How to hire a grocery worker

How to hire a grocery worker, step by step

Here's a step-by-step grocery worker hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a grocery worker, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   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 grocery worker 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 grocery worker that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of grocery worker salaries for various roles:

   Type of Grocery Worker	Description	Hourly rate
   Grocery Worker	Delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers pick up, transport, and drop off packages and small shipments within a local region or urban area. They drive trucks with a gross vehicle weight (GVW)—the combined weight of the vehicle, passengers, and cargo—of 26,000 pounds or less... Show more	$12-19
   Warehouse/Driver	A warehouse driver is responsible for transporting packages and other merchandise from the warehouse to different locations. Warehouse drivers strictly follow route sheets to avoid delays in the delivery... Show more	$12-19
   Customer Service And Driver	A customer service and driver is responsible for providing transport or technical assistance to customers. Their job usually focuses on answering calls or correspondence from clients to identify their needs, responding to inquiries, explaining service and product specifications, discussing price details, troubleshooting issues, providing clear instructions, or referring other services when necessary... Show more	$13-21

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Sales Floor
   • Groceries
   • Food Preparation
   • Displays ETC
   • Delivery Truck

   Responsibilities:

   • Develop loyal customer base and increase sales volume through personal attention to customer demands and anticipating future needs.
   • Receive payment by cash, check, credit cards, vouchers, and EBT cards.

3. Make a budget

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

   Average grocery worker salary

   $15.64hourly

   $32,529 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level grocery worker salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average grocery worker salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$38,353	$18
   2	Hawaii	$36,520	$18
   3	California	$36,349	$17
   4	District of Columbia	$34,171	$16
   5	Oregon	$34,031	$16
   6	North Dakota	$33,927	$16
   7	Minnesota	$33,680	$16
   8	Illinois	$33,517	$16
   9	Virginia	$33,490	$16
   10	Indiana	$31,634	$15
   11	Michigan	$31,473	$15
   12	Kentucky	$31,453	$15
   13	Maryland	$31,431	$15
   14	New York	$31,003	$15
   15	New Jersey	$30,590	$15
   16	Ohio	$30,225	$15
   17	New Hampshire	$29,479	$14
   18	Pennsylvania	$29,342	$14
   19	Texas	$28,417	$14
   20	Wisconsin	$26,473	$13

   Average grocery worker salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Shipt	$41,024	$19.72

4. Writing a grocery worker job description

   A grocery worker 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 grocery worker job description:

   Grocery worker job description example

   Get a $40 bonus for 5 shops daily on launch weekend (10/27 - 10/30). Shipt is launching in Athens on Thursday October 27th! Sign up to shop now and you will be eligible for two exciting incentives:

   • $40 bonus for 5 promo-free and on-time shops on 10/27, 10/28, 10/29 and 10/30.
   • $20 bonus for completing Prescription (RX) Certification prior to launch.

   Shipt is a membership-based marketplace that helps people get the things they need, like fresh produce and household essentials, from stores they trust. Help people save time, and have fun while you're at it - there's never been a better time to join Shipt.

   As a Shipt Shopper, you will:

   • Use the app to accept, shop, and deliver orders to Shipt members in your area.
   • Interact with the people who make your community special.
   • "Bring the magic" with every delivery to ensure the best customer experience.

   Why Shipt?

   • Earn extra income to save for a dream trip, pay down debt, or donate to your favorite cause.
   • Enjoy a free Shipt membership and discover the benefits of same-day delivery for yourself.
   • Get discounts on everything from car insurance and tax preparation to entertainment and health care.
   • Set your own hours: Be your own boss and work part-time, full-time, or any time in between.
   • Be part of the Shipt family: Get to know fellow shoppers through online groups, exclusive events, and meetups.
   • Work wherever you are: Easily shop in any of our service areas when you're on the road.

   All applicants must:

   • Be at least 18 years old.
   • Have access to reliable transportation (car year of 1997 or newer) and car insurance coverage.
   • Have a current U.S. driver's license.
   • Have knowledge about picking fresh produce.
   • Provide your own insulated cooler bag.
   • Be able to lift 25+ pounds.
   • Be familiar with using an Android or iPhone.

   Compensation and Shifts:

   • Self-determined hours.

   Job Type: Contract

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find grocery workers 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 grocery worker job on Zippia to find and recruit grocery worker candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting grocery workers 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 grocery worker

   Once you've selected the best grocery worker 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.

   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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