How to hire a body technician/painter

How to hire a body technician/painter, step by step

Here's a step-by-step body technician/painter hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a body technician/painter, 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 body technician/painter's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, body technician/painters 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 body technician/painters and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Body Technician/Painter	Description	Hourly rate
   Body Technician/Painter	Automotive body and glass repairers restore, refinish, and replace vehicle bodies and frames, windshields, and window glass.	$12-26
   Painter Helper	A painter helper is a specialist who assists the principal painter with the preparation of a room, building, car, or other objects. You will be responsible for the preliminary work before the actual painting, such as preparing the work area, scraping off old paint, buffing and sanding surfaces, and applying filler and taping... Show more	$10-23
   Paint Technician	The responsibilities of a Paint Technician primarily depend on their place or industry of employment. In the automotive industry, a Paint Technician specializes in painting new vehicles, conducting paint repairs, or providing custom paint services... Show more	$13-23

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Repair Vehicles
   • OSHA
   • Paint Guns
   • Mask
   • Bondo
   • Body Shop
   • Collision Repair
   • R
   • Automotive Vehicles
   • Coats
   • Primer
   • Auto Body Repair
   • Customer Vehicles
   • Spray Guns

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Attain ICAR and ASE master technician status.
   • Body work, sanding, sand blasting, priming, fiber glass, bondo, painting and electrical work on fluorescent lighting
   • Prepare vehicles to be paint and apply paint coats, touch-up and repairs.
   • Entrust to paint luxury cars, including Ferrari, BMW, and Maserati.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your body technician/painter job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A body technician/painter salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, body technician/painters' average salary in indiana is 41% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level body technician/painters earn 51% less than senior-level body technician/painters.
   • Certifications. A body technician/painter 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 a body technician/painter's salary.

   Average body technician/painter salary

   $39,247yearly

   $18.87 hourly rate

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   Entry-level body technician/painter salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

4. Writing a body technician/painter job description

   A body technician/painter 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 body technician/painter job description:

   Body technician/painter job description example

   Leading the future in luxury electric and mobility
   At Lucid, we set out to introduce the most captivating, luxury electric vehicles that elevate the human experience and transcend the perceived limitations of space, performance, and intelligence. Vehicles that are intuitive, liberating, and designed for the future of mobility.
   
   We plan to lead in this new era of luxury electric by returning to the fundamentals of great design - where every decision we make is in service of the individual and environment. Because when you are no longer bound by convention, you are free to define your own experience.
   
   Come work alongside some of the most accomplished minds in the industry. Beyond providing competitive salaries, we're providing a community for innovators who want to make an immediate and significant impact. If you are driven to create a better, more sustainable future, then this is the right place for you.
   
   Lucid Motors is currently seeking an experienced Body Repair Refinishing Technician to be a part of developing a globally recognized, best-in-class collision repair program for Lucid Motors. This position will be an evolutionary one, starting with hands-on work as the Body Repair Program Team develops and grows. It will involve working with and supporting the Body Repair Program as a whole, as well as other teams and departments inside Lucid. Our Ideal candidate exhibits a can-do attitude and approaches his or her work with vigor and determination. More details on the position are listed below:
   
   #SPR
   The Role Report to the Body Repair Technical manager, and Body Repair Workshop Forman.Perform refinishing repairs on internal use and engineering vehicles.Assist 3rd party body shops to troubleshoot paint issues either in person or through distance communication solutions (email, or zoom calls) Maintain required PPE, paint supplies for the Body Repair DepartmentValidate new tooling for the refinishing space (new paint guns, dustless sanding systems, polishing systems) Maintain EHS (Environmental Health and Safety) standards for flammable and hazardous materials handling.Perform other related duties as assigned.Comply with all Lucid safety rules, guidelines, and standards.Must be able to maintain a clean and safe work environment.Paint Booth maintenance.
   Responsibilities Be able to accurately identify PPE required for each task being performed.Identify a work process for given work orders.Accurately identify vehicle data (i.e., VIN number, paint code, trim code) needed for the refinishing process.Be able to correctly identify differences between 2, 3, and 4 stage processes.Be knowledgeable in color theory (understand how a color wheel works).Accurately identify what equipment is used in specific circumstances (what nozzle sizes for spray guns are used with specific materials, etc...) Be able to properly mask a full vehicle and limit potential overspray issues on adjacent components or panels.
   Qualifications3-5 Years of refinishing experience (High-End Vehicles a bonus) Certified in one, or all of the mainstream paint lines (PPG, AXALTA, Glasurit, etc...) Valid Drivers Licensed and a good driving record.Experience working with MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Office skills Capable of lifting up to 100lbs.Ability to travel as needed.
   At Lucid, we don't just welcome diversity - we celebrate it! Lucid Motors is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and expression, marital status, and any other characteristic protected under applicable State or Federal laws and regulations.
   
   Notice regarding COVID-19 protocols
   At Lucid, we prioritize the health and wellbeing of our employees, families, and friends above all else. In response to the novel Coronavirus all new Lucid employees, whose job will be based in the United States may or may not be required to provide original documentation confirming status as having received the prescribed inoculation (doses). Vaccination requirements are dependent upon location and position, please refer to the job description for more details.
   
   Individuals in positions requiring vaccinations may seek a medical and/or religious exemption from this requirement and may be granted such an accommodation after submitting a formal request to and the subsequent review and approval thereof by our dedicated Covid-19 Response team.
   
   To all recruitment agencies: Lucid Motors does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our careers alias or other Lucid Motors employees. Lucid Motors is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.

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5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting body technician/painters 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.

   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 body technician/painter

   Once you've selected the best body technician/painter 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.

   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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new body technician/painter. 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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