How to hire an evaporator operator

How to hire an evaporator operator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step evaporator operator hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

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

   This list shows salaries for various types of evaporator operators.

   Type of Evaporator Operator	Description	Hourly rate
   Evaporator Operator		$13-23
   Process Operator	A process operator's role is to supervise all production operations in a manufacturing plant or similar setting. To ensure the efficiency and safety of the workforce and the workload, a process operator must regularly conduct inspections on the manufacturing processes and provide an assessment of the employees' progress... Show more	$13-23
   Operator	Operators are skilled workers who are in charge of working on an industrial machine or a specific aspect of the manufacturing business. They are trained to operate machines, learning how to use them... Show more	$12-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CIP
   • Food Safety
   • GMP
   • Minor Maintenance
   • Evaporators
   • Dryers
   • Htst
   • Control Equipment
   • Control Room
   • USDA
   • HACCP
   • RAN
   • Centrifuges
   • Test Results

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Follow all: OSHA, GMP, HACCP, and plant policies and procedures while achieving production goals.
   • Manage multiple large volume fermentation tanks simultaneously.
   • Set up, monitor and inspect and maintain a continous flow of salt from the evaporators to other areas.
   • Operate milk evaporator and centrifuges that separate different products.
   • Monitor and operate a multiple-effect evaporators to concentrate broth to specify density by evaporation.
   • Monitor equipment and process; troubleshoot mechanical and electrical problems that affect quality or production and direct maintenance in repairs.

   More evaporator operator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your evaporator operator job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An evaporator operator can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, evaporator operators' average salary in georgia is 34% less than in north dakota.
   • Seniority. Entry-level evaporator operators 43% less than senior-level evaporator operators.
   • Certifications. An evaporator operator with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an evaporator operator's salary.

   Average evaporator operator salary

   $37,736yearly

   $18.14 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level evaporator operator salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average evaporator operator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Minnesota	$46,363	$22
   2	Minnesota	$46,338	$22
   3	Wisconsin	$45,349	$22
   4	New York	$39,842	$19
   5	Louisiana	$36,803	$18
   6	Louisiana	$36,759	$18
   7	Louisiana	$36,749	$18

   Average evaporator operator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Dairy Farmers of America	$44,814	$21.55	56
   2	Cora Texas Mfg Co	$38,161	$18.35

4. Writing an evaporator operator job description

   An evaporator operator 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 an evaporator operator job description:

   Evaporator operator job description example

   **Position** : Evaporator Operator - Night
   
   **Location** : Zumbrota, Minnesota
   
   
   **General Purpose:**
   
   Provide operation and maintenance support to the Evaporator and Sanitation departments within the plant. Perform tasks in a safe manner and follow safety and environmental regulations. Work within standard operating procedures, under a moderate degree of supervision.
   
   **Job Duties and Responsibilities:**
   
   + Maintain Evaporator, tower area and ground floor. Keep clean and sanitary, picking up and putting away clamps, gaskets and pipes when not in use
   
   + Perform necessary routine cleaning and preventive maintenance
   
   + Complete wash up in a timely fashion and operate CIP equipment
   
   + Record lot numbers
   
   + Load-out bulk tankers of condensed whey
   
   + Operate the reverse osmosis system
   
   + Ensure product meets specifications
   
   + Prevent spills
   
   + Maintain operating records
   
   + Monitor equipment for abuse and break-downs
   
   + Control and monitor HTST pasteurizer, including the documentation of production and non-production activities in accordance with customer, state, and USDA requirements
   
   + Assist with CIP validations, inventory counting and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures
   
   + Complete, maintain, and review of daily and weekly area cleanliness and other reports
   
   + The requirements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employee, but is not a complete list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required. Other duties may be assigned as required
   
   + Maintain safe working conditions for employees and compliance with all state and federal regulations regarding health and safety issues
   
   + Dedicate effort to safety as we expect every employee to leave work in the same condition as they arrive
   
   + Follow all DFA good manufacturing practices (GMP) and work in a manner consistent with all corporate regulatory, food safety, quality, and sanitation requirements
   
   + Exhibit the values and ethics of Dairy Farmers of America through honesty, discretion, and sound judgment
   
   + Attend required training, including but not limited to, Safety, GMP, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), and Safe Quality Foods (SQF)
   
   + Adhere to all DFA Quality, Safety and GMP policies and procedures and report any nonconformity
   
   **Minimum Requirements:**
   
   **_Education and Experience_**
   
   + High School Diploma or GED required
   
   + 1 year of experience with the Evaporator process and or related field preferred
   
   **_Knowledge, Skills and Abilities_**
   
   + Skill set must include proficient use of computers
   
   + Must be able to read, write and speak English
   
   EEO/AA/Female/Minority/Disabled/Veteran

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting evaporator operators 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 evaporator operator

   Once you have selected a candidate for the evaporator operator 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 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new evaporator operator. 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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