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How to hire a counter

Counter hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring counters in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a counter is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new counter to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a counter, step by step

To hire a counter, consider the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Follow these steps to hire a counter:

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

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

    Before you post your counter 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 a counter 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?

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

    Type of CounterDescriptionHourly rate
    Counter$11-22
    Advanced Repair AgentAdvanced repair agents are skilled professionals who are responsible for creating a supportive environment for customers by offering technology-related and solution-based recommendations to solve their repair needs. These agents are required to ask their customers the right questions and listen to them carefully while taking detailed noted about their software and hardware issues... Show more$12-16
    Services ClerkThe main role of service clerks is to provide excellent service to customers. They are responsible for varied tasks, which include handling complaints from customers, processing register transactions, and promoting the company's services and products... Show more$12-18
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Basic Math
    • POS
    • Math
    • Pleasant Dining
    • Cash Handling
    • Cleanliness
    • Work Ethic
    • Phone Calls
    • Phone Orders
    • Store Operations
    • Customer Service
    • National Security
    • Inventory Control
    • Customer Orders
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Replace or attach bar code labels on every ammunition containers for identification and location.
    • Replace or attach bar code labels on every ammunition containers for identification and location.
    More counter duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your counter job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A counter 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 counter in Mississippi may be lower than in Colorado, and an entry-level counter usually earns less than a senior-level counter. Additionally, a counter 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 counter salary

    $15.81hourly

    $32,875 yearly

    Entry-level counter salary
    $23,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 19, 2025

    Average counter salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1Colorado$43,942$21
    2Massachusetts$42,555$20
    3District of Columbia$39,304$19
    4Nevada$38,561$19
    5Virginia$38,494$19
    6Ohio$38,362$18
    7Washington$38,314$18
    8New York$37,600$18
    9New Jersey$37,557$18
    10Kentucky$35,480$17
    11Minnesota$33,326$16
    12California$33,177$16
    13Oregon$33,171$16
    14Texas$32,265$16
    15Illinois$31,151$15
    16Nebraska$30,822$15
    17Hawaii$29,325$14
    18Georgia$28,344$14
    19Tennessee$28,234$14
    20South Carolina$27,012$13

    Average counter salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Jacobs Engineering Group$49,280$23.69
    2Steel Dynamics$43,884$21.10
    3UPS$37,890$18.22
    4Leidos$36,921$17.751
    5Firebirds Wood Fired Grill$35,446$17.04
    6Monarch Casino & Resort$35,227$16.941
    7Fantasy Springs Resort Casino$35,179$16.91
    8General Dynamics$34,693$16.68
    9The Samuels Group$34,655$16.66
    10Amuse Restaurant$34,433$16.55
    11Cambia Health Solutions$34,402$16.54
    12The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory$34,137$16.41
    13CACI International$33,572$16.14
    14ManTech$33,058$15.89
    15Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County$32,948$15.84
    16Xator$32,878$15.81
    17Pala Casino Spa and Resort$32,672$15.71
    18Treasure Island Resort & Casino$32,284$15.524
    19Northern Quest Resort & Casino$32,205$15.48
    20Caterpillar$31,990$15.38
  4. Writing a counter job description

    A counter 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. Below, you can find an example of a counter job description:

    Counter job description example

    We are Alsco Uniforms. We've been working hard for our customers since 1889 when we invented the uniform and linen rental industry. Alsco Uniforms has grown into a worldwide leader serving over 350,000 customers in 13 countries. It's our job every day to make every aspect of the customer experience better. Whatever our customers need, Alsco Uniforms finds the answers that work for them.

    Our employees are the heart and soul of Alsco Uniforms. As a result, we have a long history of strong financial performance, continuous improvement, and customer service. We're seeking driven professionals with ambition to grow within our company. We'd love to talk to you about how you can fit into our team of diverse individuals and how your hard work will be rewarded with competitive pay and benefits and ongoing career development.

    Join our team and build your career with Alsco Uniforms!

    Job Summary:
    The Soil Counter/Sorter handles, counts, sorts and records incoming soiled textiles from the customer. Identifies damaged or abused textiles. Prepares and transfers textiles to other departments. Performs other tasks as needed.

    Our full-time employees enjoy:

    401K Plan with Company Match

    Medical, Dental, Vision, FSA/HSA

    Life Insurance, Disability Insurance

    Vacation, Sick Time, Holidays

    Choice of Global Cash Card or Direct Deposit

    Career Advancement

    Learning & Development Opportunities

    Inclusive and Diverse Team Environment

    Essential Functions:
    - Open bag of soiled textiles, then sort them by type, size and color.
    - Count textiles manually or electronically, and transfer them into sorting systems.
    - Identify damaged or abused textiles and record into sorting systems.
    - Meet efficiency and safety standards for the position.
    - Follow instructions as directed by supervision.

    Additional Functions:
    - Work in other production positions as needed.
    Qualifications:
    - Recognize colors and sizes, count accurately.
    - Comprehend and follow direction.

    Typical Physical Activity:
    - Physical Demands consist of standing, walking, reaching overhead, pushing, pulling, grasping, lifting up to 50 lbs. and stooping.
    - Physical Requirements consist of being able to meet the physical demands for the entire shift.

    Typical Environmental Conditions:
    - Production areas of a typical industrial laundry facility, which includes variations in temperature, odors, humidity, lint and dust. Soiled linens come from a variety of customers such as restaurants, hotels, medical facilities and shops.

    Travel Requirements:
    - none.
    Education:
    - none.

    For a general description of benefits that are being offered for this position, please visit alsco.com/benefits.

    Alsco is an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.

    Revised: 04/29/2022


    Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
    The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)
  5. Post your job

    To find counters 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 counters they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level counters 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.
    To find counter candidates, you can consider the following options:
    • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
    • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as salesjobs, salesheads, allretailjobs.com, sales trax.
    • Post your job on free job posting websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Recruiting counters 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 counter

    Once you've selected the best counter 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.

    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.

    Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new counter. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

  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 a counter?

There are different types of costs for hiring counters. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new counter employee.

You can expect to pay around $32,875 per year for a counter, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for counters in the US typically range between $11 and $22 an hour.

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