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How to hire a medication aide

Medication aide hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring medication aides in the United States:

  • There are currently 26,536 medication aides in the US, as well as 275,582 job openings.
  • Medication aides are in the highest demand in Indianapolis, IN, with 42 current job openings.
  • The median cost to hire a medication aide is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new medication aide to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a medication aide, step by step

To hire a medication aide, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire a medication aide, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step medication aide hiring guide:

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

What does a medication aide do?

A medication aide is a healthcare professional who is responsible for administering medication to patients daily in a hospital or medical facility. As certified nursing assistants, medication aides should possess knowledge of patient care procedures so that they can coordinate with different nurses to deliver them. They follow written or verbal instructions from physicians on how to manage their patients' medications. Medication aides are also required to observe their patients and document changes in their conditions.

Learn more about the specifics of what a medication aide does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    The medication aide hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

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

    This list presents medication aide salaries for various positions.

    Type of Medication AideDescriptionHourly rate
    Medication AideNursing assistants, sometimes called nursing aides, help provide basic care for patients in hospitals and residents of long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes. Orderlies transport patients and clean treatment areas... Show more$15-24
    PRNA PRN or a "pro re nata" employee is responsible for covering a shift or a specific situation, especially during short-staffing or the need to complete a particular task. The PRNs often work for a medical industry without a regular or full-time commitment, having the freedom to manage their time and take multiple assignments from different organizations... Show more$8-42
    Assisted Living AdministratorAn Assisted Living Administrator oversees an assisted living facility's daily operations that accommodate elderly residents, ensuring that they get optimal care and service. They are responsible for performing managerial tasks such as setting objectives and schedules, managing budgets, liaising with suppliers and other partners, gathering and analyzing data to identify the residents' needs, and monitoring the operations, resolving issues should any arise... Show more$10-17
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Compassion
    • Resident Care
    • State Regulations
    • Infection Control
    • Incident Reports
    • Vital Signs
    • Customer Service
    • Patients
    • Memory Care
    • Medication Distribution
    • Home Health
    • CPR
    • Blood Sugars
    • Quality Care
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage memory unity within facility.
    • Provide care for patients in need of long term care and rehabilitation.
    • Administer medication according to state laws and guidelines as well as facility guidelines and assist residents with ADL's.
    • preserve patient's dignity while providing such duties as bedpan changes, bathing, diapering, emptying catheter and colostomy bags.
    • Assist with changing colostomy bags.
    • learned to be more efficient with time restraints!
    More medication aide duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your medication aide job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A medication aide salary can vary based on several factors:
    • Location. For example, medication aides' average salary in mississippi is 33% less than in hawaii.
    • Seniority. Entry-level medication aides earn 34% less than senior-level medication aides.
    • Certifications. A medication aide 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 a medication aide's salary.

    Average medication aide salary

    $40,799yearly

    $19.61 hourly rate

    Entry-level medication aide salary
    $33,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 5, 2025

    Average medication aide salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1Wisconsin$46,843$23
    2Indiana$45,224$22
    3Minnesota$43,824$21
    4South Dakota$43,059$21
    5Kentucky$42,182$20
    6Oregon$42,132$20
    7Virginia$41,011$20
    8Colorado$39,603$19
    9Maine$38,737$19
    10Ohio$38,648$19
    11Nebraska$37,331$18
    12Missouri$37,072$18
    13New York$36,462$18
    14Texas$34,933$17

    Average medication aide salary by company

  4. Writing a medication aide job description

    A job description for a medication aide role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a medication aide job description:

    Medication aide job description example

    Child & Family Healing Center provides 24- hour intensive residential treatment on UMFS’s staff-secure, unlocked 33-acre campus. Our multidisciplinary team integrates Collaborative Problem Solving™ with family engagement, psychiatry, nursing, verbal and non-verbal therapies, social work, and counseling.


    What we do:

    We collaborate with communities in a Systems of Care approach to ensure successful transition into residential treatment, through intervention, and back into the community.

    We assess strengths and executive functioning to develop treatment goals for youth and families.


    Who We Serve:

    We serve males, females, and gender-diverse youth ages 11-17 at time of admission, who are in the custody of their parent/guardian, the Department of Social Services, or the Department of Juvenile Justice, and have a minimum IQ of 65 (evaluated on a case-by-case basis).

    • Trauma histories
    • Mood and anxiety disorders
    • Emotional, social, and behavioral challenges
    • Autism and other neurological differences
    • Problem sexual behaviors

    What we are looking for:

    Medication Aides to complete and maintain training to meet licensing and regulatory requirements. Passes medications accurately according to MAR. Communicate any issues regarding MAR or medication administration promptly to relevant parties including nursing supervisor.

    Responsible for notifying nursing supervisor of medications needing to be refilled. Assist Nurse with accepting medications from pharmacy. Properly remove medications that are discontinued or removed from packaging due to an error from cottages and return them to the nursing office from destruction per protocol.

    Responsible for maintaining a clean and organized medication cart and medication room/medication administration area.

    Maintain compliance with HIPAA, regulations, and licensing standards in executing above duties.

    What you will need:

    Must be detail-oriented, reliable, passionate about working with kids. Med passing experience preferred. Associates or Bachelor’s preferred. Ability to understand and effectively use computers and other office equipment. .

    Why Work at UMFS?

    UMFS has been an unwavering champion for children, teens, and families for more than 120 years. Our main campus is in Richmond, Va., and we offer nearly 20 programs at nine locations throughout Virginia.

    Work-life balance is critical to the health and well-being of our employees, which is why we offer generous paid leave, 12 paid holidays, flexible workspaces (non-essential employees are currently teleworking in response to COVID-19), and comprehensive health benefits options that include an Employee Assistance Program, vision, and optional dental. We also offer pet insurance. UMFS employees are eligible for a 401(k) that UMFS matches up to 6 percent.

    Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is at the forefront of all we do at UMFS, and we maintain a culture of acceptance in which crucial conversations are encouraged. UMFS doesn’t exclude anyone on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, religion, or economic background.

    #ZR

    Proof of Covid-19 Vaccination Required

    Equal Opportunity Employer



  5. Post your job

    There are various strategies that you can use to find the right medication aide for your business:

    • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your medication aide job on Zippia to find and attract quality medication aide 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 medication aide 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.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

    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 medication aide

    Once you've selected the best medication aide 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.

    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.

    To prepare for the new medication aide 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.)
    Sign up to download full list

How much does it cost to hire a medication aide?

Hiring a medication aide comes with both the one-time cost per hire and ongoing costs. The cost of recruiting medication aides involves promoting the job and spending time conducting interviews. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider the cost of medication aide recruiting as well the ongoing costs of maintaining the new employee.

You can expect to pay around $40,799 per year for a medication aide, 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 medication aides in the US typically range between $15 and $24 an hour.

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