How to hire an applicator

How to hire an applicator, step by step

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

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

What does an applicator do?

Post an applicator job for free, promote it for a fee

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your applicator 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 an applicator 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?

   Yes

   No

   An applicator's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, applicators 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 shows salaries for various types of applicators.

   Type of Applicator	Description	Hourly rate
   Applicator	Grounds maintenance workers ensure that the grounds of houses, businesses, and parks are attractive, orderly, and healthy in order to provide a pleasant outdoor environment.	$10-35

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CDL
   • DOT
   • Application Equipment
   • Harvest
   • AG
   • Pallets
   • OSHA
   • Chemical Application
   • Safety Rules
   • Custom Application
   • Propane
   • PPE
   • Equipment Maintenance
   • Routine Maintenance

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Detect need repairs on building roofing systems by following establish inspection procedures.
   • Pull and fill NH3 trailers.
   • Repair equipment.Done varible rate putting on nh3
   • Install propane systems, and fuel tanks.
   • Maintain and practice all OSHA and MSDS requirements.
   • Used GPS guidance, also a computerize rate controller!

   More applicator duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, applicators' average salary in missouri is 59% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level applicators 70% less than senior-level applicators.
   • Certifications. An applicator 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 applicator's salary.

   Average applicator salary

   $40,945yearly

   $19.69 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level applicator salary

   $22,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average applicator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$59,098	$28
   2	Arizona	$46,551	$22
   3	North Dakota	$46,404	$22
   4	New York	$46,253	$22
   5	Illinois	$46,099	$22
   6	Ohio	$44,747	$22
   7	Utah	$44,329	$21
   8	Michigan	$42,038	$20
   9	District of Columbia	$41,362	$20
   10	Nevada	$40,850	$20
   11	Pennsylvania	$39,556	$19
   12	New Mexico	$38,642	$19
   13	Washington	$37,672	$18
   14	Massachusetts	$37,471	$18
   15	Texas	$36,395	$18
   16	New Hampshire	$35,783	$17
   17	Oregon	$34,731	$17
   18	Nebraska	$34,655	$17
   19	Indiana	$33,802	$16
   20	Colorado	$33,035	$16

   Average applicator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Citi	$113,119	$54.38
   2	Citrix	$109,919	$52.85
   3	KLA	$109,607	$52.70
   4	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$108,329	$52.08
   5	EquityZen	$106,694	$51.30	1
   6	Catalant Technologies	$105,573	$50.76	1
   7	Icma-rc	$103,415	$49.72
   8	Verisign	$101,386	$48.74
   9	Baker Hughes	$100,675	$48.40
   10	Infoblox	$97,377	$46.82
   11	All American Group	$96,171	$46.24
   12	Maxim Integrated	$92,005	$44.23
   13	Neuralink IT Solutions	$91,243	$43.87
   14	Pandera Systems	$89,500	$43.03
   15	Freightliner Trucks	$88,450	$42.52	1
   16	Horizon Pharma USA, Inc.	$87,579	$42.11
   17	Technosoft	$87,539	$42.09
   18	Mentor	$87,112	$41.88
   19	ITX	$86,561	$41.62
   20	IBM	$86,445	$41.56

4. Writing an applicator job description

   A good applicator 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 an applicator job description:

   Applicator job description example

   The world needs our help. By 2050, there will be 9 billion people on the planet with less arable land than ever before. We need a solution to cultivate more using less and define the future of farming for generations to come. In 2004, AeroFarms began transforming agriculture with humans and our planet at the forefront.

   In 2021, with 20+ current patents, 60+ pending patents, and 200+ invention disclosures, AeroFarms agriculture technology continues to grow unprecedented sustainable products, delivering elevated flavor, taste, experience, quality, access, and unmatched nutrition to you.

   Here’s how we’re growing the best plants possible for the betterment of humanity:

   • Researching and understanding plants to be better, more intuitive farmers
   • Elevating local communities by increasing access to nutritious, high-quality, consistent, and safe products in a way that’s better for you and the planet
   • Protecting and sustaining our environment for future generations
   • Pioneering consistent, and scalable indoor vertical farming food safety & traceability practices, and manufacturing standards
   • Investing in our AeroFarms humans and fostering our diverse company culture of inclusion, equity, excellence, teachability, and curiosity

   Click here to watch a video and learn more about AeroFarms

   As AeroFarms approaches our next phase of explosive growth, we seek out creative, motivated humans who will join us in disrupting industry standards and lead the way in vertical farming, artificial intelligence, and plant biology breakthroughs to solve and tackle global issues.

   Who you are:

   You must be intellectually curious, an outside-the-box problem solver, and have a passion for sustainability. You will work on cutting edge solutions necessary to produce clean, healthy, and affordable food and will collaborate with industry-leading engineers, finance professionals, and scientists in multiple fields to deliver functional solutions. We are proud of the high pace, collaborative, and fun team environment that we have built over the past decade. You will build upon a culture where assumptions are challenged and team members hold each other accountable.

   If a team of 200+ intellectually curious and caring humans, expansive global operations, and our change-the-world mission resonates with you, we want to hear from you!

   Powered by JazzHR

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   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with applicator candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 applicator

   Once you've decided on a perfect applicator candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new applicator. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

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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How much does it cost to hire an applicator?