How to hire a practitioner

How to hire a practitioner, step by step

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

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

What does a practitioner do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your practitioner 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 practitioner 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 practitioner's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, practitioners 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 practitioner salaries for various positions.

   Type of Practitioner	Description	Hourly rate
   Practitioner	Nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners, also referred to as advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), coordinate patient care and may provide primary and specialty healthcare. The scope of practice varies from state to state.	$24-66
   Licensed Social Worker	Licensed Social Workers are duly and legally recognized to carry out activities related to social work. They identify individuals or groups of people in need and assess what kind of help they require... Show more	$19-37
   Clinical Therapist	A Clinical Therapist works with patients to help identify, examine, and treat mental health and emotional issues or disorders. They counsel individuals or groups regarding psychological or emotional problems, as well as observe clients to detect indications of abnormal physical or mental behavior.	$20-37

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Patient Care
   • Social Work
   • Resuscitation
   • Individual Therapy
   • Continuous Improvement
   • Mental Illness
   • Crisis Intervention
   • DEA
   • Java
   • Food Safety
   • Substance Abuse
   • HR
   • Child Abuse

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment of diabetes and provide prescriptions and education before discharge from the hospital.
   • Provide both in-home and office-base individual therapy to clients with mental illness.
   • Treat patients on a referral basis and establish active collaboration with veterinary specialists and general practitioners involve with patient care.
   • Provide counsel and representation for clients on various legal matters such as civil litigation and real estate and international business transactions.
   • Perform reflexology test for patients with various allergies.
   • Apply yoga therapy to help clients release emotional holding patterns.

   More practitioner duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your practitioner job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A practitioner salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a practitioner in Louisiana may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level practitioner usually earns less than a senior-level practitioner. Additionally, a practitioner with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average practitioner salary

   $84,058yearly

   $40.41 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level practitioner salary

   $50,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

   Average practitioner salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Connecticut	$113,628	$55
   2	California	$104,887	$50
   3	Ohio	$97,738	$47
   4	New York	$94,637	$46
   5	Massachusetts	$93,209	$45
   6	Illinois	$92,284	$44
   7	District of Columbia	$88,566	$43
   8	Minnesota	$85,001	$41
   9	Michigan	$84,260	$41
   10	Arizona	$83,527	$40
   11	Maryland	$83,266	$40
   12	Virginia	$81,571	$39
   13	Indiana	$80,726	$39
   14	Pennsylvania	$79,907	$38
   15	Texas	$78,865	$38
   16	Colorado	$73,160	$35
   17	Utah	$73,026	$35
   18	Missouri	$70,004	$34
   19	North Carolina	$69,664	$33
   20	Georgia	$65,751	$32

   Average practitioner salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Morgan Stanley	$134,581	$64.70
   2	Blue Apron	$134,323	$64.58
   3	Oculus	$133,781	$64.32
   4	Clinica Sierra Vista	$129,266	$62.15	8
   5	WhidbeyLocal	$128,330	$61.70	6
   6	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$125,506	$60.34
   7	Slalom	$124,127	$59.68
   8	Salesforce	$122,457	$58.87	3
   9	Cape Cod Healthcare	$120,150	$57.76	1
   10	STG International	$119,813	$57.60	17
   11	Whidbey General Hospital	$116,815	$56.16
   12	Oceaneering	$116,498	$56.01
   13	Canvas Health	$115,624	$55.59	5
   14	Connecticut Children's Medical Center	$112,535	$54.10	3
   15	Mercy Corps	$112,383	$54.03	3
   16	Northwell Health	$111,401	$53.56	53
   17	Logan Health	$110,029	$52.90
   18	National Grid plc	$109,674	$52.73
   19	UTMB HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS	$107,102	$51.49	19
   20	Covanta	$106,997	$51.44

4. Writing a practitioner job description

   A practitioner 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 practitioner job description:

   Practitioner job description example

   Department: Primary Care
   Employment Status: Full-Time
   Program: Primary Care
   FLSA Status: Exempt
   Reports To: Primary Care Director
   Schedule: Exempt
   Supervises: N/A
   Preference: TERO Ordinance 2017-01, P.L. 93-638
   
   Job Summary Mid-Level Practitioner serves as a member of the clinical team to provide assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning and implementation, crisis intervention, medications, staff consultation, group visit participation, and other services as needed. Participation in panel management and population based care, participation in staff meetings, and helping guide appropriate utilization of resources is expected. This successful candidate must be a Licensed Nurse Practitioner or a Licensed Physician Assistant. Essential Functions Assumes a leadership role for a primary care team Analyzes population data to identify high leverage interventions with their patient panel, plans and implements care/services that recognize age/diversity specific needs/issues of the patient function Assists in facilitating coordination of care, confers as needed or when contacted by other providers regarding care and treatment of patients, and assists in examining and treating patients Performs comprehensive assessments of patients and the relevant systems to formulate diagnoses and plan appropriate interventions, effectively using electronic health record (EHR) to document clinical activity and management patient population Analyzes the assessment data to determine diagnostic impressions Develops and implements a plan of care and recommends interventions to attain optimal patient function Uses decision support tools when available and as appropriate; e.g., Up To Date, drug interaction tools, clinical guidelines, etc Attends meetings as required. Assists in epidemiological work and the enforcement of rules relating to communicable disease control Works effectively and cooperatively with other members of Care Team and participates in Care Team training and learning activities Participates in peer review activities It is the intent of this job description to highlight the essential functions of the position; however, it is not an all-inclusive list. The incumbent may be called upon and required to follow or perform other duties and tasks requested by his/her supervisor, consistent with the purpose of the position, department and/or the Kenaitze Indian Tribe's objectives. Working Conditions Lifting Requirements Medium work - Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects. Physical Requirements Stand or Sit (Stationary position) Use hands/fingers to handle or feel (Operate, Activate, Use, Prepare, Inspect, Place, Detect, Position) Stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl (Position self (to), Move) Talk/hear (Communicate, Detect, Converse with, Discern, Convey, Express oneself, Exchange information) See (Detect, Determine, Perceive, Identify, Recognize, Judge, Observe, Inspect, Estimate, Assess) Pushing or Pulling Repetitive Motion OSHA Categories Category I - Duties performed routinely require exposure to blood, body fluid and tissue Equipment and Tools Computer Copier Fax Machine Scanner Other Office Equipment Travel Local Qualifications Education Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant education/certification Experience Three (3) years of experience in evaluation diagnosis and treatment in primary care with special emphasis in cross cultural health care setting Preferred Knowledge and experience working with cultural diversities License/Certification Must have a valid Alaska State driver's license and must remain insurable under the Tribe's policy, or obtain within 90 days of hire Current National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants/Advance Nurse Practitioner with prescriptive authority Current Alaska Licensure Current DEA certificate BLS certification required Special Skills Performs and completes ambulatory care competencies and credentialing as identified Proficiency with Microsoft Suite, or obtain training within 90 days of hire Conducts business in a service-oriented manner that is attentive, pleasant, respectful and kind when dealing with un'ina, visitors, co-workers and others Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively
   
   Job Posted by ApplicantPro

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right practitioner for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with practitioners they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit practitioners who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your practitioner job on Zippia to find and recruit practitioner candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with practitioner candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 practitioner

   Once you've decided on a perfect practitioner 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 also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new practitioner 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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How much does it cost to hire a practitioner?