How to hire a distributor

How to hire a distributor, step by step

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

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a distributor to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a distributor that fits the bill.

   This list presents distributor salaries for various positions.

   Type of Distributor	Description	Hourly rate
   Distributor	Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses, government agencies, and other organizations. They contact customers, explain product features, answer any questions that their customers may have, and negotiate prices.	$14-25
   Sales/Account Representative	A sales account representative is responsible for managing and responding promptly to customer complaints and queries of clients. They focus on customer concerns and contact prospects... Show more	$18-38
   Sales Representative	Sales representatives primarily sell the company's products and services to businesses or organizations. They should be adept at closing out sales, negotiating, and providing customer service... Show more	$15-45

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Distributors
   • Customer Service
   • Delivery Truck
   • Customer Relations
   • Product Line
   • Wellness Products
   • Direct Sales
   • Product Knowledge
   • Retail Store
   • Grocery Store
   • Customer Orders
   • Healthy Lifestyle
   • Facebook
   • Jewelry

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Generate leads for outside sales representatives including organizing, monitoring and updating Microsoft CRM program.
   • Train in OSHA safety standards and maintain compliances.
   • Use an RF scanner to produce labels identifying repack case contents.
   • Use Facebook as a great social media outlet, as well as twitter.
   • Operate forklift and stand up forklift, used RF scanner guns to track items
   • Install new valves, water meters, taps for water meters, and fire hydrants.

   More distributor duties

3. Make a budget

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

   $40,606yearly

   $19.52 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level distributor salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average distributor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$55,307	$27
   2	Washington	$53,666	$26
   3	Nevada	$47,751	$23
   4	Texas	$47,332	$23
   5	Georgia	$45,394	$22
   6	California	$44,750	$22
   7	South Carolina	$43,770	$21
   8	Pennsylvania	$41,735	$20
   9	Arizona	$41,204	$20
   10	Ohio	$40,392	$19
   11	Virginia	$39,290	$19
   12	North Carolina	$39,133	$19
   13	Florida	$37,352	$18
   14	New York	$36,336	$17
   15	Michigan	$35,975	$17
   16	Illinois	$34,363	$17
   17	Missouri	$33,778	$16
   18	District of Columbia	$33,147	$16
   19	Tennessee	$31,322	$15

   Average distributor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	ABB	$65,839	$31.65	15
   2	Exelon	$59,660	$28.68	6
   3	Bank of America	$53,843	$25.89
   4	NV Energy	$52,405	$25.19
   5	Church & Dwight Co.	$50,982	$24.51
   6	Regional Medical Center- Orangeburg	$50,118	$24.10
   7	Oldcastle Infrastructure	$49,123	$23.62	25
   8	Apple	$48,256	$23.20	1
   9	Warn Industries	$47,766	$22.96
   10	International Rescue Committee	$46,749	$22.48
   11	East Penn Manufacturing	$46,678	$22.44	1
   12	NCH Healthcare System	$46,153	$22.19
   13	UPS	$45,866	$22.05	2
   14	Fidelity National Information Solutions	$45,704	$21.97
   15	Allianz Life	$44,911	$21.59	2
   16	Hachette Book Group	$44,807	$21.54
   17	Coloplast	$43,991	$21.15	1
   18	Dover	$43,987	$21.15	6
   19	Danaher	$43,340	$20.84	105
   20	Horizon Solutions Co	$43,267	$20.80

4. Writing a distributor job description

   A distributor 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 distributor job description:

   Distributor job description example

   Branch out with a warehouse career at Family Dollar!
   We are looking for industrial athletes to join our amazing warehouse team! As a warehouse associate, you'll get to make a difference in a fast-paced, automated distribution center. Join us - You'll be proud to work for a successful, stable, growing Fortune 135 Company that is 100% committed to the safety of its Associates, helps families live lives better, and serves our communities in this time of need.
   
   We conduct pre-employment drug testing and criminal background checks. Dollar Tree does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, veteran status, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by the law. Applicants with disabilities may contact Dollar Tree coordinators via telephone, fax, e-mail, and other means to request and arrange for accommodations. If you need assistance to accommodate a disability, you may request an accommodation at any time.
   
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit distributors, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you 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 distributor

   Once you have selected a candidate for the distributor position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize 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.

   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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