How to hire a colorist

How to hire a colorist, step by step

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

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

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

   Hiring the perfect colorist also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

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

   Type of Colorist	Description	Hourly rate
   Colorist	Barbers, hairdressers, and cosmetologists provide haircutting, hairstyling and a range of beauty services.	$10-25
   Beautician	A Beautician is a person whose job is to do hair styling, manicures, and other beauty treatments. They work in various trades of the beauty industry, such as hair, skin, or nail care.	$11-26
   Hair Dresser	A hairdresser, also known as a hairstylist or beautician, is a person who specializes in the cutting or styling of hair with the goal of enhancing a person's appearance. As a hairdresser, your duties may range from cutting, washing, and styling to hair coloring and employing hair texturing techniques... Show more	$12-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Color Correction
   • Davinci Resolve
   • Color Theory
   • Front Desk
   • Color Standards
   • Adobe Photoshop
   • Lab Dips
   • Music Videos
   • State-of-The-Art Techniques
   • Photography
   • PLM
   • DI
   • Color Comments
   • Strike Offs

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage cleaning up activities after hair care appointments by ensuring appropriate cleanliness and sterilization of cutting and trimming equipment.
   • Screened/Evaluat and HD DI color correct feature films, utilizing Autodesk Lustre for restoration.
   • Remastered archival feature footage to HD.
   • Perform DI on major feature films, commercial and special projects.
   • Navigate project through continually changing workflows VFX revisions and delivery specs.
   • Provide hairstylist services/professional makeup/manicures/pedicures and modeling.

   More colorist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the colorist job description is a good way to get more applicants. A colorist salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a colorist in Kansas may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level colorist. Additionally, a colorist with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average colorist salary

   $16.73hourly

   $34,792 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level colorist salary

   $22,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 31, 2026

   Average colorist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$43,904	$21
   2	California	$42,206	$20
   3	Virginia	$40,478	$19
   4	Michigan	$37,874	$18
   5	Florida	$34,537	$17
   6	Arizona	$33,014	$16
   7	Georgia	$26,033	$13

   Average colorist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Adobe	$110,240	$53.00
   2	Amcor	$42,484	$20.43
   3	Duplitech	$37,705	$18.13
   4	AAG Management Inc	$37,335	$17.95
   5	The Walt Disney Company	$37,178	$17.87
   6	Singer Sewing	$31,691	$15.24
   7	Chico Hot Springs	$30,589	$14.71
   8	Automation Personnel Services	$29,658	$14.26
   9	Harbor Picture Company	$29,008	$13.95
   10	Chico's FAS	$27,121	$13.04

4. Writing a colorist job description

   A colorist 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 colorist job description:

   Colorist job description example

   **About Singer**
   
   We are passionate about creating some of the most awesome automobiles in the world. Founded in California in 2009, Singer Vehicle Design is a luxury brand with a global clientele and operations in the US, the UK, and Switzerland. Our mission is described simply as: "A Relentless Pursuit of Excellence." The company has become renowned for its collaboration with owners of the air-cooled Porsche 911 in pursuit of bespoke restorations.
   
   **Paint Colorist**
   
   Singer Vehicle Design is actively seeking an experienced Paint Colorist to join our exceptional Paint Team. Responsibilities for this role include but are not limited to, tinting, mixing, and testing color samples for production department and client relations team. The Paint Colorist will also be responsible for formulating custom color requests, entering all formulations into formulation management system, and matching existing automotive finishes.
   
   **Essential Functions**
   
   + Tint, mix, and test unique color samples for production department and client experience.
   
   + Formulate custom color requests.
   
   + Assesses color samples for accuracy based on visual or coloristic data evaluations.
   
   + Keep accurate and precise records of all different color formulations.
   
   + Enters color formulations into formulation management system.
   
   + Match colors on existing automotive finishes.
   
   + Communicate effectively and promptly with different teams.
   
   + Effectively and accuratelyoperate a computerized color matching / QC control system.
   
   + Maintain proper care and organization of equipment and designated work area.
   
   **Qualifications**
   
   + 4+ years of experience with custom paint application on luxury vehicles, hot rods or restorations.
   
   + 3+ years of experience with paint mixing and color matching on computerized system
   
   + Familiarity with preparation for AkzoNobel coatings and Sikkens Autowave 1.0 and 2.0 processes.
   
   **Skills/Abilities and Attributes**
   
   + Experienced in MS office and basic computer usage for accurate reporting and tracking.
   
   + Experienced in creating custom paint samples using a computer application.
   
   + Must have good vision and able to discern different colors, hues and tints.
   
   + Ability to accurately tint, mix, and blend paint.
   
   + Experienced in precise color matching of custom paint jobs.
   
   + Must have a high attention to detail to create precise color samples and keep accurate records.
   
   **Benefits**
   
   Singer employees enjoy generous paid time off, low-cost health insurance, a 401(k) plan with a company match, life and AD&D insurance, long-term and short-term disability, Snap-On tools for our techs, and continuous opportunities for learning and advancement within the company.
   
   **COVID Policy**
   
   All new employees must be fully vaccinated on their first day of work unless an exemption due to a medical or religious reason exists.
   
   **Equal Employment Opportunity**
   
   We are committed to building a team that includes individuals from different cultural backgrounds, ethnicities, genders, ages, sexual orientation, and physical abilities, reflecting the diversity of the communities where we work and live.
   
   Department: Production and Quality
   
   This is a non-management position
   
   This is a full-time position

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting colorists 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 colorist

   Once you've decided on a perfect colorist 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.

   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.)

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