How to hire a patient service specialist

How to hire a patient service specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step patient service 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 service specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new patient service specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a patient service specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

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

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect patient service specialist also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of patient service specialists and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Patient Service Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Patient Service Specialist	Customer service representatives interact with customers to handle complaints, process orders, and provide information about an organization’s products and services.	$12-19
   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 Representative	A patient representative is responsible for assisting the patients with their health care needs by identifying their medical concerns, assessing their medical history, and referring them to the appropriate physicians or other medical professionals for immediate treatments and further examinations. Patient representatives verify the patients' insurance information, guiding them on filling out medical forms, processing payments for medical services, and updating them for the release of medical results... Show more	$12-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Patient Service
   • Physical Therapy
   • Rehabilitation
   • Patient Appointments
   • Front Desk
   • Office Equipment
   • Insurance Authorizations
   • Patient Care
   • Insurance Verification
   • Compassion
   • Medical Terminology
   • Patient Registration
   • Telephone Calls

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Benefit coverage eligibility or concerns for patients will be complete timely to achieve identify outcomes or solutions.
   • Greet patients and visitors with warmth, compassion, and demonstrate commitment to exceptional service.
   • Provide customer service to patients via registration, co-pay and co-insurance payment collection, appointment scheduling and telephone service
   • Obtain patient demographic, billing, insurance, and other necessary intake information for patients seeking rehabilitation services.
   • Screen, triage, register and verify a high volume of client eligibility and demographic data.
   • Direct callers to appropriate personnel, and initiate a triage slip for response by medical personnel.

   More patient service specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the patient service specialist job description is a good way to get more applicants. A patient service specialist 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 a patient service specialist in Alabama may be lower than in Massachusetts, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level patient service specialist. Additionally, a patient service specialist with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average patient service specialist salary

   $16.14hourly

   $33,563 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level patient service specialist salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average patient service specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$43,990	$21
   2	Minnesota	$38,076	$18
   3	California	$37,370	$18
   4	Arizona	$37,368	$18
   5	Maryland	$37,162	$18
   6	Washington	$36,743	$18
   7	North Carolina	$35,246	$17
   8	Oregon	$35,192	$17
   9	Nevada	$34,987	$17
   10	Wisconsin	$34,521	$17
   11	Ohio	$33,482	$16
   12	Colorado	$33,474	$16
   13	Georgia	$32,937	$16
   14	Texas	$32,799	$16
   15	Montana	$32,360	$16
   16	Illinois	$31,913	$15
   17	Michigan	$31,239	$15
   18	Maine	$31,089	$15
   19	Tennessee	$30,986	$15
   20	Indiana	$30,970	$15

   Average patient service specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Virginia Eye Institute	$45,477	$21.86	3
   2	The Eye Care Group	$44,034	$21.17	22
   3	Massachusetts General Hospital	$42,568	$20.47
   4	Johnson & Johnson	$41,592	$20.00
   5	The University of Vermont Health Network	$40,362	$19.40	2
   6	University of Southern California	$39,628	$19.05	17
   7	University of Iowa Center for Advancement	$38,817	$18.66	77
   8	University of Washington	$38,207	$18.37	26
   9	Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center	$38,104	$18.32	15
   10	Mayo Clinic	$37,055	$17.81	73
   11	University of Michigan	$37,028	$17.80	26
   12	McKesson	$37,016	$17.80	3
   13	Mission Neighborhood Health Center	$36,917	$17.75	2
   14	Concentra	$36,614	$17.60	24
   15	Southern Jersey Family Medical Centers	$36,236	$17.42	1
   16	Cincinnati Eye Institute	$36,139	$17.37	5
   17	St. Charles Health System	$35,772	$17.20	9
   18	BayCare Health System	$35,697	$17.16	51
   19	Lee Hecht Harrison	$35,642	$17.14	1
   20	Southern Vermont Health & Recreation Center Foundation Inc	$35,516	$17.07	7

4. Writing a patient service specialist job description

   A good patient service specialist job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a patient service specialist job description:

   Patient service specialist job description example

   Among our many accolades, we have been designated 8 times the only A-Rated for Safety Hospital, awarded M a g n et Recognition for superior nursing, named Best Regional Hospital by US News and World Report and ranked among the 100 best places to work in healthcare (nationally). Jersey City Medical Center is also ideally located in the vibrant Jersey City waterfront community overlooking the harbor, just 10 minutes from New York City, with a grand view of the Statue of Liberty.

   Job Description

   Registers patients, complete pre-registrations, verify benefits, obtain reports and enter all radiology orders. Secures patient account by obtaining appropriate demographic, insurance and medical information and enters into the STAR System. Strives to minimize patient wait time prior to patient arrival to the treatment areas improving customer satisfaction as it relates to the registration process and general communications. Performs all duties in a manner, which promotes team concepts and reflects RWJBarnabas Health philosophy.

   Additional Requirements

   High school diploma or equivalent. Customer service experience preferred. 1-2 years patient processing experience. Familiarity of Medical terminology preferred. Knowledge of McKesson STAR patient processing preferred. Type 30-40wpm. Knowledge of basic computer skills. Collects current medical symptoms and inputs into hospital information system. Collects demographic and financial information for input into information system and copies ID and insurance cards. Completes uncompensated check sheet to comply with Federal and State Regulations. Copies both front and back of patients healthcare ID cards.

   We are committed to High Reliability and consistent demonstration of our Safety Together behaviors and tools:

   S - Speak up for Safety

   A - Accurately communicate

   F - Focus on the task

   E - Exercise and accept a questioning attitude

   T - Thoughtfully interact

   Y - You and Me Together

   RWJBarnabas Health offers excellent-provided benefits which include: competitive compensation, comprehensive medical/dental benefits, 403 (B) savings plan, Flexible Spending Plans, PTO program, tuition reimbursement and so much more.
   
   Equal Employment Opportunity

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right patient service 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 service specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit patient service specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit patient service specialists, 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.

   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.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new patient service specialist

   Once you've decided on a perfect patient service 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.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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 a patient service specialist?