Research Summary. Here are some key points about hiring rehab technicians in the United States:

  • There are currently 50,330 rehab technicians in the US, as well as 27,969 job openings.
  • Rehab technicians are in the highest demand in Baltimore, MD, with 14 current job openings.
  • The median cost to hire a rehab technician is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new rehab technician to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

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How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Rehab Technician

Hiring a rehab technician comes with both the one-time cost per hire and ongoing costs. The cost of recruiting rehab technicians involves promoting the job and spending time conducting interviews. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider the cost of rehab technician recruiting as well the ongoing costs of maintaining the new employee.

You can expect to pay around $28,505 per year for a rehab technician, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for rehab technicians in the US typically range between $10 and $17 an hour.

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How to hire a Rehab Technician, step by step

To hire a rehab technician, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a rehab technician:

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

1
Identify Your Needs

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

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

Here's a comparison of the average salaries of common rehab technician roles:

Type Of Rehab TechnicianDescriptionHourly Rate
Rehab TechnicianPhysical 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.$10-17
Physical Therapy AidePhysical therapy aides are employed under physical therapists' direction. They typically perform non-medical tasks, including helping with patient intake, setting up treatment rooms, and assisting with patient transportation to another health care facility... Show More$3-56
Rehabilitation AideA rehabilitation aide is responsible for assisting patients with injuries, mental disorders, and illnesses in their treatment plans and medications. Rehabilitation aides monitor the patients' progress and update attending physicians regarding their conditions... Show More$10-16

2
Create An Ideal Candidate Profile

Before you draft a rehab technician job description, imagine the ideal employee for the role and begin creating a profile. What are they proficient in and what sort of background do they have?

Here is a list of skills that are commonly associated with rehab technician:

Common Skills:
  • Patients
  • Physical Therapy
  • Rehabilitation
  • Customer Service
  • CPR
  • Cleanliness
  • Direct Supervision
  • Taking Care
  • Therapy Sessions
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Clerical Tasks
  • Acute Care
  • Direct Patient Care
  • ADL
Check All Skills

Here are the responsibilities that most rehab technicians perform:

Responsibilities:
  • Make rounds for walkers and wheelchairs for patients.
  • Assist therapist with transfers, monitoring of splints, hot packs, and modalities.
  • Prepare patients for therapy sessions and assist patients to put on devices such as braces and splints.
  • Maintain and clean medical equipment, interact with staff and patients, and occasionally cover the reception desk.Skills UsedCNA and CPR
  • Provide nursing and orthopedic patient care for stroke patients, assisting with rehabilitation, medication and recovery knowledge.
  • Assist physical therapists in the rehabilitation of patients by providing exercise programs and proper treatment for healthy injury recovery.
Check all Duties

Cultural fit is also an essential factor that you shouldn't overlook. Consider how your perfect rehab technician will contribute to the team dynamic and help grow the team's culture in a positive way. If you can include a clear vision of this in your rehab technician job description, it'll help attract candidates who are better suited for the position.

Most Common States For Rehab Technicians In The US

Rank #State# Of Jobs% of PopulationAvg. Salary
1Massachusetts1,04615%$26,522
2Illinois1,0418%$28,396
3New Jersey7508%$26,684
4Missouri5679%$25,083
5Indiana5408%$24,798

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3
Make A Budget

Including a salary range in the job description can help attract top candidates to the position. A rehab technician salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience and seniority of the candidate, any certifications they may hold, and the prestige of the company they will be working for. For example, the average salary for a rehab technician in Mississippi may be lower than in Colorado, and an entry-level rehab technician may earn less than a senior-level rehab technician. Additionally, a rehab technician with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

Updated March 16, 2023

Rehab Technician Salary Estimate

$13.70hourly

$28,505 yearly

Entry level Salary
$22,000 yearly

Rehab Technician Average Salary By Location

RankStateAvg. SalaryHourly RateJob Count
1California$32,915$16
2Colorado$31,626$151
3Oregon$30,038$14
4Illinois$28,619$14
5Nevada$27,102$13

Rehab Technician Average Salary By Company

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1University of California-Berkeley$47,071$22.63
2Minnesota State Fair$36,700$17.6411
3Encompass Health$33,465$16.09329
4Mayo Clinic$33,385$16.0528
5Saint Luke's Health System$32,879$15.811
6Fairview Health Services$32,844$15.797
7Cook Children's Medical Center$32,818$15.78
8Lexington Medical Center$32,545$15.65
9Health First$32,360$15.566
10Nebraska Methodist Health System$32,041$15.40
11Dignity Health$31,934$15.3525
12PeaceHealth$31,812$15.293
13Conemaugh Health System$31,546$15.171
14Aurora Cares LLC$31,542$15.16
15Tenet Healthcare$31,433$15.1184
16OSF HealthCare$31,272$15.039
17Spectrum Health$31,157$14.986
18SSM Health$31,092$14.9515
19Connecticut Children's Medical Center$30,978$14.8912
20The University of Kansas Health System$30,965$14.892

4
Writing a Rehab Technician Job Description

A good rehab technician 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 technician job description:

Example of Full Job Description

Looking for an opportunity to work as a driver and help care for patients? Working as a Driver/Rehab Tech at our facility is a great place to begin your journey.

Working with us means being part of something special: A team that is passionate about making an impact on our patients’ lives each and every day. Our facility offers you the unique opportunity to walk alongside patients on their road to recovery from many different conditions. As you care for and help patients achieve goals and regain independence, you can form significant relationships with them and celebrate the successes they experience along the way. The facility will assist the individual with becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant, required within 4 months of employment.

Provides courtesy transportation services to residents and provides routine daily nursing care to assigned residents in accordance with applicable state and federal laws and regulations as well as facility’s established nursing care guidelines.

Basic Qualifications Education & Certification: High school diploma or equivalent; successfully completed a state-approved Certified Nursing Assistance program, possess a current certification in good standing or be able to obtain certification within four months of employment, if allowable by the state; must have CPR certification.

Skills & Requirements: Must possess the ability to read, write and speak the English language, communicate resident condition to others and make independent decisions as needed; must have common working knowledge of all rules, laws and regulations as defined by the state as it relates to transportation and skilled nursing services; must be patient, friendly, courteous and respectful to residents in any situation, including difficult ones; must be able to move frequently throughout the workday, answer resident call bells, assist with toileting, feeding and personal grooming of the residents; must be able to handle sensitive situations related to the emotional well-being of the residents with patience, dignity and respect; must be able to lift 40 lbs floor to waist; lift 10 lbs waist to shoulder; lift and carry 40 lbs; and push/pull 40 lbs.

Experience: Minimum of six months experience in a long-term care or other geriatric care environment is preferred; must have a valid driver’s license in good standing in the state where employed.
Qualifications: High school diploma or GED Good listening skills Excellent customer service, energized individual with compassion for assisting others Willing to improve their standing by obtaining the Nurse Assistant certification (C.N.A.). Certification training is paid for by our organization. 18 years of age or older Ability to read, write and speak in English Bilingual is a plus We offer the following benefits for you and your family: Competitive Wages Blue Cross Blue Shield Health Insurance Dental Insurance, Life Insurance, Vision Insurance Paid Holidays and Paid Vacation

5
Post A Job

There are various strategies that you can use to find the right rehab technician 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 rehab technician job on Zippia to find and recruit rehab technician 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 Process

Recruiting rehab technicians involves bringing your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they introduce 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.

It's also a good idea to ask about candidates' special skills and talents to see if they map with 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 Rehab Technician

Once you've found the rehab technician candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary, as well as the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer needs to be competitive if you really like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

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 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 Checklist For The Hiring Process

  • 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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Hiring Rehab Technicians FAQs

How Much Does A Good Rehab Technician Cost?

A good rehab technician costs $13.7 an hour in the US. However, it can vary based on factors such as the rehab technician experience, abilities, industry, and the specific requirements of your business.

What Are The Duties Of A Rehab Technician?

The duties of a rehab technician are:
  • Make rounds for walkers and wheelchairs for patients.
  • Assist therapist with transfers, monitoring of splints, hot packs, and modalities.
  • Prepare patients for therapy sessions and assist patients to put on devices such as braces and splints.

Should I Hire A Rehab Technician With No Experience?

Yes, you should hire a rehab technician with no experience. Hiring an entry-level rehab technician with no experience offers versatility for your team. They may lack some qualifications, but are adaptable and have not yet formed problematic habits. However, more training may be required compared to experienced.

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