How to hire an agricultural produce packer

Agricultural produce packer hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring agricultural produce packers in the United States:

In the United States, the median cost per hire an agricultural produce packer is $1,633.
It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new agricultural produce packer to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire an agricultural produce packer, step by step

To hire an agricultural produce packer, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire an agricultural produce packer, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step agricultural produce packer hiring guide:

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

Post an agricultural produce packer job for free, promote it for a fee

Identify your hiring needs

First, determine the employments status of the agricultural produce packer you need to hire. Certain agricultural produce packer roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

Determine employee vs contractor status

Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

An agricultural produce packer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, agricultural produce packers 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.

This list presents agricultural produce packer salaries for various positions.

Type of Agricultural Produce Packer	Description	Hourly rate
Agricultural Produce Packer	Hand laborers and material movers manually move freight, stock, or other materials. Others feed or remove material to and from machines, clean vehicles, pick up unwanted household goods, and pack materials for moving.	$9-15
Bagger	A bagger is responsible for packing the customers' items and assisting them in bringing it to their vehicles as needed. Typically, grocery stores and supermarkets employ baggers to assist in daily operations, especially during high-volume customer days... Show more	$12-20
Wrapper	A wrapper is defined as a program utilized in transmission control protocol to give a layer of security by stopping calls to computer services and identifying whether the service is permitted to execute. It provides the needed security against the hostname and host address imitation... Show more	$13-18

Create an ideal candidate profile
Common skills:
- Assembly Line
- Quality Standards
Responsibilities:
- Prepare pallets by following prescribe stacking arrangement and properly tagging pallets.
- Attach burners on the top castings with clips.
Make a budget
Including a salary range in your agricultural produce packer job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An agricultural produce packer can vary based on:
- Location. For example, agricultural produce packers' average salary in mississippi is 44% less than in vermont.
- Seniority. Entry-level agricultural produce packers 42% less than senior-level agricultural produce packers.
- Certifications. An agricultural produce packer 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 an agricultural produce packer's salary.
Average agricultural produce packer salary
$12.28hourly
$25,538 yearly
Entry-level agricultural produce packer salary
$19,000 yearly salary
Updated January 13, 2026
Average agricultural produce packer salary by state
Rank State Avg. salary Hourly rate
1 New York $34,893 $17
2 Maine $30,812 $15
3 Utah $27,787 $13
4 Florida $25,297 $12
Average agricultural produce packer salary by company
Rank Company Average salary Hourly rate Job openings
1 Publix $31,574 $15.18 5
2 Charlie's Produce $27,349 $13.15
Writing an agricultural produce packer job description
An agricultural produce packer 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 an agricultural produce packer job description:
Agricultural produce packer job description example
+ putting containers onto the packaging belt

+ putting product into the containers

+ weighing containers and reading scales simultaneously

+ palletizing product

+ rotating in all positions and on all lines and

+ other duties as assigned.

20602BR

**Hours of Work:**

3:15pm-11:45pm; Monday - Friday

**State:**

Florida

**Frequency of Pay:**

Weekly

**Travel Frequency:**

0%

**Minimum Base Pay:**

14.15

**Additional Information:**

Your application may have additional steps that you will need to complete in order to remain eligible for consideration. Please be sure to monitor your email, including your spam folder, on a daily basis for critical, time-sensitive emails that could require action within 24-48 hours.

Please do not use your Publix email address when applying. Once your application has been successfully submitted you will receive a confirmation email.

**Address:**

1950 Sand Lake Rd

**City:**

Orlando

**Other Compensation Information:**

Starting pay is $1.00 to $2.00 above pay range minimum depending on experience or applicable skill level.

**Year End Bonus:**

To reward associates for their contributions to the company for the calendar year, Publix provides a Holiday Bonus in November. In the first year of continuous employment the bonus is equal to 15 hours of pay, and in the second year of continuous employment the bonus is equal to one week's pay if associate remains employed through issue date of the bonus check. In subsequent years, the bonus is equal to two weeks' pay.

**Maximum Base Pay:**

19.50

**Required Qualifications:**

+ Must be at least 18 years old

+ Must be able to lift pans or cases with product above shoulder level frequently

+ Must be able to push or pull heavy equipment occasionally

+ Must demonstrate excellent work habits in line with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs)

+ Must demonstrate safe working habits

+ Must be able to lift in excess of 50 pounds frequently

+ Must be able to learn and perform all positions

+ Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment

+ Must have good human relations skills (the ability to work well with others and be a team member)

+ Must be able to work any shift, nights, weekends, holidays, and extended hours

+ Must have excellent attendance and punctuality

+ Must be willing to assist other team members in other areas

+ Must be able to perform steady and productive work for an extended period of time

+ Must be able to work efficiently with little or no supervision

+ Must be able to follow detailed written and verbal instructions

+ Must possess basic math skills

+ Must be able to communicate effectively

+ Must show enthusiasm, initiative, and pride in work, and a

+ A commitment to Publix and our Mission.

**Potential Annual Base Pay:**

29,432 - 40,560

**Zip Code:**

32809-7632

**Work Environment:**

Temperatures range from 45 to 55 degrees.

**Benefits Information:**

+ Employee stock ownership plan that contributes Publix stock to associates each year at no cost

+ An opportunity to purchase additional shares of our privately-held stock

+ 401(k) retirement savings plan

+ Group health plan (with prescription benefits)

+ Group dental plan

+ Group vision plan

+ Sick pay

+ Paid Parental Leave

+ Long-term disability insurance

+ Company-paid life insurance (with accidental death & dismemberment benefits)

+ Tuition reimbursement

+ Vacation pay

+ Free hot lunches (buffet-style) at facilities with a cafeteria

+ Paycheck direct deposit

+ Credit union

+ Access to over 50 discount offers including discounts on computer, vehicle and wireless purchases

+ 6 paid holidays (associates can exchange the following holidays with their manager's approval: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day).
Post your job
There are a few common ways to find agricultural produce packers 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 agricultural produce packer job on Zippia to find and recruit agricultural produce packer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
- Use field-specific websites.
- Post a job on free websites.
Interview candidates
To successfully recruit agricultural produce packers, 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.
Send a job offer and onboard your new agricultural produce packer
Once you've selected the best agricultural produce packer 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.
Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new agricultural produce packer. 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.
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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Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	New York	$34,893	$17
2	Maine	$30,812	$15
3	Utah	$27,787	$13
4	Florida	$25,297	$12

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
1	Publix	$31,574	$15.18	5
2	Charlie's Produce	$27,349	$13.15

How much does it cost to hire an agricultural produce packer?

Before you start to hire agricultural produce packers, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire agricultural produce packers pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

You can expect to pay around $25,538 per year for an agricultural produce packer, 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 agricultural produce packers in the US typically range between $9 and $15 an hour.

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Agricultural Produce Packer
How to hire an Agricultural Produce Packer

Updated January 13, 2026

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How to hire an agricultural produce packer