes 36-42 days to fill a job opening.
  • The median cost to hire a health assistant is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend an average of $1,105 per health assistant on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • There are currently 17,510 health assistants in the US and 100,084 job openings.
  • Austin, TX, has the highest demand for health assistants, with 12 job openings.
  • Columbia, SC has the highest concentration of health assistants.

How to hire a health assistant, step by step

To hire a health assistant, 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 health assistant:

Here's a step-by-step health assistant hiring guide:

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

What does a health assistant do?

A health assistant is responsible for providing quality care for the patients under the supervision of registered nurses and attending physicians. Health assistants perform basic medical procedures, such as collecting specimens for examinations, checking the patients' conditions, and administering required medications. They also assist health care professionals in conducting complex medical processes by preparing the equipment and ensuring the cleanliness of the operating room. A health assistant keeps an organized record of medical charts for the doctor's reference and may also coordinate with the patient's family for medical updates.

Learn more about the specifics of what a health assistant does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your health assistant 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 health assistant 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?

    You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a health assistant to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a health assistant that fits the bill.

    The following list breaks down different types of health assistants and their corresponding salaries.

    Type of Health AssistantDescriptionHourly rate
    Health AssistantMedical assistants complete administrative and clinical tasks in the offices of physicians, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities. Their duties vary with the location, specialty, and size of the practice.$11-20
    Health TechnicianA health technician is responsible for supporting medical operations in a health care facility by performing administrative and clerical duties, ensuring that the organization provides the highest quality care service to the patients. Health technicians process patients' information, manage their medical payments, monitor their conditions as instructed by physicians, maintain an organized medical chart, administer medication, and assist in conducting medical procedures... Show more$12-24
    Health Care AdministratorA health care administrator is primarily in charge of overseeing the daily administrative operations of medical and health care facilities. They are responsible for setting objectives, establishing guidelines and employee schedules, maintaining accurate records, gathering and analyzing data, developing strategies to optimize operations, and coordinating with nurses, physicians, patients, and other health care experts... Show more$23-45
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Patients
    • CPR
    • Customer Service
    • Vital Signs
    • Mental Health
    • Health Services
    • Blood Pressure
    • School Health
    • Medication Administration
    • Rehabilitation
    • Data Entry
    • Medical Terminology
    • HIPAA
    • OSHA
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage ventilator settings, suction tracheostomy, tube-feeding assistance.
    • Review and do compliance of school health records in NYC public schools to ensure adherence to protocols and for quality control.
    • Study correlation of high incarceration rates and community health indicators in NYC neighborhoods
    • Provide breastfeeding promotion to all WIC women as the preferred infant feeding method.
    • Learned how to triage campers during health center hours on a case to case basis.
    • Perform diagnostic procedure including but not limit to EKG's, urine dipsticks, etc.
    More health assistant duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your health assistant job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A health assistant 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 health assistant in Georgia may be lower than in Massachusetts, and an entry-level health assistant usually earns less than a senior-level health assistant. Additionally, a health assistant 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 health assistant salary

    $15.37hourly

    $31,960 yearly

    Entry-level health assistant salary
    $23,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 16, 2026

    Average health assistant salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1Massachusetts$49,065$24
    2New York$40,700$20
    3Washington$39,795$19
    4California$37,590$18
    5Oregon$37,278$18
    6Minnesota$36,243$17
    7Ohio$35,149$17
    8North Carolina$34,952$17
    9Illinois$34,839$17
    10New Jersey$34,596$17
    11Michigan$33,405$16
    12Colorado$33,082$16
    13Kansas$33,016$16
    14New Mexico$32,381$16
    15Pennsylvania$31,638$15
    16Missouri$31,113$15
    17Nevada$30,505$15
    18Oklahoma$29,343$14
    19Arizona$29,291$14
    20Texas$28,472$14

    Average health assistant salary by company

  4. Writing a health assistant job description

    A good health assistant job description should include a few things:

    • Summary of the role
    • List of responsibilities
    • Required skills and experience

    Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a health assistant job description:

    Health assistant job description example

    Supports, supervises, and evaluates staff new to a clinical setting during their first 90 to 180 days on the unit.

    Acts within the nurse-patient, nurse-nurse, and nurse-system spheres.

    Facilitates a multi-disciplinary and collaborative approach in the provision of health care, within a specialty area.

    Responsible for the promotion of excellence in the provision of nursing care through the implementation of clinical standards of practice and establishing competency standards for staff members.

    Demonstrates a firm knowledge base and clinical expertise, function as a clinical resource, conduct and facilitate patient care consultation, and provide resources to assess the impact of appropriate practice on patient outcomes.

    Full Time, 1.0 FTE, Day Shift, 40 Hours Per Week.

    Apply today! Applicants that meet qualifications will receive a text with some additional questions from our ModernHire system!

    $10,000 sign-on bonus for eligible external hires that meet required qualifications and conditions for payment.

    Required qualifications:

    • Master's Degree from a clinical nurse specialist program accredited by the Commission on the Collegiate of Nursing Education (CCNE) or the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission. (NLNAC).
    • Alaska Registered Nurse License upon hire.
    • National Provider BLS - American Heart Association upon hire.
    • Current certification as CNS if available. New graduate CNS have one year from graduation to obtain certification upon hire
    • Current certification in area of specialty (i.e., CEN, CCRN), or when the individual qualifies to take the exam within 1 year of hire

    Preferred qualifications:

    • CNS certification in area of specialty.
    • 3 years Registered nursing experience in area of specialty.
    • 2 years Clinical leadership responsibility.

    Our best-in-class benefits are uniquely designed to support you and your family in staying well, growing professionally, and achieving financial security. We take care of you, so you can focus on delivering our Mission of caring for everyone, especially the most vulnerable in our communities.

    About Providence

    At Providence, our strength lies in Our Promise of “Know me, care for me, ease my way.” Working at our family of organizations means that regardless of your role, we'll walk alongside you in your career, supporting you so you can support others. We provide best-in-class benefits and we foster an inclusive workplace where diversity is valued, and everyone is essential, heard and respected. Together, our 120,000 caregivers (all employees) serve in over 50 hospitals, over 1,000 clinics and a full range of health and social services across Alaska, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas and Washington. As a comprehensive health care organization, we are serving more people, advancing best practices and continuing our more than 100-year tradition of serving the poor and vulnerable.

    About the Team

    Providence has a long history of serving Alaska, beginning when the Sisters of Providence first brought health care to Nome in 1902 during the Gold Rush. This pioneering spirit set the standard for modern health care in Alaska and formed the foundation for Providence's growth as the state's largest private employer and leading health care provider.

    Our award-winning and comprehensive medical centers are located in Anchorage, Eagle River, Kodiak Island, Mat-Su, Seward, and Valdez. Our not-for-profit network also provides a full spectrum of care with leading-edge diagnostics and treatment, outpatient health centers, physician groups and clinics, outreach programs, and hospice and home care.

    We are committed to the principle that every workforce member has the right to work in surroundings that are free from all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment.

    We are committed to cultural diversity and equal employment for all individuals. It is our policy to recruit, hire, promote, compensate, transfer, train, retain, terminate, and make all other employment-related decisions without regard to race, color, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), national origin (including certain language use restrictions), ancestry, disability (mental and physical including HIV and AIDS), medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital status, age, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, and military and veteran status or any other applicable legally protected status. We will also provide reasonable accommodation to known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified caregiver or applicant for employment, unless the accommodation would impose undue hardship on the operation of our business.

    We are a community where all people, regardless of differences, are welcome, secure, and valued. We value respect, appreciation, collaboration, diversity, and a shared commitment to serving our communities. We expect that all workforce members in our community will act in ways which reflect a commitment to and accountability for, racial and social justice and equality in the workplace. As such, we will maintain a workplace free of discrimination and harassment based on any applicable legally protected status. We also expect that all workforce members will maintain a positive workplace free from any unacceptable conduct which creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.

    Requsition ID: 126459

    Company: Providence Jobs

    Job Category: Nursing-Patient Facing

    Job Function: Nursing

    Job Schedule: Full time

    Job Shift: Day

    Career Track: Nursing

    Department: 1017 AK PAMC NURSING EDUC

    Address: AK Anchorage 3200 Providence Dr

    Providence is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Providence does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, disability, veteran, military status, religion, age, creed, national origin, sexual identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, genetic information, or any other basis prohibited by local, state, or federal law.

    PandoLogic. Keywords: Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), Location: Anchorage, AK - 99503 , PL: 550441400
  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find health assistants 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 health assistant job on Zippia to find and attract quality health assistant candidates.
    • Use niche websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Your first interview with health assistant 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 health assistant

    Once you've selected the best health assistant 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 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.

    To prepare for the new health assistant 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.)
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How much does it cost to hire a health assistant?

Before you start to hire health assistants, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire health assistants pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

You can expect to pay around $31,960 per year for a health assistant, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for health assistants in the US typically range between $11 and $20 an hour.

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