How to hire a handy person

How to hire a handy person, step by step

Here's a step-by-step handy person hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The handy person hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   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 handy person 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.

   Here's a comparison of handy person salaries for various roles:

   Type of Handy Person	Description	Hourly rate
   Handy Person	General maintenance and repair workers fix and maintain machines, mechanical equipment, and buildings. They paint, repair flooring, and work on plumbing, electrical, and air-conditioning and heating systems.	$13-27
   Facilities Technician	Facilities Technicians are employees who manage the upkeep of the company's facilities. They are in charge of maintaining the different equipment, fixtures, and furniture in the office... Show more	$12-28
   Repair Technician	A repair technician's role focuses on assessing the problem or damage of a device and implementing solutions for it to function again. Although the extent of a technician's tasks will depend on the device or industry of employment, most of it revolves around troubleshooting, providing technical support, installing and writing programs, detaching and re-attaching wirings, welding, and even thoroughly discussing problems and solutions to clients... Show more	$12-30

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Plumbing
   • Maintenance Tasks
   • Customer Service
   • HVAC
   • Drywall Repair
   • Door Locks
   • Mowing
   • Windows
   • Building Maintenance
   • Safety Rules
   • General Maintenance
   • Troubleshoot
   • Plastering
   • Lawn Care

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Assist management in achieving and maintaining outstanding interior and exterior restaurant cleanliness and maintaining restaurant equipment.
   • Perform some carpentry, painting and plastering when need.
   • plaster sheetrock drywall and paint structures interior and exterior.
   • Help with mowing lawns and renovations to pond and deck.
   • Perform basic inspection and maintenance of HVAC building systems and boilers.
   • Perform demolition work such as breaking walls down and putting sheetrock in its place.

   More handy person duties

3. Make a budget

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

   $40,164yearly

   $19.31 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level handy person salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average handy person salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$50,428	$24
   2	New Jersey	$44,790	$22
   3	California	$44,258	$21
   4	Minnesota	$42,040	$20
   5	Puerto Rico	$38,082	$18
   6	Virginia	$37,520	$18
   7	Ohio	$35,777	$17
   8	Michigan	$35,598	$17
   9	Missouri	$35,282	$17
   10	Arizona	$34,551	$17
   11	Georgia	$33,107	$16
   12	North Carolina	$32,866	$16
   13	South Carolina	$32,181	$15
   14	Oregon	$31,362	$15
   15	Texas	$30,826	$15
   16	Florida	$30,261	$15
   17	Nebraska	$29,457	$14

   Average handy person salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Mount Sinai Health System	$64,659	$31.09
   2	Columbia University in the City of New York	$61,522	$29.58	2
   3	Mentor	$58,120	$27.94	5
   4	BGC Partners	$49,251	$23.68
   5	Owens Corning	$49,223	$23.66	2
   6	Kitchen Tune-Up Franchise System	$40,711	$19.57	4
   7	Paul Davis USA	$40,531	$19.49	10
   8	ABM Industries	$40,054	$19.26	10
   9	Guardian Service Industries	$39,873	$19.17	3
   10	Service Master Clean	$39,782	$19.13
   11	L+M Development Partners	$39,670	$19.07
   12	Crystal Stairs	$39,199	$18.85
   13	H&R Block	$38,760	$18.63
   14	Reliant Realty	$37,365	$17.96	1
   15	Wegmans Food Markets	$37,029	$17.80	10
   16	Toll Brothers	$36,939	$17.76
   17	Sonder	$35,331	$16.99
   18	Kelly Services	$35,324	$16.98
   19	Circle K	$35,139	$16.89	1
   20	ManpowerGroup	$34,647	$16.66

4. Writing a handy person job description

   A job description for a handy person role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a handy person job description:

   Handy person job description example

   MAKE YOUR MARK AT OUR STEAKHOUSE, WHERE HARD WORK IS CELEBRATED EVEN HARDER!
   
   Black Angus was founded by Stuart Anderson in 1964. A rancher who knew his way around a horse, a range and a campfire, he was looking to share the simple ranch cooking he loved. It's from him we learned to cook our steaks over fire, serve generous portions, and to create Memorable Dining Experiences for our Guests in 6 western states! Are you ready to Make your Mark?
   
   We are looking for ambitious JANITOR AND MAINTENANCE STAF F who know how to provide a Memorable Experience for our Guests. Can you:
   
   *Clean all restaurant facilities and provide miscellaneous light maintenance and repairs in a timely manner
   * Clean, vacuum, mop and organize facilities in the restaurant
   * Polish brass
   * Clean all windows
   * Clean and re-stock bathrooms
   * Basic plumbing and electrical
   * Some light carpentry as needed
   * Ensure a safe environment for Guests and Employees
   * Follow all food safety and sanitation procedures
   * Perform these duties with a friendly, professional manner
   * Be passionate about working under pressure, in a fast paced, team environment
   * Be available on ALL Holidays
   * Lift 30 to 50 pounds
   * Remain patient with an ability to stay positive under pressure
   
   If you answered yes to all of the above, let's talk around the camp fire!
   
   We offer:

   • $125 clothing allowance
   • 401(k) Retirement savings plan
   • FLEXIBLE SCHEDULES to work around your personal life
   • Referral bonus
   • Career growth opportunity
   • great discounts on great food
   • awesome team members and Managers who care about youand our Guests!

   Here's to the night's youcan't remember and the steaks you won't forget!Black Angus is an Equal Opportunity Employer!

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with handy person candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   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 handy person

   Once you've decided on a perfect handy person candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new handy person. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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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