How to hire an observer

How to hire an observer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step observer hiring guide:

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

What does an observer do?

Post an observer job for free, promote it for a fee

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the observer you need to hire. Certain observer roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   An observer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, observers 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 observer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Observer	Description	Hourly rate
   Observer	Security guards and gaming surveillance officers patrol and protect property against theft, vandalism, terrorism, and illegal activity.	$12-28
   Surveillance Agent	A Surveillance Agent provides security services to thwart off theft, fraud, and other criminal activities. They are in charge of monitoring surveillance cameras to detect suspicious behaviors, patrolling areas, enforcing security protocols such as inspections and identification checks, responding to distress, and investigating incidents... Show more	$10-22
   Surveillance Investigator	A surveillance investigator specializes in gathering credible information related to the subject of an investigation. Typically working for private companies or independently, a surveillance investigator's responsibilities revolve around arranging surveillance systems such as cameras and microphones, conducting background checks, interviewing potential witnesses, and looking into illegal activities... Show more	$14-32

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Patient Care
   • Patient Safety
   • CPR
   • Patient Behavior
   • Patient History
   • Classroom Management
   • Physical Therapy
   • Data Collection
   • Internal Medicine
   • Vital Signs
   • Combat
   • GPS
   • Occupational Therapy

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Assist in taking patient medical history and managing clinical patients and participate in medical team discussions regarding patient treatment plans.
   • Participate in rounding on patients in the ICU and on the floor with the surgical team.
   • Identify different gear types and characteristics on bottom trawl, gill-net, longline and clam dredge vessels.
   • Observe patients in for cardiology consultation.
   • Train in restraint use and CPR.
   • Assist nurses and doctors during a CPR event.

   More observer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the observer job description is a good way to get more applicants. An observer salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an observer in Missouri may be lower than in Massachusetts, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level observer. Additionally, an observer with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average observer salary

   $38,542yearly

   $18.53 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level observer salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 31, 2026

   Average observer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$55,405	$27
   2	California	$47,537	$23
   3	Connecticut	$46,652	$22
   4	Indiana	$37,504	$18
   5	New Jersey	$37,017	$18
   6	Arizona	$36,254	$17
   7	Michigan	$36,133	$17
   8	New York	$36,079	$17
   9	Texas	$34,959	$17
   10	Alabama	$34,813	$17
   11	South Carolina	$33,586	$16
   12	Illinois	$32,237	$16
   13	Arkansas	$31,733	$15
   14	Missouri	$30,093	$14
   15	Ohio	$29,844	$14

   Average observer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Citi	$98,168	$47.20
   2	UMass Memorial Health	$82,205	$39.52	4
   3	Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital	$81,720	$39.29
   4	Massachusetts General Hospital	$80,658	$38.78
   5	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	$79,437	$38.19
   6	Moffitt Cancer Center	$73,249	$35.22	1
   7	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$72,450	$34.83
   8	Stamford Memorial Hospital Foundation	$71,643	$34.44
   9	Detroit Medical Center	$70,353	$33.82
   10	Hackensack Meridian Health	$70,322	$33.81	16
   11	AECOM	$70,059	$33.68
   12	St. Peter's Health	$69,038	$33.19
   13	Cooley Dickinson Hospital	$68,352	$32.86
   14	Memorial Healthcare System	$66,437	$31.94
   15	Stantec	$66,333	$31.89
   16	Mount Auburn Hospital	$64,957	$31.23
   17	Baystate Health	$64,884	$31.19
   18	Garver, LLC	$64,653	$31.08
   19	Northwell Health	$62,956	$30.27
   20	GRW Engineering	$62,518	$30.06

4. Writing an observer job description

   An observer 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 an observer job description:

   Observer job description example

   Job DescriptionProvide direct supervision of patients requiring 1:1 supervision for safety under the direction of a licensed nurse.
   1:1 supervision is provided to patients as assigned per established guidelines. Appropriate safety cues are provided to patient when indicated to maintain safety. Staff members are notified when patient is in need of physical or other assistance. Precautionary measures are maintained for designated patients per established guidelines. Age appropriate care is provided for the population served. Additional department, organization, or network activities are completed per established objectives. SRN Organizational Values of Innovation, Collaboration, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence are upheld.
   
   Qualifications
   Education/Degree
   High school diploma or equivalent required Skills (Specific learned activity gained through training (e.g. computer skills, keyboarding, presentation, CPR, ACLS, etc.)
   
   Required
   Read, write, and speak English. Maintain variable work schedule to meet department needs. (evenings, holidays, weekends and travel). Computer proficiency required. Microsoft office applications preferred with ability to learn new software. Preferred
   Highly developed communications and interpersonal skills, working with diverse population. Work independently, be self-directed and contribute as a member of a team. Anticipates challenges and develops and implements strategies for addressing them. High level of service delivery. Demonstrate initiative with ability to prioritize work, meet deadlines and adapt to changing situations. Attention to detail.
   
   EEO Statement
   Spaulding Rehabilitation Network (SRN) is committed to diversity in the workplace which begins with respect and opportunity for all. SRN takes affirmative action to ensure that equal employment opportunity is provided to all persons regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, age, ancestry, veteran status, disability or any other basis that would be inconsistent with any applicable ordinance or law. If you need a reasonable accommodation in coming to or participating in the interview process, please let us know. Partner's Healthcare is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find observers 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 observer job on Zippia to find and recruit observer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit observers, 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.

   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 observer

   Once you've decided on a perfect observer candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new observer. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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 observer?