How to hire a physician office specialist

How to hire a physician office specialist, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your physician office specialist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a physician office specialist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A physician office specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, physician office 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 physician office specialists.

   Type of Physician Office Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Physician Office Specialist	Secretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.	$3-60
   Referral Coordinator	A referral coordinator works with insurance companies and care providers to share essential patient information and assists primarily in scheduling appointments and managing health insurance issues. As a referral coordinator, you will work directly with the patient, patient families, or even social workers, depending on the job and patient needs... Show more	$12-21
   Patient Liaison	Patient Liaisons are intermediaries addressing concerns on behalf of patients and families working in tandem with the hospital administrator. They are responsible for gathering data regarding patient care issues and inquiries, assessing patient well-being, suggesting improvements, and interpreting hospital service, policies, and procedures to patients and families... Show more	$11-20

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Patient Care
   • EMR
   • Vital Signs
   • EKG
   • Medical History
   • Medical Terminology
   • Data Entry
   • CPT
   • Surgery
   • Patient Appointments
   • Scheduling Appointments
   • Patient Flow
   • Phone Calls

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Specialize duty in managing geriatric patients in convalescent home settings.
   • Compile data entry of nightly sales totals into computer system to apply tips to employee's payroll.
   • Full knowledge of CPT & ICD-9, secondary claims, Medicare, medical, all HMO, PPO & IPA plans.
   • Implement the first online EMR clinic with PMC.
   • Organize and process monthly payroll and budget reports.
   • Process all clearances for emergency approvals on surgery procedures, or follow up treatment.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your physician office specialist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A physician office specialist can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, physician office specialists' average salary in montana is 62% less than in massachusetts.
   • Seniority. Entry-level physician office specialists 94% less than senior-level physician office specialists.
   • Certifications. A physician office specialist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a physician office specialist's salary.

   Average physician office specialist salary

   $16.15hourly

   $33,594 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level physician office specialist salary

   $8,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

4. Writing a physician office specialist job description

   A physician office 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 physician office specialist job description:

   Physician office specialist job description example

   Join Cleveland Clinic Hospital where research and surgery are advanced, technology is leading-edge, patient care is world-class, and caregivers are family. Cleveland Clinic earned the No. 1 hospital ranking in Ohio, the No. 4 hospital ranking in the country, and was ranked nationally in 13 specialties, according to the U.S. News & World Report. At Cleveland Clinic, you will work alongside passionate and dedicated caregivers, receive endless support and appreciation, and build a rewarding career with one of the most respected healthcare organizations in the world.
   
   As a Medical Assistant, you will provide care to patients under the supervision of a physician or nurse. You will handle medical and administrative duties to support the department. A Medical Assistant in this role is familiar with collecting specimens, administering medications, scheduling appointments, and keeping medical supplies stocked. Work alongside our nurses and physicians who are eager to teach and welcome new people to the team. Your primary duties will include:
   - Assisting with health screenings.
   - Updating health records.
   - Monitoring, recording, and communicating patients' conditions as appropriate.
   
   The ideal candidate is someone who:
   
   - Is empathetic.
   - Has excellent communication skills.
   - Can adapt to change.
   - Is always energetic.
   - Can critically think and problem solve for patients' best interests.
   
   This is an excellent opportunity for someone who is a certified Medical Assistant looking to join a supportive team and willing to learn new skills. Cleveland Clinic will assist you by offering tuition reimbursement and cross-training for professional development.
   
   Cleveland Clinic provides what matters most: career growth, delivering world-class care to our patients, continuous learning, exceptional benefits and working for an organization that offers many long-term career paths. Join us and experience a culture where opportunities to advance and the support to get there go hand-in-hand. Responsibilities: Assists with performing screening and treatments by gathering information related to health maintenance, collecting specimens, performing tests, and documenting patient care. Updates health maintenance at patient visit, accurately identifies medication changes and updates allergy information at each visit. Monitors and communicates changes in patient condition. Administers specific medications under direction of provider. Maintains equipment and medical supplies, including reordering, stocking, cleaning and troubleshooting. Maintains examination areas. Assists in pre-visit planning by updating the health maintenance tab. Performs administrative or clerical duties as assigned, including filing, reception, scheduling, data entry and patient registration. Other duties as assigned. Education: Must be a graduate from an approved Medical Assisting Program. (As designated by the Enterprise MA Steering Committee) Military training as a Hospital Corpsman (HM), Combat Medic (68W) or Medical Service Technician (4N0X1) will be considered. Current demonstrated clinical proficiency. Completion of a clinical externship. (Extensive clinical experience may be considered in lieu of formal clinical externship). MA Certification preferred. Certifications: Successful completion of Basic Life Support (BLS) through American Heart Association (AHA) required within new hire period. Complexity of Work: Requires critical thinking skills, decisive judgment and the ability to work with minimal supervision. Must be able to work in a stressful environment and take appropriate action. Work Experience: Successful completion of CC Externship preferred. Physical Requirements: Manual dexterity to operate office equipment. May require extended periods of standing, walking or sitting. Good visual acuity through normal or corrected vision. Light Work - Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly (Constantly: activity or condition exists 2/3 or more of the time) to move objects. Even though the weight lifted may be only a negligible amount, a job should be rated Light Work: (1) when it requires walking or standing to a significant degree; or (2) when it requires sitting most of the time but entails pushing and/or pulling of arm or leg controls; and/or (3) when the job requires working at a production rate pace entailing the constant pushing and/or pulling of materials even though the weight of those materials is negligible. Note: The constant stress and strain of maintaining a production rate pace, especially in an industrial setting, can be and is physically demanding of a worker even though the amount of force exerted is negligible. Personal Protective Equipment: Follows standard precautions using personal protective equipment as required.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit physician office 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.

   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 physician office specialist

   Once you've decided on a perfect physician office 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.

   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 physician office specialist 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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