How to hire a respite care provider

How to hire a respite care provider, step by step

Here's a step-by-step respite care provider hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a respite care provider, 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?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect respite care provider also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of respite care providers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Respite Care Provider	Description	Hourly rate
   Respite Care Provider	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.	$9-17
   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
   Aide	Aides are personal employees of their clients who commonly have health issues that render them unable to do certain tasks. They help out their clients with activities they may need assistance in... Show more	$10-16

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CPR
   • ABA
   • Autism
   • Child Care
   • Applied Behavior Analysis
   • Developmental Disabilities
   • Autistic Children
   • Direct Care
   • Behavioral Disorders
   • Community Outings
   • Meal Preparation
   • Military Families
   • Respite Care
   • Cerebral Palsy

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Aid and facilitate higher functioning patients reach their fullest potential while managing behavioral episodes as needed.
   • Certify as head agency trainer for CPR and first aid.
   • Assist with medication, ADL's, and recreational activities within the home.
   • Promote care for disable individuals, helping with their ADL's and IADL's.
   • Complete ongoing mandatory training and periodic renewal of specific certifications such as CPR, first aid, OIS, etc.
   • Provide emotional and physical support to caregivers of children with autism.

   More respite care provider duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, respite care providers' average salary in florida is 37% less than in oregon.
   • Seniority. Entry-level respite care providers 47% less than senior-level respite care providers.
   • Certifications. A respite care provider 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 respite care provider's salary.

   Average respite care provider salary

   $12.87hourly

   $26,773 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level respite care provider salary

   $19,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

   Average respite care provider salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$30,435	$15
   2	New York	$29,253	$14
   3	Massachusetts	$29,105	$14
   4	Colorado	$27,451	$13
   5	Nebraska	$26,637	$13
   6	District of Columbia	$25,239	$12
   7	Arizona	$25,224	$12
   8	Wisconsin	$24,573	$12
   9	Indiana	$23,582	$11
   10	North Carolina	$23,464	$11
   11	Idaho	$23,310	$11
   12	Utah	$22,789	$11
   13	Iowa	$22,525	$11
   14	Texas	$20,943	$10

   Average respite care provider salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	University of California-Berkeley	$46,475	$22.34	1
   2	University of California	$38,730	$18.62	37
   3	UC Santa Barbara	$38,021	$18.28
   4	Pediatric Associates, Inc.	$32,924	$15.83
   5	Nebraska Methodist Health System	$31,265	$15.03	1
   6	Dignity Health	$30,864	$14.84	84
   7	Easterseals Crossroads	$30,513	$14.67
   8	CARE	$30,421	$14.63	92
   9	ChildServe	$30,076	$14.46	9
   10	Spindletop Mental Health	$29,971	$14.41	2
   11	UNC Health Care	$29,850	$14.35	115
   12	Jackson Physician Search	$29,606	$14.23	2
   13	Citizen Advocates Inc	$29,407	$14.14	6
   14	Stanford Health Care	$29,396	$14.13	51
   15	Summit Educational Group	$28,953	$13.92	7
   16	Integrated Life Choices	$28,716	$13.81	25
   17	Universal Health Services	$28,680	$13.79	55
   18	Consultants for Children	$28,400	$13.65
   19	Carle Foundation	$28,192	$13.55	100
   20	Brattleboro Memorial Hospital	$28,165	$13.54	3

4. Writing a respite care provider job description

   A respite care provider job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a respite care provider job description:

   Respite care provider job description example

   Looking for a job that makes a difference in the lives of local families?
   
   LSI currently seeks part-time (up to 29hrs/week) Respi t e Providers to provide respite care services in the Council Bluffs area. (Providing services in Pottawattamie County.) The purpose of respite care is to give the parent or primary caregiver a break from the daily responsibilities of caring for a child or adult with a disability.
   
   Flexible hours! You set your own schedule working directly with families and can work from home after initial trainings. This position is great for college students, builds experience, and it is great for someone looking to give back or have a little extra supplemental income. Most hours are evening and weekends. Consistent communication required.
   
   DUTIES
   This position provides all care required to a child or adult with a disability while their parent or guardian is absent, while maintaining a safe and nurturing home-based environment. Special consideration may be given to applicants who are requested by the client or their family.
   
   Respite Providers who have not been requested by a client or their family will be matched with clients who are approved for services. These Respite Providers will conduct respite care in the client's home, for a maximum of 16 hours per day.
   
   The Respite Provider position will not have any guaranteed or set hours. There may be extended periods of time with no hours being worked. In many situations a respite provider may work a few hours one day and then not work again for several weeks or months. All hours worked by a Respite Provider are at the request of the family and respite is often provided in the afternoons, evening and on weekends.
   
   QUALIFICATIONS
   Qualified applicants will have a high school diploma or GED. Experience working with people with disabilities preferred.
   
   This position requires a valid driver's license, auto insurance, a good driving record and the ability to pass an extensive background check including checks of the Dependent Adult and Child Abuse registries, Sex Offender registry and a criminal history check.
   
   It's their life. It's your career.
   
   Make a difference in both at LSI!

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit respite care providers, 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 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 respite care provider

   Once you've selected the best respite care provider 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 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.

   To prepare for the new respite care provider first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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