How to hire a burner

How to hire a burner, step by step

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

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the burner you need to hire. Certain burner 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?

   Yes

   No

   A burner's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, burners 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.

   Here's a comparison of burner salaries for various roles:

   Type of Burner	Description	Hourly rate
   Burner	Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers use hand-held or remotely controlled equipment to join or cut metal parts. They also fill holes, indentations, or seams of metal products.	$11-21
   Welder Apprentice	A welder apprentice analyzes engineering specifications and engineering drawings to plan layout and assembly welding operations. Besides using rulers, calipers, combination squares, and straight edges to secure, position, and layout parts and assemblies as per the assignment specifications, welder apprentices also perform their duties based on established safety procedures and quality standards... Show more	$12-20
   Welder Fitter	A Welder Fitter specializes in manipulating steel, aluminum, and other materials into various industries' structural forms. The majority of a welder's responsibilities are mostly manual work, which can have risks as they use torches or lasers for their daily tasks, and there are also instances when they have to climb high structures... Show more	$13-26

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Torches
   • CNC
   • Carbon Steel
   • Flame Cutting
   • Burn Table
   • Plate Steel
   • Safety
   • RAN
   • Stainless Steel
   • Customer Orders
   • Customer Specifications
   • Oxy
   • Acetylene
   • BOB Cat

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Dismantle metal assemblies and cut scrap metal, using thermal cutting equipment such as flame cutting torches or plasma arc equipment.
   • Operate a CNC control oxyfuel burner and produce quality parts along with maintaining quality checks with documentation.
   • Operate JLG's, swing stages, and forklifts.
   • torch buner, manlift, scissor lift, bobcat, dump truck ,
   • Adhere to all safety procedure while handling equipment.
   • Construct small fabrication jobs by tack welding and using oxy-acetylene torch.

   More burner duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your burner job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A burner salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a burner in Kentucky may be lower than in Wyoming, and an entry-level burner usually earns less than a senior-level burner. Additionally, a burner with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average burner salary

   $15.82hourly

   $32,907 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level burner salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

   Average burner salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Oregon	$35,720	$17
   2	Indiana	$35,160	$17
   3	Illinois	$33,526	$16
   4	Illinois	$33,374	$16
   5	Ohio	$33,320	$16
   6	Ohio	$33,205	$16
   7	Ohio	$33,182	$16
   8	Ohio	$33,135	$16
   9	Oklahoma	$33,057	$16
   10	Iowa	$32,664	$16
   11	California	$31,920	$15
   12	California	$31,847	$15
   13	Virginia	$31,464	$15
   14	California	$30,835	$15
   15	Texas	$30,713	$15
   16	Louisiana	$30,443	$15
   17	Texas	$30,398	$15
   18	Louisiana	$30,380	$15
   19	Louisiana	$30,352	$15
   20	Louisiana	$30,245	$15

   Average burner salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Harsco	$44,285	$21.29	1
   2	Schnitzer Steel	$43,686	$21.00
   3	EMCOR Group	$42,795	$20.57
   4	Toro	$40,647	$19.54
   5	Nucor	$40,058	$19.26	1
   6	EVRAZ North America	$38,140	$18.34
   7	Universal Steel America	$37,520	$18.04
   8	Progress Rail	$36,643	$17.62	6
   9	Harrison Steel	$36,465	$17.53	2
   10	Jackson Physician Search	$35,468	$17.05
   11	Tube City IMS	$34,202	$16.44
   12	Trojan Battery	$33,184	$15.95
   13	Tradesmen International	$31,538	$15.16
   14	HealthTrust	$31,350	$15.07
   15	Kaiser Permanente	$31,130	$14.97
   16	Arcosa	$30,832	$14.82
   17	Cora Texas Mfg Co	$30,793	$14.80
   18	Benicia Fab	$30,695	$14.76
   19	Lacosta Inc	$30,200	$14.52
   20	Alma Restaurant	$29,760	$14.31

4. Writing a burner job description

   A burner 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 burner job description:

   Burner job description example

   Summary: Removes excess material from castings with an oxy fuel cutting torch. Once trained, this position will work our 1st shift, which is normally 6:30 AM - 3 PM
   Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.
   
   * Uses a oxy-fuel cutting torch to remove all risers, gates, and fins safely, efficiently, and without gouging the casting, cutting up to 24" thick sections.
   * Communicates to supervision quality and equipment problems.
   * Inspects equipment daily.
   * Follows job work instructions and training matrix, where applicable.
   
   Competency:
   
   To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies: demonstrates attention to detail; demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; is consistently at work and on time; uses time efficiently; works quickly; observes safety and security procedures.
   
   Additional Competencies for Level A:
   
   To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies: possess a higher level of attention to detail, accuracy and thoroughness, work more quickly, and use time more efficiently than at Level B.
   
   Qualifications:
   
   To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
   
   Education/Experience:
   
   High School diploma or GED preferred, but not required; or up to one month related experience or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
   
   Language Ability:
   
   Ability to read a limited number of two- and three-syllable words and to recognize similarities and differences between words and between series of numbers. Ability to print and speak simple sentences.
   
   Math Ability:
   
   Ability to add and subtract two digit numbers and to multiply and divide with 10's and 100's.
   
   Reasoning Ability:
   
   Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out simple one- or two-step instructions. Ability to deal with standardized situations with only occasional or no variables.
   
   Computer Skills:
   
   No Computer skills needed.
   
   Certificates and Licenses:
   
   No certifications needed
   
   Supervisory Responsibilities:
   
   This job has no supervisory responsibilities.
   
   Work Environment:
   
   The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
   
   While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly exposed to work near moving mechanical parts; fumes or airborne particles; extreme heat (non-weather) and vibration. The employee is frequently exposed to toxic or caustic chemicals and extreme cold. The employee is occasionally exposed to wet or humid conditions; outdoor weather conditions. The employee may be exposed to risk of electrical shock and risk of radiation. The noise level in the work environment is usually very loud.
   
   Physical Demands:
   
   The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
   
   The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include Close vision, Distance vision, Peripheral vision, Depth perception and ability to adjust focus. While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to stand; reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk or hear and taste or smell. The employee is occasionally required to walk. The employee must be able to hold onto a torch for long periods of time and be able to wear a full-face fresh air helmet.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find burners 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 burners they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level burners 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 burner job on Zippia to find and recruit burner candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with burner 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.

   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 burner

   Once you've decided on a perfect burner 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 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new burner. 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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