How to hire a resident care associate

Resident care associate hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring resident care associates in the United States:

The median cost to hire a resident care associate is $1,633.
It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
Small businesses spend $1,105 per resident care associate on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
There are a total of 988,381 resident care associates in the US, and there are currently 130,625 job openings in this field.
Louisville, KY, has the highest demand for resident care associates, with 8 job openings.

How to hire a resident care associate, step by step

To hire a resident care associate, 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 resident care associate:

Here's a step-by-step resident care associate hiring guide:

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

What does a resident care associate do?

Resident Care Associates are responsible for providing support and care to individuals living in nursing homes or assisted living facilities. Their duties include assisting residents with daily tasks such as eating, bathing, and dressing, audit care records, as well as making sure patients take their prescribed medications. They implement daily group activities, attend to medical or safety issues, and communicates any concerns to a resident's family members as required.

Learn more about the specifics of what a resident care associate does

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Identify your hiring needs

Before you start hiring a resident care associate, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

Determine employee vs contractor status

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

A resident care associate's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, resident care associates 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 resident care associate salaries for various positions.

Type of Resident Care Associate	Description	Hourly rate
Resident Care Associate	Personal care aides help clients with self-care and everyday tasks. They also provide social supports and assistance that enable clients to participate in their communities.	$11-18
Companion	A companion is responsible for assisting sick and recovered patients, as well as the elderly. Companions perform housekeeping duties, ensuring that a facility is well-maintained and safe for the use of the patients... Show more	$10-18
Home Health Aid	Home health aides provide care and assistance to patients who have chronic illnesses, injuries, disabilities, or age-related challenges inside the patient's home. They monitor the patient's condition and help them in any activity they may need assistance in... Show more	$9-17

Create an ideal candidate profile
Common skills:
- Resident Care
- Administer Medications
- RCA
- Assist Residents
- Emergency Situations
- Pathogens
- Customer Service
- Individual Service Plan
- Patients
- Orderly Environment
- Vital Signs
- CPR
- Quality Care
- Care Plan
Check all skills
Responsibilities:
- Assist Alzheimer patients with daily activities including personal care, administering medications and communicating with their families.
- Assist in rehabilitation to transfer home.
- Have been train to administer medication, CPR train, and mechanical lift train.
- Maintain cleanliness throughout med pass, and practice aseptic technique when pouring and assisting with medication.
- Assist with ADL's, medication assistance, dinning room service, answering the telephones and front desk monitoring.
- Care for residents with diagnosis such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and arthritis.
More resident care associate duties

Make a budget

Including a salary range in your resident care associate job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A resident care associate salary can vary based on several factors:

Location. For example, resident care associates' average salary in louisiana is 44% less than in oregon.
Seniority. Entry-level resident care associates earn 37% less than senior-level resident care associates.
Certifications. A resident care associate with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a resident care associate's salary.

Average resident care associate salary

$14.66hourly

$30,497 yearly

Entry-level resident care associate salary

$24,000 yearly salary

Updated January 22, 2026

Average resident care associate salary by state

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Oregon	$38,193	$18
2	Washington	$37,125	$18
3	California	$32,269	$16
4	New York	$32,065	$15
5	Maryland	$32,020	$15
6	Minnesota	$30,827	$15
7	South Dakota	$29,515	$14
8	Ohio	$28,122	$14
9	Indiana	$28,029	$13
10	Wisconsin	$27,896	$13
11	Virginia	$27,669	$13
12	Illinois	$25,575	$12
13	Tennessee	$24,943	$12
14	Georgia	$24,755	$12
15	Texas	$22,123	$11

Average resident care associate salary by company

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
1	The Philadelphia Coalition	$35,217	$16.93
2	Bozeman Health	$33,093	$15.91	11
3	Beaumont Health	$32,744	$15.74
4	Indiana University Health La Porte Hospital Inc	$32,476	$15.61	3
5	Greystar Real Estate Partners	$32,342	$15.55	2
6	CHRISTUS Health	$32,248	$15.50	49
7	Community Counseling Center	$32,079	$15.42
8	Bridge Investment Group	$30,668	$14.74
9	Trilogy Health Services	$29,608	$14.23	81
10	Medix	$29,391	$14.13	2
11	Commonwealth Senior Living	$29,293	$14.08	22
12	Interim HealthCare	$29,251	$14.06	93
13	Randall Residences	$29,218	$14.05
14	Ridgecrest Village	$29,032	$13.96
15	Corvias	$28,455	$13.68	3
16	NYU Lutheran Medical Center	$28,425	$13.67	20
17	Eagle Crest Communities	$28,238	$13.58	24
18	Living.com	$27,088	$13.02	1
19	Bozzuto's	$26,514	$12.75

Writing a resident care associate job description
A good resident care associate 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 resident care associate job description:
Resident care associate job description example
About the Resident Relocation Associate:

The Resident Relocation Associate is an experienced, highly-organized and self-disciplined professional that will work closely with and have daily contact with residents to prepare them for, and assist with, all the required relocation activities at a property undergoing an in place rehabilitation during its duration. The Resident Relocation Associate will achieve this by interfacing with and conducting operations with the owner and rehabilitation project manager for relocation timelines, the property management team for resident and unit specific needs, and third party vendors such as moving companies. The Resident Relocation Specialist will be assigned to 2 projects at a time. The ideal candidate will have a background in affordable housing property management operations, a sound budget background for tracking and reporting expenses to budget, possess excellent communication skills, and be a team player. The candidate must be capable of working remotely as well as on-site engaging residents, project team members, and third party vendors. This position will report directly to the Regional Manager of the asset undergoing renovation.

Job Responsibilities:

Survey residents to understand their needs regarding their relocation experience.

Assist in lease up of renovated units.

Support site going through renovation in all aspects including assistance with regular office duties.

Participate in or conduct activities such as leasing, inspections, resident communication, customer services, creating & utilizing organizational tools, etc.

Convene and participate in resident and community relocation program community meetings.

Draft and distribute notices to households due a relocation. Ensure all information and required notices are received by all applicable households and signatures obtained.

Provide relocation counseling and assistance that is compliant with State and Federal regulations.

Ensure a fluid flow of information for all relocation stakeholders.

Schedule and coordinate all third party relocation vendors for execution of the relocation. Observe and supervise the execution of the relocation so each household is relocated efficiently and without incident.

Execute project relocation plans in accordance with budgets. Report relocation transactions for reimbursement.

Collaborate with multiple teams to achieve a successful execution of the plan, such as Property Management Operations, Development, Construction Management, Human Resources, general contractor, and moving company.

Control and ensure the best relocation experience for residents by directing the execution of relocating residents to a temporary and/or permanent unit

Assist with and monitor any claims for damaged household goods.

Execute the required work by working remotely coordinating future work with vendors. Also being on site to meet with residents, walk units to confirm relocation needs, distribute advance notices, manage relocation activities with moving companies, and follow-up for a completely successful relocation experience.

Conduct and execute responsibilities both remotely and onsite with appropriate office equipment and information technology.

Collaborate, communicate and provide feedback for continuous improvement to the relocation plan, management and supervisor role, and resident relocation responsibilities.

Project management, accurate and timely record keeping, and ability to effectively report status and results to the community manager, regional manager, senior or executive management.

Complete all tasks identified and perform other duties as assigned.
Post your job
To find resident care associates for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:
- Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
- Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any resident care associates they would recommend.
- Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level resident care associates with the right educational background.
- Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.
Post your job online:
- Post your resident care associate job on Zippia to find and recruit resident care associate candidates who meet your exact specifications.
- Use field-specific websites.
- Post a job on free websites.
Interview candidates
Your first interview with resident care associate 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.
Send a job offer and onboard your new resident care associate
Once you have selected a candidate for the resident care associate 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 resident care associate. 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.
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 resident care associate?

Before you start to hire resident care associates, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire resident care associates pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

You can expect to pay around $30,497 per year for a resident care associate, 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 resident care associates in the US typically range between $11 and $18 an hour.

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Updated January 22, 2026

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How to hire a resident care associate