How to hire a floater

How to hire a floater, step by step

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

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

What does a floater do?

Post a floater job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your floater 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 floater 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?

   Yes

   No

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

   The following list breaks down different types of floaters and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Floater	Description	Hourly rate
   Floater	Preschool teachers educate and care for children younger than age 5 who have not yet entered kindergarten. They teach reading, writing, science, and other subjects in a way that young children can understand.	$11-19
   Infant And Toddler Teacher	An infant and toddler teacher is a professional who aids in the cognitive and social development of preschool children by teaching them the most basic skills that focus on play-centered learning and creativity. Infant and toddler teachers must help children develop positive self-images and encourage them to explore their interests and develop social skills... Show more	$11-17
   Lead Pre-Kindergarten Teacher	A Lead Pre-Kindergarten Teacher is responsible for running a public or private school. Their main duty is to prepare education programs for children, as well as prepare the children for kindergarten.	$9-24

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • CPR
   • Safety Standards
   • Quality Standards
   • Child Care
   • Patient Care
   • Front Desk
   • Food Preparation
   • Pallet Jack
   • Assembly Line
   • Vital Signs
   • CNC
   • PowerPoint
   • Groceries

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and enter all admission records through the use of CareLogic EMR.
   • Train in HIPAA, OSHA, CPR, BSL, and EMR.
   • Work closely with USDA food regulate programs.
   • Push carts, stock shelves, pack groceries, maintenance.
   • Restock pick locations using narrow aisle reach truck and RF system.
   • Use company RF scanner equipment to ensure correct product for orders.

   More floater duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the floater job description is a good way to get more applicants. A floater 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 floater in Florida may be lower than in Minnesota, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level floater. Additionally, a floater with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average floater salary

   $15.25hourly

   $31,721 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level floater salary

   $24,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average floater salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Minnesota	$42,024	$20
   2	New York	$41,610	$20
   3	Massachusetts	$38,656	$19
   4	District of Columbia	$38,185	$18
   5	Oregon	$36,142	$17
   6	Connecticut	$35,274	$17
   7	Illinois	$35,242	$17
   8	Virginia	$34,101	$16
   9	California	$34,036	$16
   10	Nebraska	$33,978	$16
   11	Colorado	$33,960	$16
   12	Maryland	$33,802	$16
   13	Wisconsin	$33,281	$16
   14	New Hampshire	$32,354	$16
   15	Pennsylvania	$31,229	$15
   16	Arkansas	$30,767	$15
   17	Ohio	$30,723	$15
   18	Missouri	$29,843	$14
   19	Nevada	$29,515	$14
   20	Arizona	$29,367	$14

   Average floater salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Steel Dynamics	$41,746	$20.07	1
   2	Cargill	$40,108	$19.28
   3	North American Stainless	$40,095	$19.28
   4	Syracuse University	$39,800	$19.13
   5	TreeHouse Foods	$38,296	$18.41
   6	Beacon Hill Staffing Group	$37,734	$18.14
   7	University of Wisconsin System	$37,094	$17.83
   8	PSECU	$36,833	$17.71
   9	Ecolab	$36,751	$17.67
   10	Telecare	$36,399	$17.50
   11	Fifth Third Bank	$36,328	$17.47
   12	Pella	$36,258	$17.43
   13	Land O'Lakes	$36,254	$17.43
   14	Woodgrain	$36,192	$17.40	1
   15	SPX	$35,883	$17.25
   16	Lahey Health Behavioral Services	$35,567	$17.10
   17	Charles River Center	$35,328	$16.98
   18	Albertsons	$35,208	$16.93
   19	East Penn Manufacturing	$35,199	$16.92
   20	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	$35,099	$16.87

4. Writing a floater job description

   A good floater job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a floater job description:

   Floater job description example

   Pay rate $14 - $16 per hour, based on skills and experience.

   Qualifications/Requirements:

   • High school diploma or equivalent required.
   • Prior residential concierge experience.
   • Worked with 250+ units (desirable).
   • Experience with Building Link, Yardi, Rent Café, Entrata, et.al. Preferred
   • Must possess effective written and oral communication and interpersonal skills with ability to deal with all levels of personnel and the general public.
   • Need to have computer literacy skills to submit reports, maintain logs, produce signage, etc.
   • Neat and professional appearance.
   • Ability to provide excellent customer service and work well with people.
   • Detail oriented and able to handle multiple functions at the same time.
   • Must display exceptional communication skills.
   • Must be knowledgeable of the local area, tourist attractions, restaurants, and transportation services.
   • Must be flexible and have open availability. Schedules are inclusive of weekends and flexibility is a must to assist with around-the-clock coverage.
   • Must display strong planning, organizational, and time management skills.
   • Ability to maintain exceptional attendance and punctuality standard.
   • Upon hire, employee must successfully complete a background investigation and reference check
   • There are full-time and part-time positions available. A detailed scope-of-work will be discussed during the interview process. This position will include weekend work.

   The requirements and duties described above may be modified or waived by the Company in its sole discretion without notice.

   Guardian Service Industries is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, among other things, race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, citizenship, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Guardian Service Industries is committed to integrity, excellence, and diversity among its employees.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find floaters for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your floater job on Zippia to find and attract quality floater candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting floaters 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 floater

   Once you've selected the best floater 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new floater first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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 floater?