How to hire a rehab aide

How to hire a rehab aide, step by step

Here's a step-by-step rehab aide hiring guide:

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

Post a rehab aide job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The rehab aide hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a rehab aide to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a rehab aide that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of rehab aides and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Rehab Aide	Description	Hourly rate
   Rehab Aide	Physical therapist assistants, sometimes called PTAs, and physical therapist aides work under the direction and supervision of physical therapists. They help patients who are recovering from injuries and illnesses regain movement and manage pain.	$10-16
   Physical Therapy Technician	A physical therapy technician supports both the physical therapists and their physical therapy assistants in planning and implementing patient care. You are expected to perform varied duties and responsibilities that include responding to patients' requests for assistance, assisting with patient preparation before treatment, and maintaining the equipment used by the physical therapist during treatment sessions... Show more	$9-28
   Rehabilitation Technician	A rehabilitation technician is responsible for assisting therapists and other medical personnel on supporting the patients in their daily activities and physical therapy sessions. Rehabilitation technicians provide high-quality care services for the patients by administering medications, accompanying them on medical appointments, and ensuring the cleanliness and orderliness of all equipment and facilities to prevent hazards within the premises... Show more	$11-17

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Rehabilitation
   • Scheduling Appointments
   • Splints
   • CPR
   • Compassion
   • Occupational Therapy
   • Direct Supervision
   • Slings
   • Electrical Stimulation
   • Data Entry
   • Customer Service
   • Patient Treatment
   • Physical Therapy Treatment

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Assist therapists with exercises, transfers, and ADL's.
   • Perform therapeutic ultrasounds, electrical muscle stimulation, Iontophoresis and DRS on patients as needed.
   • Administer prescribe therapeutic exercise for patients with cervical, lumbar, shoulder, hip and knee injuries.
   • Provide pre-therapy moist heat, set up patients on various machines, and deliver cryotherapy to patients.
   • Assist patients with exercises using crutches and a variety of physical/ occupational and wheelchair chair clinic equipment.
   • Provide patients with instruction for exercises (including home programs), thermotherapy, cryotherapy, and electrotherapy.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, rehab aides' average salary in alabama is 28% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level rehab aides 38% less than senior-level rehab aides.
   • Certifications. A rehab aide 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 rehab aide's salary.

   Average rehab aide salary

   $13.00hourly

   $27,050 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level rehab aide salary

   $21,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

4. Writing a rehab aide job description

   A good rehab aide 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 rehab aide job description:

   Rehab aide job description example

   The Advanced Practice Provider (APP) on the PMR works in collaboration with a multidisciplinary health care team throughout the continuum of care. The complexity of the physical medicine and rehab population requires an in depth knowledge of the multiple aspects of rehabilitation (and its subspecialties) and the ability to develop a thorough health care plan for the patients seen in this space. On occasion the APP who functions primarily in the inpatient areas may perform some coordination of outpatient follow-up after discharge. The APP may be involved in procedures as appropriate. The APP has a strong foundation in evidenced-based practice and education and has a responsibility for ensuring an environment of safe quality care. The APP demonstrates an advanced level of medical knowledge, clinical and technical competency, sound clinical judgment, professionalism as it relates to interpersonal and general communication skills, timely and compliant documentation, and takes responsibility for ongoing professional development and competency validation.
   
   The University of Kentucky considers the health, safety and well-being of our entire community to be a top priority. In alignment with this priority, all new hires must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or obtain an approved medical or religious exemption as a condition of employment. For areas that fall under the federal CMS mandate, start of employment cannot occur until two weeks after receiving the full COVID-19 vaccination series or upon obtaining an approved exemption. Only vaccines approved by the World Health Organization can be accepted.
   Skills / Knowledge / Abilities
   
   N/A
   
   Does this position have supervisory responsibilities? No Preferred Education/Experience
   
   Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certification (ACNP) preferred
   
   Deadline to Apply 10/23/2022 University Community of Inclusion
   
   The University of Kentucky is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce by ensuring all our students, faculty, and staff work in an environment of openness and acceptance. We strive to foster a community where people of all backgrounds, identities, and perspectives can feel secure and welcome. We also value the well-being of each of our employees and are dedicated to creating a healthy place to work, learn and live. In the interest of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our students, employees, patients and visitors the University of Kentucky is a Tobacco & Drug Free campus.
   
   As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we strongly encourage veterans, individuals with disabilities, women, and all minorities to consider our employment opportunities.
   
   Any candidate offered a position may be required to pass pre-employment screenings as mandated by University of Kentucky Human Resources. These screenings may include a national background check and/or drug screen.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right rehab aide 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 rehab aides they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit rehab aides 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 rehab aide job on Zippia to find and recruit rehab aide candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting rehab aides requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   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 rehab aide

   Once you've selected the best rehab aide 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 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 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a rehab aide?