How to hire a referral coordinator

How to hire a referral coordinator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step referral coordinator hiring guide:

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

What does a referral coordinator do?

Post a referral coordinator job for free, promote it for a fee

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your referral coordinator 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 referral coordinator 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 referral coordinator's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, referral coordinators 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 referral coordinators and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Referral Coordinator	Description	Hourly rate
   Referral Coordinator	Secretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.	$12-21
   Medical Scheduler	A medical scheduler typically works with patients to coordinate appointment dates and times with health care professionals. Medical schedulers often work in hospitals, outpatient care centers, and other medical practices... Show more	$12-18
   Medical Receptionist	Medical receptionists are responsible for manning the front desk at a medical facility such as a clinic or a hospital. They manage schedules and appointments in the clinic or hospital... Show more	$12-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Customer Service
   • Medical Terminology
   • Patient Care
   • Data Entry
   • EMR
   • CPT
   • Insurance Verification
   • Patient Referrals
   • Patient Demographics
   • Phone Calls
   • Appointment Scheduling
   • Home Health
   • HIPAA

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Establish rapport with all PCP offices, hospital personnel, and manage care representatives.
   • Ensure CPT and ICD-9 coding are accurate and complete according to AMA's guidelines and for third party intermediaries.
   • Contact medical insurance companies and provide ICD-9 diagnosis and CPT procedure codes for patient's illness, condition or injury.
   • Apply ICD-9 and CPT-4 codes to complete referral requests online or via fax.
   • Conduct the entire office's EHR process and create a system to track old and new patient's records.
   • Incorporate core organizational values of quality, respect, integrity, partnership, and compassion in all activities and decisions.

   More referral coordinator duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average referral coordinator salary

   $35,179yearly

   $16.91 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level referral coordinator salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average referral coordinator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Maine	$50,579	$24
   2	New York	$47,961	$23
   3	Alaska	$44,313	$21
   4	Massachusetts	$44,265	$21
   5	Washington	$43,672	$21
   6	Minnesota	$41,778	$20
   7	Maryland	$40,670	$20
   8	Michigan	$40,484	$19
   9	Oregon	$39,702	$19
   10	New Jersey	$38,360	$18
   11	California	$38,163	$18
   12	Virginia	$37,948	$18
   13	Colorado	$37,373	$18
   14	Pennsylvania	$37,123	$18
   15	Illinois	$36,753	$18
   16	New Mexico	$36,500	$18
   17	Ohio	$35,535	$17
   18	Missouri	$34,792	$17
   19	Indiana	$34,749	$17
   20	North Carolina	$33,735	$16

   Average referral coordinator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Horizon Laser Vision	$48,618	$23.37
   2	University of California-Berkeley	$46,773	$22.49
   3	Conviva	$45,684	$21.96
   4	UC Merced	$44,625	$21.45
   5	UC Santa Barbara	$43,845	$21.08
   6	University of California	$43,375	$20.85	58
   7	STG International	$41,664	$20.03	14
   8	Tufts Medical Center	$41,447	$19.93
   9	Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs	$41,270	$19.84
   10	Boston Medical Center	$41,186	$19.80	9
   11	Oregon Health & Science University	$40,675	$19.56	3
   12	Chippewa Valley Schools	$40,324	$19.39	3
   13	PHMC	$39,572	$19.02	1
   14	True Care Home Care	$39,548	$19.01	9
   15	AspenPointe Enterprises	$39,529	$19.00
   16	Central City Concern	$39,377	$18.93
   17	The Behavioral Center of Michigan	$39,281	$18.89
   18	Amicus Therapeutics	$39,210	$18.85
   19	Concentra	$39,185	$18.84	15
   20	ASRC Federal	$39,179	$18.84

4. Writing a referral coordinator job description

   A job description for a referral coordinator role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a referral coordinator job description:

   Referral coordinator job description example

   CHA East Cambridge Care Center Work Days: 8am-4:30pm Category: Clerical and Administrative Support Department: CHA PACE Job Type: Full time Work Shift: Day Hours/Week: 40.00 Union: Yes Union Name: SH Laborers 381 The CHA PACE plan is a Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) at Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA). CHA PACE serves adults 55 years and older with chronic medical and/or mental health difficulties with the goals of achieving the highest level of community independence and preventing nursing home placement. CHA PACE's high functioning interdisciplinary team works to fully integrate and coordinate medical and behavioral health care, community resources, and in home support services. The Referral Management Coordinator will provide on-site, pro-active management of referrals at CHA health centers. The referral manager provides excellent customer service to patients and assists in achieving appropriate care at the most convenient time. The Referral Management Coordinator will also manage the referral process at the primary care site to match CHA standards for referrals. Job Responsibilities 1. Enter authorization numbers into referral authorization systems (to be determined).
   2. Communicate assigned referral information and/or necessary decision data to providers.
   3. File all documents in patient's medical record according to the established format.
   4. Run daily/weekly Referral Management reports for the Referral Management Director.
   5. Assist in the collection of referral utilization data.
   6. Work directly with patients via the telephone to confirm and resolve issues regarding the primary care physician's referral. Add patients to CHA primary care provider panels as necessary.
   7. Fax and track all referrals and certificates of medical necessity.
   8. Confirm and book specialty/ambulatory appointments.
   9. Assist with the implementation of all new referral management processes and programs in accordance with CHA business initiatives of providing quality customer service to all customers.
   10. Develop workflow with providers to assure turnaround times standards are met. Research all referral cases that are pending and unable to be processed for payment.
   11. Maintain frequent communication with Manager with respect to operational problems and/or issues that lack clear guidelines or precedents.
   12. Accountable for measurement targets (to be determined).
   13. Perform all job functions in compliance with all Federal, State, Local and CHA policies Requirements: Bachelor's degree or equivalent preferred
   Work Experience: A minimum of 2 years administrative or office experience, preferably in a medical setting. An effective team player with strong inter-personal skills. Must have demonstrated ability to maintain dynamic and responsive interactions with patients, insurers and medical professionals. Demonstrated ability to work and make decisions in a fast-paced environment. Proficient in Microsoft Office and other windows-based computer application programs.
   In keeping with federal, state and local laws, Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) policy forbids employees and associates to discriminate against anyone based on race, religion, color, gender, age, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by law. We are committed to establishing and maintaining a workplace free of discrimination. We are fully committed to equal employment opportunity. We will not tolerate unlawful discrimination in the recruitment, hiring, termination, promotion, salary treatment or any other condition of employment or career development. Furthermore, we will not tolerate the use of discriminatory slurs, or other remarks, jokes or conduct, that in the judgment of CHA, encourage or permit an offensive or hostile work environment.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit referral coordinators, 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you 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 referral coordinator

   Once you've selected the best referral coordinator candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new referral coordinator. 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.

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 referral coordinator?