How to hire a veterinary receptionist

How to hire a veterinary receptionist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step veterinary receptionist hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The veterinary receptionist 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 veterinary receptionist 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 veterinary receptionist that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of veterinary receptionists.

   Type of Veterinary Receptionist	Description	Hourly rate
   Veterinary Receptionist	Receptionists perform administrative tasks, such as answering phones, receiving visitors, and providing general information about their organization to the public and customers.	$12-17
   Medical Scheduler	A medical scheduler typically works with patients to coordinate appointment dates and times with health care professionals. Medical schedulers often work in hospitals, outpatient care centers, and other medical practices... Show more	$12-18
   Front Desk Coordinator	A Front-Desk Coordinator is the point of contact in a commercial establishment or building such as offices, clinics, salons, and even government agencies. The primary responsibility of a Front-Desk Coordinator is to greet and assist clients of their needs, such as filling-up registrations, appointing schedules, directing clients, and bridging information in a building... Show more	$12-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • PET
   • Customer Service
   • Client Service
   • Patients
   • Processing Payments
   • Exam Rooms
   • Booking
   • Medical Terminology
   • Compassion
   • Medical History
   • Cornerstone
   • Animal Hospital
   • Appointment Scheduling
   • Front Desk

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
   • Interact with other veterinary offices regarding mutual clients in regard pet medical history.
   • Coordinate room rentals and reservations.
   • Certify CPR instructor-provide in-house training for all staff and physicians.
   • Schedule tee times, take reservations, answer calls and assist customers
   • Organize files and keep them up to date while closely following HIPAA regulations.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, veterinary receptionists' average salary in louisiana is 42% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level veterinary receptionists earn 32% less than senior-level veterinary receptionists.
   • Certifications. A veterinary receptionist 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 veterinary receptionist's salary.

   Average veterinary receptionist salary

   $14.72hourly

   $30,620 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level veterinary receptionist salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

4. Writing a veterinary receptionist job description

   A veterinary receptionist 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 veterinary receptionist job description:

   Veterinary receptionist job description example

   If you have always dreamt of being a sleuth, joining our receptionist team might be for you. In this position, you have to understand the body language of both humans and animals, decipher medical records, and work diligently to create a smooth-running hospital. We are seeking a person who enjoys working hard but understands attention to detail is paramount. Successful Veterinary Receptionist applicants should be able to demonstrate a history of the following skills:
   Background in customer/client care. Strong attention to detail. Excellent verbal and written skills. Act professionally under varying circumstances, including but not limited to welcoming new puppies and kittens to the world, greeting regular patients, and handling emergencies.
   The purpose of this position is to facilitate serving all our client's and patient's needs in a manner that consistently exceeds our client's expectations.
   
   You will be expected to:
   Greet clients on the phone and in person Schedule appointments Perform record keeping and clerical duties related to animal patient care and treatment Facilitate pet care education to our clients Provide support to medical team, and more
   This position requires a practical knowledge of hospital organization, services and products, data transcribing, word processing, and a practical knowledge of standard procedures, veterinary records, and terminology used in the hospital. Experience is definitely preferred but not necessary.
   
   ** Schedule includes week days and Saturdays. ?
   
   Please submit a cover letter and resume to be considered for this position.
   
   Due to high response rates, we may not contact all applicants.
   
   This is a great opportunity to join an outstanding practice and start or build your career in the veterinary field!
   
   We take employee wellbeing seriously and offer competitive compensation, medical benefits (including health, dental and vision), 401(k), training, a family friendly atmosphere and more.
   
   We look forward to hearing from you!

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right veterinary receptionist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with veterinary receptionists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit veterinary receptionists who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit veterinary receptionists, 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 veterinary receptionist

   Once you've found the veterinary receptionist 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 and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you 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 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 veterinary receptionist 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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