How to hire a hatchery manager

How to hire a hatchery manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step hatchery manager hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your hatchery manager 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 hatchery manager 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a hatchery manager 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 hatchery manager that fits the bill.

   This list presents hatchery manager salaries for various positions.

   Type of Hatchery Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Hatchery Manager	Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers operate establishments that produce crops, livestock, and dairy products.	$15-49
   Manager	Managers are responsible for a specific department, function, or employee group. They oversee their assigned departments and all the employees under the department... Show more	$17-44
   Site Manager	The tasks of a Site Manager may vary, but the responsibility will always revolve around supervising the construction project and its employees, making sure that the project is completed within the allotted time, budget, and quality. Site Managers are required to have great communication and leadership skills as they are often the ones to engage with the clients and coordinate with the employees... Show more	$15-52

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • OSHA
   • Capital Improvement Projects
   • Fish Health
   • Water Quality
   • Facility Maintenance
   • Broilers
   • Contract Producers
   • Disciplinary Actions
   • Processing Plant
   • Animal Welfare
   • DOT

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage daily operations of USDA facility.
   • Deliver sex chicks to the broiler farms to raise roasters and broilers.
   • Maintain an OSHA compliant work environment, enforce affirmative attendance policy, maintain complete inventory records and met/exceed production goals.
   • Travel and work with vendors on equipment upgrades in the extrusion process and tooling rebuilds.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your hatchery manager job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A hatchery manager 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 hatchery manager in South Carolina may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level hatchery manager usually earns less than a senior-level hatchery manager. Additionally, a hatchery manager 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 hatchery manager salary

   $58,416yearly

   $28.08 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level hatchery manager salary

   $33,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average hatchery manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Pennsylvania	$73,376	$35
   2	Virginia	$72,264	$35
   3	Washington	$71,813	$35
   4	Virginia	$69,665	$33
   5	Virginia	$69,518	$33
   6	Maryland	$68,317	$33
   7	North Carolina	$67,554	$32
   8	Virginia	$67,458	$32
   9	Wisconsin	$64,554	$31
   10	Georgia	$63,539	$31
   11	California	$62,372	$30
   12	California	$62,072	$30
   13	Kansas	$60,603	$29
   14	Missouri	$52,487	$25
   15	Hawaii	$49,643	$24
   16	Hawaii	$46,766	$22

   Average hatchery manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Cargill	$40,582	$19.51	3
   2	Perdue Farms	$38,454	$18.49	4
   3	Hormel Foods	$34,977	$16.82	3
   4	Tyson Foods	$34,055	$16.37	3
   5	Pilgrim's	$24,337	$11.70	32

4. Writing a hatchery manager job description

   A good hatchery manager 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 hatchery manager job description:

   Hatchery manager job description example

   Perdue Foods is part of Perdue Farms, a family-owned company heading into it's second century of growth and innovation. With a goal of becoming the most trusted name in premium proteins, we create products for consumers and for retail and foodservice customers around the globe, while changing the way animals are raised for food.
   **Summary**
   
   Manages and provides direction for hatchery operations necessary to support breeder and live production needs.
   
   **Principal and Essential Duties & Responsibilities**
   
   Directly responsible for the supervision and safety of all associates that work in the hatchery. Sets up and enforces safety programs and committees to instruct associates on all local, state, federal and company safety programs.
   
   Responsible for the maintenance and inventories of the building and all equipment, maintains inventories, equipment, parts and supplies as needed for operation. Coordinates all eggs required for all breeder placements and ensures no shortages occur.
   
   Responsible for quality and production requirements, initiates programs, to accomplish the best possible hatchability. Determines goal setting to accomplish competitive CPMH (chicks per man hour) in all departments. Participates in QIP (Quality Improvement Plan).
   
   Responsible for all government required reporting such as community right to know, EPA and all state and federal requirements.
   
   Responsible for total operating costs of the hatchery. Must set goals in all costs areas to stay competitive with other hatcheries.
   
   **Minimum Education**
   
   Bachelor's degree in a related field is preferred.
   
   **Experience Requirements**
   
   Prior management experience. Reading, writing and analytical skills required. Knowledge of, but not limited to incubation, mechanical, management skills, government regulations and sanitation.
   
   **Environmental Factors and Physical Requirements**
   
   Exposed to temperatures ranging from 60 - 105 degrees; humidity up to 100%. Work in a wet, damp, dusty (chick down) environment. Exposed to chemicals, drugs and vaccines to be covered in MSDS training and hazardous communications. Must use personal protective equipment as required. Must be able to travel throughout the hatchery, facilities and operations.
   
   _Perdue Farms, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status._

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find hatchery managers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any hatchery managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level hatchery managers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your hatchery manager job on Zippia to find and recruit hatchery manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting hatchery managers 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 hatchery manager

   Once you've found the hatchery manager candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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 hatchery manager 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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