How to hire a patient care specialist

Patient care specialist hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring patient care specialists 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 patient care specialist is $1,633.
Small businesses spend an average of $1,105 per patient care specialist on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
There are currently 117,409 patient care specialists in the US and 146,861 job openings.
Los Angeles, CA, has the highest demand for patient care specialists, with 11 job openings.
Birmingham, AL has the highest concentration of patient care specialists.

How to hire a patient care specialist, step by step

To hire a patient care specialist, 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 patient care specialist, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step patient care specialist hiring guide:

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

What does a patient care specialist do?

A patient service or care specialist works at different medical facilities. Primary responsibilities include checking patients in and out, scheduling follow-up appointments as well as checking patient eligibility for services or programs. Patient service specialists should maintain a systematic referral log to correlate patient referrals to other specialists. Applicants for the job should have the basic computer knowledge to effectively manage data of patient's files, knowledge of medical terminologies, and possess good interpersonal and customer service skills.

Learn more about the specifics of what a patient care specialist does

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Identify your hiring needs

First, determine the employments status of the patient care specialist you need to hire. Certain patient care specialist 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?

A patient care specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, patient care specialists 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 shows salaries for various types of patient care specialists.

Type of Patient Care Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
Patient Care Specialist	Customer service representatives interact with customers to handle complaints, process orders, and provide information about an organization’s products and services.	$9-26
Patient Advocate	A patient advocate is responsible for supporting the patients with the medical processes in a healthcare institution, assisting them with insurance claims and medical billing disputes, verifying treatment procedures, and conducting referrals to medical professionals based on the patient's needs. Patient advocates facilitate a payment plan for the patients, discussing this plan to the financial department of the facility... Show more	$13-21
Patient Coordinator	A patient coordinator functions as the primary point of contact between health care professionals and patients in a medical facility. They mostly perform administrative tasks such as greeting visitors, answering calls, responding to inquiries, managing schedules, arranging appointments, processing payments, gathering information, and keeping records... Show more	$12-19

Create an ideal candidate profile
Common skills:
- Patients
- Patient Care
- Data Entry
- Medical Terminology
- CPT
- CPR
- Phone Calls
- EMR
- Computer System
- Home Health
- HIPAA
- Vital Signs
- Customer Service
- Quality Care
Check all skills
Responsibilities:
- Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA and clinic.
- Utilize software applications to document call interactions using medical terminology and responsible for initially engaging patients by explaining the services.
- Verify CPT codes along with diagnosis code for guarantee payment for surgeries.
- Process daily fee tickets and correctly enter office visit ICD 9 and CPT codes into the system for billing.
- Adhere to HIPPA confidentiality guidelines.
- Track Medicaid eligibility of clients.
More patient care specialist duties

Make a budget

Including a salary range in your patient care specialist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A patient care specialist salary can vary based on several factors:

Location. For example, patient care specialists' average salary in louisiana is 57% less than in massachusetts.
Seniority. Entry-level patient care specialists earn 64% less than senior-level patient care specialists.
Certifications. A patient care specialist 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 patient care specialist's salary.

Average patient care specialist salary

$16.42hourly

$34,157 yearly

Entry-level patient care specialist salary

$20,000 yearly salary

Updated January 19, 2026

Average patient care specialist salary by state

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Massachusetts	$57,596	$28
2	Maryland	$54,913	$26
3	New York	$54,306	$26
4	Pennsylvania	$46,945	$23
5	Delaware	$45,563	$22
6	Illinois	$40,907	$20
7	Virginia	$38,576	$19
8	California	$38,338	$18
9	Minnesota	$37,781	$18
10	Ohio	$35,694	$17
11	Washington	$35,184	$17
12	Arizona	$35,174	$17
13	Oregon	$33,141	$16
14	Nevada	$33,113	$16
15	North Carolina	$33,014	$16
16	Colorado	$32,741	$16
17	Iowa	$32,212	$15
18	New Mexico	$31,335	$15
19	Texas	$30,538	$15
20	Alabama	$28,474	$14

Average patient care specialist salary by company

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
1	KPG	$83,159	$39.98
2	Boston Medical Center	$69,251	$33.29	39
3	Baystate Health	$57,110	$27.46	44
4	Cook Children's Medical Center	$54,969	$26.43	16
5	Virginia Eye Institute	$50,268	$24.17	4
6	Children's Hospital Los Angeles	$49,138	$23.62	17
7	University of California-Berkeley	$48,926	$23.52
8	CITGO Petroleum	$47,126	$22.66
9	The University of Chicago	$46,853	$22.53	28
10	University of California	$46,320	$22.27	87
11	Sutter Health	$45,257	$21.76	119
12	Rutgers University	$44,637	$21.46	16
13	CareOregon	$43,468	$20.90	3
14	Shared Medical Services	$41,036	$19.73
15	Donohue & Associates	$38,691	$18.60
16	Gritman Medical Center	$37,869	$18.21	4
17	Fresenius Medical Care North America Holdings Limited Partnership	$37,458	$18.01	694
18	Eisenhower Medical Center	$36,261	$17.43
19	Cedars-Sinai	$35,937	$17.28	106
20	Ohio's Hospice of Dayton	$35,747	$17.19	13

Writing a patient care specialist job description
A patient care specialist 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 a patient care specialist job description:
Patient care specialist job description example
- Undergraduate degree with minimum of 2 years of experience in a similar role (required).
- Must be able to pass background and drug screen prior to start date.
Job Type: Full-time (Non-Exempt).

Benefits: • 403(b) with company match • Medical, Dental and Vision Eligibility 1st of month after 30 days • Employer Paid Short Term Disability • Paid time off • Life insurance • Up to 10 paid holidays • Pet insurance • Assistance with certification and licensure.

Schedule : • 40-hour week / Normal Business Hours.

Cove Behavioral Health is a nonprofit organization with over 48 years of providing behavioral health treatment services to the greater Tampa Bay area. COVE will offer you opportunities that you wouldn't have with other organizations, once you become one of our team mates. Cove Behavioral Health is a HRSA approved site and you may be eligible to apply for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. We also offer free Clinical Supervision, Tuition Reimbursement, CEU's, and many other ways to show appreciation to our teammates! COVE is a full-service provider of SA services. We are Nationally Accredited and have won numerous national and state awards for premier services. We serve all ages and take all insurances. We have board certified MD's that will provide a consultation of what an individual plan might look like when people don't know what to do, much like other Doctor consultations. We have a private adult detox and are known for our specialties in pregnant women and women's services, Opiate Addiction treatment, residential treatment and community prevention as Centers of Excellence.

At Cove Behavioral health we value diversity and inclusion. Cove Behavioral Health provides equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals, in accordance with Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Employment decisions at Cove will be based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. Cove does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any characteristic protected by law. Cove will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities unless doing so would result in an undue hardship. Cove is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Drug & Tobacco Free Facility.
Post your job
There are various strategies that you can use to find the right patient care specialist 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 patient care specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit patient care specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
- Use field-specific websites.
- Post a job on free websites.
Interview candidates
During your first interview to recruit patient care specialists, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.
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.
Send a job offer and onboard your new patient care specialist
Once you've decided on a perfect patient care specialist 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.
After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new patient care specialist. 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.
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 patient care specialist?

Before you start to hire patient care specialists, 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 patient care specialists 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 $34,157 per year for a patient care specialist, 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 patient care specialists in the US typically range between $9 and $26 an hour.

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Updated January 19, 2026

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How to hire a patient care specialist