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Referral specialist salary

Average referral specialist salary

$36,143

$17.38 hourly rate

Entry-level referral specialist salary
$29,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Average Referral Specialist Salary

The current average salary for a Referral Specialist is $36,143 annually. This figure represents the baseline for many professionals in the field, but actual earnings can differ significantly based on various factors.

Salary by Experience

Entry-level Referral Specialists typically start with lower salaries, while those with several years of experience can earn upwards of $45,000. Experience level plays a crucial role in salary progression.

State Variations

Different states offer varying salaries for Referral Specialists. For instance, states with higher living costs tend to provide more competitive salaries. Researching specific states can yield insights into where professionals earn the most.

Highest Paying Opportunities

Positions within specialized healthcare facilities or large medical organizations often command higher salaries. Networking and applying for jobs in these sectors can be beneficial for maximizing earnings.

For those considering a career as a Referral Specialist, leveraging this salary information is vital for making informed career decisions. Check Zippia for job openings and salary insights across the United States.

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Where can a Referral Specialist earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
64k
44k
24k
4k
Columbus, OH$49,855
Miami, FL$33,815
Compare salary by company
Vs
69k
49k
29k
9k
Cognizant$51,074
OSF HealthCare$39,164

Referral specialist salaries by experience level

Referral specialist salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Indeed, Ziprecruiter, SalaryExpert and Comparably, the average salary for a referral specialist typically falls between $36,143 and $50,344.
zippia
$36,143yearly
indeed[1]
$40,508yearly
comparably[2]
$50,344yearly
ZipRecruiter[3]
$41,781yearly
SalaryExpert[4]
$50,019yearly

Average referral specialist salary by state

The highest-paying states for referral specialists are Connecticut, Minnesota, and Alaska. The lowest average referral specialist salary states are Utah, Louisiana, and Oklahoma.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for referral specialists

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Alaska$42,305$20.34
2Connecticut$44,526$21.41
3Vermont$41,970$20.18
4Massachusetts$41,237$19.83
5Pennsylvania$37,907$18.22
6Washington$39,335$18.91
7New Hampshire$37,803$18.17
8Minnesota$44,525$21.41
9Maine$35,743$17.18
10District of Columbia$49,833$23.96
11Delaware$40,525$19.48
12Rhode Island$37,978$18.26
13Alabama$37,692$18.12
14Virginia$39,826$19.15
15Wisconsin$34,892$16.77
16Kentucky$37,061$17.82
17Maryland$40,524$19.48
18North Carolina$36,449$17.52
19Michigan$35,332$16.99
20New York$38,927$18.71
21Oregon$36,379$17.49
22West Virginia$33,921$16.31
23Arizona$34,607$16.64
24California$39,421$18.95
25Kansas$35,832$17.23
26Arkansas$33,392$16.05
27Illinois$35,296$16.97
28New Jersey$36,379$17.49
29North Dakota$34,075$16.38
30Tennessee$33,805$16.25
31Florida$33,680$16.19
32Indiana$33,909$16.30
33Iowa$33,542$16.13
34Wyoming$33,537$16.12
35South Dakota$33,432$16.07
36Georgia$34,834$16.75
37Colorado$34,359$16.52
38Missouri$34,302$16.49
39South Carolina$34,162$16.42
40Nebraska$33,348$16.03
41Ohio$33,011$15.87
42Nevada$33,625$16.17
43Louisiana$31,558$15.17
44Idaho$33,380$16.05
45Hawaii$29,976$14.41
46Texas$31,847$15.31
47Oklahoma$31,492$15.14
48New Mexico$32,302$15.53
49Utah$31,602$15.19
50Montana$30,548$14.69
51Mississippi$26,308$12.65

Highest paying cities for referral specialists

The highest-paying cities for referral specialists are Washington, DC, Eagan, MN, and Boston, MA.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Washington, DC$49,855$23.97
2Eagan, MN$44,428$21.36
3Boston, MA$41,278$19.85
4Baltimore, MD$40,631$19.53
5Vancouver, WA$39,536$19.01
6Sacramento, CA$39,519$19.00
7New York, NY$38,925$18.71
8Providence, RI$37,976$18.26
9Manchester, NH$37,841$18.19
10Harrisburg, PA$37,727$18.14
11Greenville, NC$36,742$17.66
12Springfield, OR$36,492$17.54
13Portland, ME$35,842$17.23
14Chicago, IL$35,321$16.98
15Atlanta, GA$34,834$16.75
16Phoenix, AZ$34,623$16.65
17Denver, CO$34,369$16.52
18Saint Louis, MO$34,294$16.49
19Columbia, SC$34,162$16.42
20Miami, FL$33,815$16.26

Referral specialist salary details

A referral specialist's salary ranges from $29,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $43,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average referral specialist salary graph
Average referral specialist salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a referral specialist's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$43,000$3,583$21
75th Percentile$40,000$3,333$19
Average$36,143$3,012$17
25th Percentile$32,000$2,667$15
10th Percentile$29,000$2,417$14

Highest paying referral specialist jobs

The highest paying types of referral specialists are specialist, credentialing specialist, and scheduler.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Scheduler$40,565$3,380$19.5056,890
Patient Care Representative$33,709$2,809$16.21133,317
Medical Office Administrator$34,252$2,854$16.47179,503
Medical Scheduler$32,201$2,683$15.4867,831
Referral Coordinator$35,179$2,932$16.9165,934

Which companies pay referral specialists the most?

Referral specialist salaries at Cognizant and The University of Chicago are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average referral specialist salary at companies like Southcoast Health and Medical University of South Carolina are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1Cognizant$51,074$24.55
2The University of Chicago$45,059$21.66
3Southcoast Health$43,881$21.10
4Medical University of South Carolina$43,681$21.00
5ASRC Federal$42,160$20.27
6Care New England Health System$41,668$20.03
7Grene Vision Group$41,491$19.95
8Mayo Clinic$41,345$19.88
9Lifespan$40,755$19.59
10Sutter Health$40,728$19.58
11Progressive Community Health Centers$40,572$19.51
12Teaneck High School$40,455$19.45
13East Texas Council Of Governments$40,122$19.29
14Loudoun County Social Svc$40,110$19.28
15City of Hope$40,088$19.27
16John Muir Health$39,882$19.17
17Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County$39,722$19.10
18Shriners Hospitals for Children$39,498$18.99
19Boston ElderINFO$39,492$18.99
20OSF HealthCare$39,164$18.83

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$38,000$37,600$37,200$36,800$36,400$36,000
MaleFemale

Referral Specialist salary by industry

The average referral specialist salary varies across industries:

  • The average referral specialist salary in the non profits industry is $37,335, the highest of any industry.
  • The average referral specialist salary in the finance industry is $36,639.
  • Referral specialists in the insurance industry earn an average salary of $34,848, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for referral specialists

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Non Profits$37,335$17.95
2Pharmaceutical$36,639$17.61
3Health Care$36,047$17.33
4Insurance$34,848$16.75

High paying referral specialist jobs

Referral specialist salary trends

The average referral specialist salary has risen by $6,087 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average referral specialist earned $30,056 annually, but today, they earn $36,143 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for referral specialists over the last decade.

Compare referral specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average referral specialist salary over time

Compare referral specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Referral specialist salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2026$36,100$17.38+2.1%
2025$35,400$17.02+2.2%
2024$34,600$16.64+3.2%
2023$33,500$16.10+2.5%
2022$32,600$15.69+2.0%

Recently added referral specialist salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
SutterhealthTransfer & Referral SpecialistSacramento, CA06/30/2025$69,414
North ClinicReferral SpecialistBrooklyn Park, MN06/29/2025$38,610
Mact Health Board Inc.Referral SpecialistSonora, CA06/29/2025$53,344
Hawaii Island Community Health CenterReferrals SpecialistHawaii06/29/2025$40,697
ToolworksAging and Disability Resource Center (Adrc) Information & Referral SpecialistSan Francisco, CA06/28/2025$50,088
Confederated Tribes and Bands of The Yakama NationReferral Specialist/Benefits Coordinator-PRCToppenish, WA06/28/2025$44,057
Choice Healthcare ServicesPedo-Ortho Referral SpecialistSan Francisco, CA06/27/2025$37,566
Us Oncology, Inc.MOA Referral SpecialistPeoria, IL06/26/2025$33,392
Anthos HomeReferral Coordination SpecialistNew York, NY06/26/2025$65,000
Yakama Nation Tribal SchoolReferral Specialist/Benefits Coordinator-PRCToppenish, WA06/26/2025$44,057

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