How to hire an outpatient clerk

How to hire an outpatient clerk, step by step

Here's a step-by-step outpatient clerk hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the outpatient clerk you need to hire. Certain outpatient clerk 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 outpatient clerk's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, outpatient clerks 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 outpatient clerk salaries for various positions.

   Type of Outpatient Clerk	Description	Hourly rate
   Outpatient Clerk	General office clerks perform a variety of clerical tasks, including answering telephones, typing documents, and filing records.	$12-20
   Clerk Typist	A clerk typist is responsible for data entry procedures and document transcriptions, alongside other clerical and administrative duties as required by the employer. Clerk typists create reports and presentation materials, transcribe audio meetings, write business drafts, and send documents to appropriate office personnel or clients... Show more	$12-18
   Room Clerk	A room clerk is responsible for receiving guests and assigning them to their respective rooms, typically in a hotel setting. Room clerks manage guests' reservations, explain the policies of the premises, and process their payments for staying at the hotel... Show more	$12-17

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Schedule Appointments
   • Data Entry
   • Insurance Eligibility
   • Direct Phone Calls
   • Departmental Policies
   • CPT
   • Medical Coverage
   • Customer Service
   • HIPAA
   • Patient Appointments
   • Emergency Room
   • Patient Demographics
   • Insurance Verification

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage confidential patient information according to HIPPA guidelines.
   • File Medicare, follow-up insurance claims, prepare Medicaid logs.
   • Provide proper CPT codes to outside facilities so that prior authorization can be obtain for the correct exams.
   • Develop and maintain databases for radiology protocol.
   • Determine existence of previous registration and/or update insurance and demographic information for patients.
   • Interact with patients to acquire insurance information, payment arrangements and any other necessary information.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, outpatient clerks' average salary in new mexico is 61% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level outpatient clerks earn 40% less than senior-level outpatient clerks.
   • Certifications. An outpatient clerk 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 outpatient clerk's salary.

   Average outpatient clerk salary

   $15.83hourly

   $32,917 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level outpatient clerk salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

4. Writing an outpatient clerk job description

   A job description for an outpatient clerk 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 an outpatient clerk job description:

   Outpatient clerk job description example

   • Join a well-established practice in the San Francisco Bay Area!
     • Practice consists of 8 PCPs and 2 FNPs
   • Full Time Primary Care Opportunities / See 16-18 Patients per day / Ramp up in 6 months
   • Clinic Hours – M-F from 8am-5pm and Saturday Clinic from 9am-1pm
     • Full time is 36 patient contact hours
     • Minimal call (telephone only) – shared evenly among providers
   • Access to specialists / Partner with Stanford University School of Medicine Faculty
   • Epic EMR / 100% Outpatient / Full support staff onsite
   • $265K Base Salary Guarantee + RVU + panel incentive / Relocation / Benefits / CME

   Your New Community

   • Welcome to the San Francisco Bay Area!
     • Population of over 1 million people / 3rd Largest City in CA
   • Endless activities: China Town, Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf
   • Local prestigious universities – Stanford University, University of California-Berkeley, Santa Clara University
   • Stable Economy with Diverse Economic Base-Silicon Valley, Universities, Hospitals
   • 4hrs to Lake Tahoe, 4hrs to Yosemite National Park, 2hrs to Sacramento
   • Local international airport / Caltrain / Lyft / BART / Flixbus
   • Professional Sports – 49ers Professional Football / San Francisco Giants Baseball / Golden State Warriors Basketball / San Jose Stars Hockey / San Jose Earthquakes Soccer

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find outpatient clerks 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 outpatient clerks they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level outpatient clerks 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 outpatient clerk job on Zippia to find and recruit outpatient clerk candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting outpatient clerks requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   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 outpatient clerk

   Once you've decided on a perfect outpatient clerk 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.

   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.

   To prepare for the new outpatient clerk 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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