How to hire an automobile detailer

How to hire an automobile detailer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step automobile detailer hiring guide:

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

Post an automobile detailer job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your automobile detailer 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 automobile detailer 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 automobile detailer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, automobile detailers 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 automobile detailer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Automobile Detailer	Description	Hourly rate
   Automobile Detailer	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.	$10-16
   Car Wash Attendant	As a car wash attendant, they wash and polish car exteriors and interiors. They often clean tires, dust, drying, applying soap solutions, vacuuming car interiors, scraping loose specks of dirt, cleaning seats, and removing the trash on a car... Show more	$11-18
   Car Washer	A car washer is responsible for cleaning and polishing cars, ensuring efficiency and customer satisfaction. Their tasks typically include vacuuming the interior parts such as seats and floors, discarding the trash, cleaning the windows and windshield from the inside and outside, applying soap solution to the car's exterior, scraping off dirt, and applying wax... Show more	$10-16

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Rental Cars
   • Customer Vehicles
   • Auto Body
   • Customer Service
   • Loose Dirt
   • Engine Compartment
   • Foreign Materials
   • Clean Windows
   • Leather Surfaces
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Buffs Surfaces
   • Resistant Chemicals
   • Vehicle Exterior
   • Buffing Machines

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Cleaned/Wax automobiles and maintain the cleanliness of the showroom
   • Detail rvs, shop upkeep, move rvs around lot or to convention centers for sale shows

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, automobile detailers' average salary in louisiana is 50% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level automobile detailers earn 37% less than senior-level automobile detailers.
   • Certifications. An automobile detailer 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 an automobile detailer's salary.

   Average automobile detailer salary

   $13.57hourly

   $28,219 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level automobile detailer salary

   $22,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

4. Writing an automobile detailer job description

   An automobile detailer 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 automobile detailer job description:

   Automobile detailer job description example

   7108 - Ft. Lauderdale - 7420 W State Road 84, Davie, Florida, 33317
   
   CarMax, the way your career should be!
   When our vehicles shine, you will shine
   
   CarMax customers expect to choose from a range of vehicles that look good and meet CarMax's high standards. Working alongside a team of experienced technicians, you will ensure the paintwork and interiors are finished to CarMax's high standards. From replacing parts and sanding, to cleaning and waxing, we bring out the best in every vehicle. And we'll help bring out the best in you too, with a clean, modern, climate-controlled environment where you can work comfortably all year. You will also enjoy a generous range of company benefits including paid vacation, medical and retirement plans, and car purchase discounts.
   
   What you will do - Essential responsibilities
   

   • Complete cosmetic inspections of vehicles, noting what's needed to transform them into cars we can be proud of and our customers will love
   • Repair and replace small plastic and other parts to ensure everything about the vehicle is in good working order
   • Perform paint retouching, post-paint finishing, waxing and buffing to make cars look as good as new
   • Follow and promote CarMax's high standards of safety, cleanliness and organization

   
   
   Be part of a team that cares about customers and their cars
   
   Things move fast at CarMax, but our standards of quality remain high. Your job is to make sure that each car you work on meets these standards, with a look and feel as good as the last. Enthusiasm and attention to detail are vital in meeting that mark. Our teams rise to the challenge by respecting and sharing each other's experience and knowledge, working together as a team to deliver great results.
   
   Qualifications and requirements
   

   • Experience in one or more of the following is preferred: washing, waxing, cleaning and buffing, masking, sanding, grinding and applying paint; removing and replacing small parts, carrying out minor repairs
   • Manual dexterity and physical stamina, lift heavy objects, and walk and stand for extended periods of time
   • Customer focus and attention to detail
   • Possession of valid driver's license

   
   
   About CarMax
   
   CarMax disrupted the auto industry by delivering the honest, transparent and high-integrity experience customers want and deserve. This innovative thinking around the way cars are bought and sold has helped us become the nation's largest retailer of used cars, with over 200 locations nationwide.
   
   Our amazing team of more than 25,000 associates work together to deliver iconic customer experiences. Along the way, we help every associate grow their career and achieve their best, at work and in their community. We are recognized for our commitment to training and diversity and are one of the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For .
   
   CarMax is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
   
   Upon an applicant's request, CarMax will consider reasonable accommodation to complete the CarMax Job Application.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find automobile detailers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any automobile detailers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level automobile detailers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting automobile detailers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   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 automobile detailer

   Once you've found the automobile detailer 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire an automobile detailer?