How to hire a therapy program manager

How to hire a therapy program manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step therapy program manager hiring guide:

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

What does a therapy program manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The therapy program manager 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 therapy program manager 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 therapy program manager that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of therapy program managers.

   Type of Therapy Program Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Therapy Program Manager	Medical and health services managers, also called healthcare executives or healthcare administrators, plan, direct, and coordinate medical and health services. They might manage an entire facility, a specific clinical area or department, or a medical practice for a group of physicians... Show more	$32-60
   Clinical Director	A clinical director is a managing professional who manages the work of healthcare providers to ensure quality patient care is achieved. Clinical directors are responsible for organizational tasks such as adjusting staff schedules, explaining insurance benefits to the patients, and managing financial reports... Show more	$30-69
   Nursing Director	A nursing director's role is to oversee and evaluate all nurse staff in a hospital or organization, ensuring their efficiency at providing care towards patients. A nursing director's responsibilities mainly revolve around administrative tasks such as coordinating with physicians and other consultants, producing reports, conducting assessments, managing the budget and expenditures, and resolving issues... Show more	$30-56

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Customer Service
   • Respiratory Care
   • Acute Care
   • Respiratory Therapy
   • Rehabilitation
   • Staff Development
   • Direct Patient Care
   • Clinical Operations
   • Regulatory Compliance
   • Physical Therapy
   • Oversight
   • MDS
   • Patient Care

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead a team of thirty-five (35) FTE.
   • Manage a staff of 9 therapists in a CCRC setting including a 169 bed SNF.
   • Achieve employee performance and satisfaction providing supervision supporting excellence in documentation, a collaborative approach with providers and compassion for members.
   • Initiate department quality and process improvements to meet JACHO, MCR, CMS, CARF and other governing entity requirements.
   • Provide primary physical therapy treatment to patients on caseload and complete necessary documentation for billing insurance and showing medical necessity.
   • Consider a``working manager"( PTA )

   More therapy program manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the therapy program manager job description is a good way to get more applicants. A therapy program manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a therapy program manager in Montana may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level therapy program manager. Additionally, a therapy program manager with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average therapy program manager salary

   $93,242yearly

   $44.83 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level therapy program manager salary

   $68,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average therapy program manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$122,939	$59
   2	Washington	$111,312	$54
   3	Texas	$102,303	$49
   4	Georgia	$101,916	$49
   5	Illinois	$97,463	$47
   6	New York	$96,696	$46
   7	New Jersey	$95,159	$46
   8	Arizona	$94,024	$45
   9	Pennsylvania	$90,867	$44
   10	Michigan	$89,876	$43
   11	Missouri	$89,273	$43
   12	New Mexico	$89,111	$43
   13	Ohio	$88,765	$43
   14	Florida	$85,318	$41
   15	Maryland	$84,450	$41
   16	Mississippi	$78,149	$38
   17	Colorado	$76,448	$37

   Average therapy program manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Edwards Lifesciences	$120,329	$57.85	38
   2	California Institute of Integral Studies	$99,560	$47.87
   3	Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego	$97,866	$47.05	2
   4	Concept Rehab	$97,635	$46.94	67
   5	Seattle Cancer Care Alliance	$97,410	$46.83
   6	Northwell Health	$96,772	$46.52	74
   7	National Medical Association	$96,297	$46.30
   8	Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa	$96,077	$46.19	3
   9	Medical City Arlington	$95,032	$45.69	8
   10	Fred Hutch	$94,701	$45.53
   11	Thermo Fisher Scientific	$94,330	$45.35	43
   12	American Medical Facilities Management	$93,687	$45.04
   13	Encore Rehabilitation Services	$93,279	$44.85	4
   14	Prestige Brands	$93,224	$44.82
   15	Fresenius Medical Care Windsor, LLC	$93,195	$44.81	33
   16	Piedmont Holding Inc	$93,195	$44.81	2
   17	Brightside Health	$93,149	$44.78
   18	Mission Regional Medical Center	$92,902	$44.66	23
   19	Encompass Health	$92,198	$44.33	415
   20	Dignity Health	$91,036	$43.77	116

4. Writing a therapy program manager job description

   A good therapy program manager 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 therapy program manager job description:

   Therapy program manager job description example

   This established community medical center in the Seattle Metro Area is actively interviewing for an RRT (Registered Respiratory Therapist) to lead the Respiratory Therapy Program. Join this outstanding non-profit hospital in an excellent opportunity to grow leadership and management experience.
   
   This Non-Profit Hospital in the Seattle Area is looking for a WA Licensed RRT to lead the Respiratory Therapy Program. This state of the art 250-bed Medical Center has excelled in patient care and satisfaction, earning it 5-Star Honors from the CMS and recognition as one of the top 100 hospitals in the entire country! Offering a Comprehensive Stroke Care Program, Pediatrics and Family Birth Center, and academic affiliation, this hospital will serve as a great home for the new Respiratory Therapy Manager.
   
   Reporting to the Administrative Director of Ancillary Services, the Respiratory Therapy Program Manager will lead a tenured team of Registered Respiratory Therapists, Certified Respiratory Therapists, and Polysomnographic Technologists in a fast-paced clinical department. Working alongside Nurse Leaders, Physicians and Providers, and other Ancillary Leadership, this Manager will find a culture of accountability and support.
   
   This will serve as an excellent opportunity for an RRT Supervisor or Manager to step into a larger role with more responsibilities, that will also offer serious growth potential. It's expected that someone who'd led Respiratory Therapy Teams in the past, and who performs well with the additional oversight, would quickly rise in title beyond Manager.
   
   The RRT Manager will take operational oversight of this Respiratory Therapy Program and Department. This person will lead coordination of procedures and patient flow, staffing and daily assignments, and will work with Provider / Nursing Leadership to ensure excellent patient care. The Program Management side of this role will see the Respiratory Therapy Manager maintaining compliance for DME, accreditation, and licensing for the department, as well as policy / procedure development.
   
   Importantly, the RRT Manager will serve as both a clinical and administrative resource for this Respiratory Therapy Department. This person will be on the front line of patient education and clinical care, and directly support nursing education in the process. The Manager will be a mentor and leader for a compassionate and experienced staff.
   
   The Greater Seattle Area boasts something for every type of person, from the urban attractions of the Seattle Metro Area to the natural attractions and wilds of Northern Washington State. The Respiratory Therapy Manager need only take a short drive to enjoy world renowned restaurants, casinos, legendary live music, and some of the Northwest's best wineries.
   
   If you're more of the adventurous type, you won't need to look hard to find hiking, biking, boating, beachcombing, and the beautiful slopes of Mt. Rainer. If you add all of these great factors, combined with an affordable cost-of-living, some of the best schools in the nations, and the nicest people around, the RRT Manager will understand why Greater Seattle is quickly gaining popularity among the old and the young.
   Joining this community hospital will allow the Respiratory Therapy Program Manager to make a significant impact on the daily life of the region's people. You will have many opportunities to represent the hospital as this service line grows, and you'll be rewarded for high performance with a generous benefits package and a competitive compensation.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find therapy program managers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your therapy program manager job on Zippia to find and recruit therapy program manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit therapy program managers, 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.

   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.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new therapy program manager

   Once you have selected a candidate for the therapy program manager 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new therapy program manager. 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.

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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