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How to hire a wellness specialist

Wellness specialist hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring wellness specialists in the United States:

  • There are a total of 28,230 wellness specialists in the US, and there are currently 8,650 job openings in this field.
  • The median cost to hire a wellness specialist is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per wellness specialist on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • Los Angeles, CA, has the highest demand for wellness specialists, with 6 job openings.

How to hire a wellness specialist, step by step

To hire a wellness specialist, consider the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Follow these steps to hire a wellness specialist:

Here's a step-by-step wellness specialist hiring guide:

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

What does a wellness specialist do?

A wellness specialist is responsible for guiding clients in achieving their wellness and healthy lifestyle goals by creating fitness training and programs according to clients' needs and concerns. Wellness specialists conduct regular counseling for their clients regarding their daily activities, exercise routines, stress levels, and eating habits to identify customized wellness plans and proper lifestyle balance. They also coordinate with other health professionals as needed, especially in cases requiring immediate medical attention. A wellness specialist suggests various supplementary medication and meal recommendations to help stabilize the clients' immune system and energize them on their daily tasks.

Learn more about the specifics of what a wellness specialist does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your wellness specialist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a wellness specialist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    Hiring the perfect wellness specialist 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.

    This list shows salaries for various types of wellness specialists.

    Type of Wellness SpecialistDescriptionHourly rate
    Wellness Specialist$12-32
    Fitness CoordinatorA fitness coordinator spearheads and organizes fitness programs in gyms and other facilities, ensuring efficiency and client satisfaction. Their responsibilities include performing research and analysis to develop ideal programs, identifying program requirements, coordinating with fellow fitness experts, establishing objectives and guidelines, monitoring budgets and schedules, and ensuring that facilities meet the clients' needs... Show more$13-25
    Health And Wellness CoordinatorA health and wellness coordinator specializes in devising programs and strategies to promote physical and mental health. They may work in gyms, learning institutions, private companies, communities, and even healthcare facilities... Show more$12-33
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • CPR
    • Mental Health
    • Blood Pressure
    • Community Resources
    • Health Education
    • Health Screenings
    • Healthy Lifestyle
    • Rehabilitation
    • Fitness Assessments
    • Health Fairs
    • BMI
    • Wellness Events
    • Program Development
    • Risk Assessments
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Prepare patients for tests by placing ECG leads and taking resting vitals.
    • Manage a fully operational wellness program with a wide range of modalities from monitoring heart rates, BMI's to nutrition/exercise.
    • Instruct a beginner yoga exercise class and stretching workout regimens.
    • Certify CPR instructor---Teaching students life saving skills in the presence of an emergency cardiac event.
    • Interpret ECG readings before, during, and after assign exercise session; chart progress and provide feedback for physicians.
    • Implement fitness and wellness classes: smoking cessation, core strengthening, circuit training, lunch-n-learns, and teach yoga classes.
    More wellness specialist duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your wellness specialist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A wellness specialist salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

    For example, the average salary for a wellness specialist in Arkansas may be lower than in California, and an entry-level wellness specialist usually earns less than a senior-level wellness specialist. Additionally, a wellness specialist with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

    Average wellness specialist salary

    $41,677yearly

    $20.04 hourly rate

    Entry-level wellness specialist salary
    $25,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 22, 2026

    Average wellness specialist salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1California$56,292$27
    2New Jersey$52,893$25
    3New York$46,031$22
    4Texas$45,384$22
    5Georgia$44,916$22
    6Tennessee$44,663$21
    7Massachusetts$44,610$21
    8Indiana$43,445$21
    9Pennsylvania$43,310$21
    10Oklahoma$42,373$20
    11Connecticut$41,146$20
    12Arizona$40,518$19
    13District of Columbia$38,860$19
    14Oregon$38,199$18
    15Michigan$36,370$17
    16Illinois$35,242$17
    17Minnesota$35,043$17
    18Iowa$32,972$16
    19Nebraska$31,246$15

    Average wellness specialist salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Heartland Home Health Inc.$57,608$27.70
    2University of Southern California$51,918$24.96
    3University of California-Berkeley$51,417$24.72
    4Chevron$48,705$23.421
    5Allianz Life$47,675$22.92
    6Bread for the City$47,125$22.66
    7Project Transition$46,391$22.30
    8Lifespan$43,572$20.95
    9Latham & Watkins$43,461$20.89
    10UCHealth$43,219$20.78
    11Neighborhood Service Organization - NSO$42,684$20.52
    12International Rescue Committee$42,476$20.422
    13Symbria$41,556$19.98
    14Bank of America$41,374$19.891
    15Supportive Concepts for Families$41,089$19.75
    16Marcfirst$40,911$19.67
    17Blue Cross & Blue Shield$40,893$19.66
    18North Clackamas Christian Schl$40,798$19.61
    19Mayo Clinic$40,642$19.543
    20Occidental Petroleum$40,593$19.52
  4. Writing a wellness specialist job description

    A wellness specialist 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 wellness specialist job description:

    Wellness specialist job description example

    Supervises: No Direct Reports Revision Date: 6/19/2020

    Position Overview: As part of a multi-disciplinary, core services team, provides on-site direct recovery oriented

    services and case management to people who are experiencing a mental health crisis or a worsening of a pre-existing

    mental health or co-occurring disorder inclusive of substance abuse and/or medical disorders. This position provides

    individual and group recovery focused interventions and case management linkage to a vast array of community

    service providers.

    Essential Job Functions

    Create and Maintain:

    o A wellness and recovery-oriented environment by using person-first language, respectful documentation,

    and person-centered planning. All services provided will promote wellness and recovery outcomes,

    helping to stabilize individuals so they may remain in the community, and divert from having to go to the

    Emergency Room.

    o A culture of compliance with internal and external policies, regulations, laws and high ethical standards,

    inclusive of Psychiatric Rehabilitation principles and evidence based best practices.

    Responsibilities:

    o Engage individuals into BCIS services using motivational and strengths based approaches.

    o Provides peer support using best practices including: therapeutic use of self-disclosure, recovery

    principles and practices, and use and value of community peer support programs.

    o Provides peer support and in the “living room” environment of the CIS site.

    o Maintain positive relationship with SHC program manager and staff for coordination of referrals.

    o In coordination with the clinicians and other team members, provides case management activities as

    identified in the Goal/Discharge Plan including referral and linkage to necessary community service

    providers for aftercare services.

    o Assertive in locating needed resources and in accessing entitlements, including financial entitlements.

    o Provides frequent monitoring of the mental health status of persons receiving services as well as related

    variables, including significant others, the home and the community in which the person served lives,

    and shares this information with multi-disciplinary team members.

    o Conduct collaborative and concurrent documentation

    o Assist enrollees to develop a Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) or a Psychiatric Advanced

    Directive (PAD).

    o Provides mental health education, illness management, and medication education on-site to persons

    served and significant others.

    o Provides crisis intervention services and crisis de-escalation in the “living room” (from the Living Room

    Model utilized in EISS programs) for individuals in crisis.

    o Wellness services including group and individual education on illness management, problem solving,

    stress reduction, coping, wellness strategies and other wellness tools.

    o With permission of person served, provide psychoeducation and support to family members and

    significant others.

    o Technical assistance and education to members of the team in the area of recovery and wellness and

    community resources. Works with the team to develop strategies for teaching wellness strategies

    including: IM/R, Wellness Recovery Action Plans, instilling hope, promoting choice and empowerment,

    spirituality, and other natural supports in conjunction with the team.

    o Consults with other service providers and community resource providers regarding the assessment,

    treatment and rehabilitation needs of the people receiving services.

    Page 2 of 2

    Performance of Mental Health and Medical Linkage:

    o Maintains relationships with mental health and medical referral sources and ensures that a current list

    of these resources is readily available to the team.

    o Assertively locates and engages community medical and mental health providers.

    o Works with the APN’s and Licensed Clinicians on fulfilling the case management needs identified in

    the Goal and Discharge Plan of individuals relative to medical and mental health interventions and

    referrals.

    Requirements

    Education

     AA in a social service discipline

    Experience

     Two years post degree experience providing case management services to individuals experiencing a

    mental health crisis or a worsening of a pre-existing mental health disorder, psychiatric rehabilitation

    experience preferred.

     Must have lived experience with mental health or co-occurring disorders. CPRP preferred, discharged

    veterans given preference.

    Driver’s License, Vehicle

     Valid driver’s license required

     No more than one moving violation within the past 12 months

     Vehicle required

    Subcommittee and Mandated Trainings Statements:

    All employees are encouraged to participate on an agency committee, on a rotating basis.

    Mandatory trainings are to be completed during regularly scheduled working hours. It is the employee’s

    responsibility to attend mandatory trainings when they are offered by the agency and to complete mandatory webbased

    training in a timely manner. Employees failing to attend mandatory trainings are required to make up the

    training on their own time and at their own expense, i.e., CPR training.

    Acknowledgement:

    I have read this position description and have retained a copy for my records. I agree to the contents of this job

    description and believe that I am capable of fulfilling the duties described herein. I also agree to perform these

    duties as directed by my immediate supervisor and/or Program Director I understand that additional job functions

    and requirements may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate. At Bridgeway Rehabilitation Services,

    our job descriptions reflect the general, minimum duties considered necessary to perform the principal functions

    of the job and shall not be interpreted as an all-inclusive description of all work requirements for the position.

    Bridgeway at its option, may make changes to job descriptions at any time without prior notice. Revised job

    descriptions are shared with employees at a minimum of annually, and may be provided more frequently at the

    discretion of the agency.

    _____________________________ __________________________ ________________

    EMPLOYEE NAME (Please Print) EMPLOYEE SIGNATURE DATE

  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find wellness specialists 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 wellness specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit wellness specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    To successfully recruit wellness specialists, 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.

    Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 wellness specialist

    Once you've selected the best wellness specialist 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 wellness specialist 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.)
    Sign up to download full list

How much does it cost to hire a wellness specialist?

Hiring a wellness specialist comes with both the one-time cost per hire and ongoing costs. The cost of recruiting wellness specialists involves promoting the job and spending time conducting interviews. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider the cost of wellness specialist recruiting as well the ongoing costs of maintaining the new employee.

You can expect to pay around $41,677 per year for a wellness specialist, 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 wellness specialists in the US typically range between $12 and $32 an hour.

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