How to hire an intake counselor

How to hire an intake counselor, step by step

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

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

What does an intake counselor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an intake counselor, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An intake counselor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, intake counselors 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 intake counselors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Intake Counselor	Description	Hourly rate
   Intake Counselor	Mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists help people manage and overcome mental and emotional disorders and problems with family and other relationships. They listen to clients and ask questions to help the clients understand their problems and develop strategies to improve their lives.	$15-28
   Counselor Internship	When it comes to Counselor Internship, among the primary responsibilities is to assist in dealing with various activities such as preparing and verifying necessary documentation, observing consultations and outreach programs, guide clients and help develop multiple helpful strategies, and provide assessments. Furthermore, one can conduct counseling and consultation only under supervision... Show more	$14-31
   Licensed Professional Counselor	A licensed professional counselor is a healthcare professional who specializes in providing therapy and counseling to patients with emotional and mental health issues. They listen to their patients and utilize various techniques to address concerns and help through the healing procedures... Show more	$35-58

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Social Work
   • Patients
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Triage
   • Community Resources
   • Phone Calls
   • Admission Process
   • Chemical Dependency
   • Mental Health
   • Insurance Benefits
   • Patient Care
   • Intake Assessments
   • Risk Assessments
   • Rehabilitation

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage assignments of paying medical bills limit in depth that include organizing and researching regulations as pertain to veterans eligibility.
   • Watch the board of AAA drivers for assign area and making sure all service calls are being complete in time allot.
   • Interview all incoming beneficiaries in the development of treatment and rehabilitation goal setting.
   • Recognized/Suggest cross selling opportunities to enhance member experience; promote AAA automotive relate programs.
   • Complete insurance admission criteria and prior authorizations with insurance companies to assist patients and hospital when admitting patients.
   • Develop goals for vocational rehabilitation, providing each client multiple realistic objectives; follow through to assess progress.

   More intake counselor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your intake counselor job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An intake counselor salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, intake counselors' average salary in florida is 39% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level intake counselors earn 47% less than senior-level intake counselors.
   • Certifications. An intake counselor with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an intake counselor's salary.

   Average intake counselor salary

   $44,574yearly

   $21.43 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level intake counselor salary

   $32,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

   Average intake counselor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Arizona	$51,677	$25
   2	New York	$49,622	$24
   3	Oregon	$49,431	$24
   4	California	$48,835	$23
   5	Colorado	$47,296	$23
   6	Illinois	$45,430	$22
   7	Ohio	$43,870	$21
   8	Minnesota	$43,721	$21
   9	Indiana	$41,738	$20
   10	Nevada	$40,988	$20
   11	New Jersey	$40,519	$19
   12	Delaware	$39,296	$19
   13	Georgia	$37,456	$18
   14	Texas	$36,884	$18
   15	Virginia	$35,176	$17
   16	Oklahoma	$35,017	$17
   17	Louisiana	$34,887	$17
   18	Arkansas	$34,621	$17
   19	Florida	$33,527	$16
   20	South Carolina	$33,503	$16

   Average intake counselor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	HonorHealth	$64,893	$31.20
   2	Saint Francis Health System	$53,049	$25.50	12
   3	Universal Health Services	$52,224	$25.11	296
   4	Dallas County Hospital	$51,547	$24.78	7
   5	Legacy Health	$50,320	$24.19	11
   6	Horizon Services	$50,132	$24.10	2
   7	Diamond Healthcare	$49,874	$23.98
   8	Providence Health & Services	$48,954	$23.54	19
   9	Cleveland Clinic	$48,865	$23.49	32
   10	Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs	$48,022	$23.09
   11	Gaudenzia	$45,862	$22.05
   12	Horizon Health	$45,557	$21.90	16
   13	Acadia Healthcare	$45,336	$21.80	309
   14	HOPE Community Services	$44,527	$21.41	6
   15	St. Patrick Center	$44,348	$21.32	6
   16	Outreach Development	$44,063	$21.18	20
   17	Aurora Behavioral Health System	$43,868	$21.09	4
   18	North Central Mental Health Services	$43,339	$20.84	1
   19	Park Avenue Center	$42,785	$20.57
   20	Mercy Medical Center, Canton, Ohio	$42,653	$20.51

4. Writing an intake counselor job description

   An intake 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 an intake counselor job description:

   Intake counselor job description example

   Responsibilities
   
   POSITION REQUIREMENTS:
   
   Total education, experience and Licenses or Certifications: RN or Master's Degree in Psychology, Sociology, or a related degree required. A minimum of two years clinical experience in a behavioral health setting preferred.
   
   SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
   
   * Ability to assess the physical, emotion, and psychological needs of patients.
   * Ability to determine suitability of admission to the hospital based on clinical and financial criteria.
   * Ability to make independent and responsible decisions.
   * Good knowledge of admitting and insurance verification.
   * Must have ability to work under stressful circumstances with frequent interruptions.
   * Effective verbal and written communication skills are required to communicate with patients, families, referral sources, community agencies, and staff. Knowledge of telephone etiquette is required.
   * Skill sets to interact with patients, physicians, families and hospital personnel.
   * Work is of medium demand, requiring heavy telephone and personal contact with patients, referral sources, community agencies, and insurance companies.
   * Physical demands include but not limited to: walking, standing, and sitting.
   
   Qualifications
   
   POSITION REQUIREMENTS:
   
   Total education, experience and Licenses or Certifications: RN or Master's Degree in Psychology, Sociology, or a related degree required. A minimum of two years clinical experience in a behavioral health setting preferred.
   
   SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
   
   * Ability to assess the physical, emotion, and psychological needs of patients.
   * Ability to determine suitability of admission to the hospital based on clinical and financial criteria.
   * Ability to make independent and responsible decisions.
   * Good knowledge of admitting and insurance verification.
   * Must have ability to work under stressful circumstances with frequent interruptions.
   * Effective verbal and written communication skills are required to communicate with patients, families, referral sources, community agencies, and staff. Knowledge of telephone etiquette is required.
   * Skill sets to interact with patients, physicians, families and hospital personnel.
   * Work is of medium demand, requiring heavy telephone and personal contact with patients, referral sources, community agencies, and insurance companies.
   * Physical demands include but not limited to: walking, standing, and sitting.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit intake counselors, 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 intake counselor

   Once you've found the intake counselor 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 important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new intake 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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How much does it cost to hire an intake counselor?