How to hire a scheduler

How to hire a scheduler, step by step

Here's a step-by-step scheduler hiring guide:

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

What does a scheduler do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a scheduler, 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

   A scheduler's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, schedulers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of schedulers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Scheduler	Description	Hourly rate
   Scheduler	Secretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.	$11-32
   Patient Service Coordinator	Patient services coordinators act as a liaison between a healthcare organization and patients. Their primary job is to provide quality service to patients... Show more	$12-20
   Patient Care Representative	PCRs (Patient Care Representatives) are given responsibilities like updating and verifying patient information after every visit, scheduling and reminding patients about appointments, and informing patients about delays and how long the estimated waiting times will be. They are also responsible for obtaining patients' personal information like their address, contact details, insurance information, and medical and surgical history... Show more	$12-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Customer Service
   • Medical Terminology
   • Patient Care
   • Data Entry
   • Home Health
   • Phone Calls
   • Patient Appointments
   • Surgical Procedures
   • Primavera
   • P6
   • Excellent Organizational
   • Patient Scheduling
   • Appointment Scheduling

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage clinic visit schedules, rehabilitation conferences, medical exams, trial appearances, depositions, etc.
   • Utilize knowledge of medical insurance including manage care, Medicare, Medicaid, liability and workman's compensation.
   • Manage patient pre-op responsibilities, and generate all necessary paperwork.
   • Schedule procedure, surgery f/u, register new patients, referrals, insurance, send nurse messages.
   • Schedule patients for test and surgery procedures with and without anesthesia using the Surgi-Server computerize scheduling system.
   • Schedule patients for radiology and nuclear medicine procedures, verify insurance benefits, and obtain prior authorizations for patient procedures.

   More scheduler duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, schedulers' average salary in mississippi is 58% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level schedulers 66% less than senior-level schedulers.
   • Certifications. A scheduler 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 scheduler's salary.

   Average scheduler salary

   $40,565yearly

   $19.50 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level scheduler salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated July 11, 2025

   Average scheduler salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$68,222	$33
   2	New York	$62,499	$30
   3	Maryland	$61,218	$29
   4	Virginia	$57,286	$28
   5	Massachusetts	$56,544	$27
   6	Delaware	$56,431	$27
   7	New Jersey	$55,100	$26
   8	Maine	$54,977	$26
   9	California	$54,014	$26
   10	Illinois	$50,239	$24
   11	Pennsylvania	$48,089	$23
   12	Texas	$44,680	$21
   13	Ohio	$43,530	$21
   14	Minnesota	$42,847	$21
   15	Oklahoma	$41,218	$20
   16	Washington	$40,190	$19
   17	Wisconsin	$39,577	$19
   18	Michigan	$39,361	$19
   19	North Carolina	$39,281	$19
   20	Georgia	$39,280	$19

   Average scheduler salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	BP America Inc	$130,180	$62.59
   2	Medquest	$107,980	$51.91	5
   3	Intel	$99,628	$47.90
   4	Lam Research	$98,963	$47.58
   5	Technip USA Corporation	$95,427	$45.88
   6	Rosendin Electric	$94,443	$45.41	6
   7	Constellation Energy Partners	$93,031	$44.73	3
   8	HDR	$92,147	$44.30	1
   9	T.D. Williamson	$90,376	$43.45
   10	PROLIM	$90,229	$43.38
   11	Parsons	$89,858	$43.20	3
   12	BlackRock	$88,639	$42.61	2
   13	Arcadis	$88,176	$42.39	15
   14	Marathon Petroleum	$88,096	$42.35	2
   15	Genova Technologies	$87,840	$42.23
   16	Guidehouse	$87,464	$42.05	28
   17	Stratagem	$87,451	$42.04	2
   18	Evonik	$87,429	$42.03
   19	ARES	$87,255	$41.95
   20	Fluor Corporation	$86,138	$41.41	6

4. Writing a scheduler job description

   A scheduler 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a scheduler job description:

   Scheduler job description example

   The primary focus areas will be Planning and Production Control for the onsite X83 Newport News Shipbuilding Field office at Electric Boat Groton/New London, CT. This position coordinates planning efforts for Virginia Class Submarines, primarily for work in the Mechanical/Piping areas with cross training in the other disciplines.
   
   Plans, prepares, issues and controls production schedules and coordinates with material requirements to ensure a controlled flow of approved materials timed to meet production requirements. Advises management of the status of work in progress, material availability, and potential production problems to ensure that personnel, equipment, materials and services are provided as needed. Schedules equipment and personnel, confirms material supply and demands, prepares work orders or purchase requests for the production or purchase of components or parts based on a master production schedule, shop load and inventory requirements. Coordinates interdepartmental activity with quality assurance, manufacturing, purchasing, engineering, inventory control, traffic, etc.; schedules and expedites the movement of parts by means of move orders, stock transfers and requests for shipping orders.
   **Basic Qualifications**
   
   Bachelor's Degree and 3 years of experience. Master's Degree and 1 year of experience. 4 years of related exempt experience can be substituted for Bachelor's degree. An Apprentice Certificate or graduation from Navy Nuclear Power School can be substituted for Bachelor's degree. A relevant professional certification can be substituted for a Bachelor's Degree. Certification Equivalency: PMP, CPIM and AICP
   
   **Preferred Qualifications**
   
   + Exposure to network scheduling techniques is highly preferred
   
   + A well-rounded knowledge of manufacturing operations, production processes, shop processes, ship systems, network scheduling principles, and planning methods
   
   + Experience in Teamcenter/Nx, Demand Order Feed processes, SAP and/or Artemis programs, and RFQ support
   
   + The individual will be required to work closely with the Construction Project and the Shipboard Trades
   
   + Good communication and teamwork skills
   
   + Incumbent will utilize Microsoft Office Products
   
   
   + Department: X83 GRTN NSSN DS/BLD
   
   + Entity: NN SHIPBUILDING (0265)
   
   + Travel Required: Yes, 10%-25% of the time
   
   + Shift: 1st
   
   + Relocation: No relocation assistance available
   
   + Education: Bachelor's Degree
   
   + Virtual/Telework Opportunity: Yes - Occasional or hybrid telework available
   
   + US Citizenship Required for this Position: Yes
   
   + Clearance Type: No - Clearance Not Required to Start
   
   **EEO Statement:**
   
   HII is an Equal Opportunity/Vets and Disabled Employer. U.S. Citizenship may be required for certain positions.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit schedulers, 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 scheduler

   Once you've selected the best scheduler 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 equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

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