How to hire a primary therapist

How to hire a primary therapist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step primary therapist hiring guide:

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

What does a primary therapist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the primary therapist you need to hire. Certain primary therapist 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

   A primary therapist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, primary therapists 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of primary therapists and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Primary Therapist	Description	Hourly rate
   Primary Therapist	Social workers help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives. One group of social workers—clinical social workers—also diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional issues.	$20-39
   Addictions Counselor	An Addictions Counselor helps patients overcome personal addiction problems, such as dependence on drugs, alcohol, and other substances. They evaluate the condition of their client through examining, asking questions, and recommending the proper treatment options.	$15-32
   Clinical Counselor	A Clinical Counselor interviews clients to assess their mental health and behavioral problems. They examine issues such as substance abuse, depression, stress, aging and self-image.	$20-32

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Social Work
   • Group Therapy Sessions
   • Eating Disorders
   • Patient Care
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Treatment Plan Reviews
   • Discharge Planning
   • Mental Health Issues
   • Substance Abuse Issues
   • Clinical Services
   • Family Therapy Sessions
   • Discharge Summaries
   • Mental Illness

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Case managing, intakes, group and individual session, treatment plans, OASAS standards
   • Provide clinical therapy for severely emotionally disturb adolescents and their families to aid in the rehabilitation process.
   • Perform crisis intervention, including management of difficult or resistant patients, utilizing clinically appropriate accept techniques and methods.
   • Assist in development of extend hour IOP and PHP program.
   • experience, IOP, individual sessions, assessments, case management.
   • Assist in developing and assessing progress on individual rehabilitation plans.

   More primary therapist duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average primary therapist salary

   $59,826yearly

   $28.76 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level primary therapist salary

   $43,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average primary therapist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$80,719	$39
   2	Washington	$66,078	$32
   3	Oregon	$65,877	$32
   4	Colorado	$58,037	$28
   5	Illinois	$55,261	$27
   6	Texas	$53,387	$26
   7	New Jersey	$48,515	$23
   8	Virginia	$47,396	$23
   9	Georgia	$41,477	$20
   10	New York	$37,653	$18
   11	Connecticut	$33,487	$16

   Average primary therapist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Appalachian Regional Healthcare	$74,947	$36.03	2
   2	Finger Lakes Community Health	$72,975	$35.08	3
   3	UMR	$72,859	$35.03
   4	Polaris	$69,144	$33.24
   5	Valley View Hospital	$66,633	$32.04	13
   6	Children's of Alabama	$64,915	$31.21	2
   7	Atrium Health Floyd	$63,076	$30.32	72
   8	J. Morrissey & Company	$62,405	$30.00	1
   9	Emory Healthcare	$61,369	$29.50	38
   10	Mission	$61,268	$29.46
   11	BayMark Health Services	$61,146	$29.40	2
   12	SHODAIR CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL	$60,829	$29.24	2
   13	Pathways	$60,759	$29.21	11
   14	Seasoned	$60,558	$29.11
   15	Clinical Management Consultants	$60,498	$29.09
   16	Penn Medicine Princeton Health	$59,682	$28.69	45
   17	Pacific Quest	$59,238	$28.48	2
   18	Hackensack Meridian Health	$58,813	$28.28	65
   19	Children's Hospital of Philadelphia	$58,802	$28.27	11
   20	Universal Health Services	$57,835	$27.81	249

4. Writing a primary therapist job description

   A good primary therapist 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 primary therapist job description:

   Primary therapist job description example

   To perform evaluation, diagnostic care, treatment planning and therapy services to acutely ill adults presenting with mental illness, substance abuse, and/or developmental disabilities.
   Responsibilities Providing assessment using a Biopsychosocial Model Leading a treatment team to develop diagnoses and treatment planning in acutely mentally ill adults Will provide individual therapy services using a variety of treatment modalities, which could include, crisis planning, CBT, RET, behavioral modification, solution-focused therapy, and other brief psychiatric therapy models Will provide group therapy services, as well as family therapy as needed Will follow every aspect of the patient's care including recommendations and referral for outpatient care following discharge Acts as a patient advocate in all aspects of care, participating in various meetings and conferences representing the best interest of the patient when the patient is unavailable Serve as a QMHP, with appropriate credentials, in obtaining involuntary treatment for patients requiring commitment by completing assessments and participating in court hearings Providing Psychological testing, with approved credentials, when requested Participate in research projects as needed related to advancement of mental health concerns Provide education regarding mental illness services, treatments and disease to both patients and families Will stay up to date on current research and treatment guidelines related to provision of care to the mentally ill Will be encouraged to participate in community outreach and education, working with community partners, such as NAMI, to decrease the stigma of mental illness in the community Other duties as assigned Qualifications
   Education:
   Acceptable Degrees:
   Masters in Social Work, Masters in Counseling, Masters in Psychology Minimum Work Experience
   -Experience in the area(s) of individual and/or group therapy, either through employment or ----Educational Practicum Experiences preferred. Required Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities
   • Must be proficient in Windows, Word, and other basic computer skills.
   • Must be detail oriented and thorough in order to ensure the complex
   • Must be able to communicate well with a wide variety of contacts at all levels of the organization and with external organizations.
   • Maintains strict confidentiality with regard to protected health information and provider information
   • Must display a commitment to the Code of Ethics of their governing boards
   • Must maintain licensure to practice clinical services through their state governing board. If licensure is not present at employment, the employee would be required to obtain a temporary permit to practice, if possible, and obtain full licensure within 6 months of employment. Regardless, licensure is required to provide clinical services to patients and families
   • The primary therapist is responsible for maintaining the required CEUs and ongoing education to maintain their license

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right primary therapist 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 primary therapists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit primary therapists 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 primary therapist job on Zippia to find and recruit primary therapist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit primary therapists, 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 primary therapist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the primary therapist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new primary therapist. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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 primary therapist?