How to hire a hazardous material technician

How to hire a hazardous material technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step hazardous material technician hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a hazardous material technician, 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

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

   Here's a comparison of hazardous material technician salaries for various roles:

   Type of Hazardous Material Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Hazardous Material Technician	Hazardous materials (hazmat) removal workers identify and dispose of asbestos, lead, radioactive waste, and other hazardous materials. They also neutralize and clean up materials that are flammable, corrosive, or toxic.	$14-35
   Laboratory Analyst	A Laboratory Analyst helps conduct experiments, run laboratory tests, and analyze results. They compile and record data for the documentation needed for testing and report preparation.	$14-29
   Environmental Services Supervisor	Environmental services supervisors direct and administer a healthcare facility's housekeeping program to maintain sanitation and occupational health. They help departments in charge of the cleanup, sanitation, pest control, housekeeping, and laundry... Show more	$14-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Safety Procedures
   • Hazardous Materials Incidents
   • Hazardous Waste
   • Hazmat
   • Emergency Response
   • OSHA
   • Ladders
   • EPA
   • Radiological
   • Materials Handling
   • CPR
   • EMT
   • Emergency Calls
   • EHS

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage, schedule, and analyze, logistics in highly specialize local, national and international supply chain logistics department.
   • Develop and manage explosive inspection and quality assurance processes and provide SME guidance for management of hazardous and non-hazardous material storage.
   • Lead a mold remediation team as well perform asbestos abatement along with general demolition and reconstruction in residential and commercial structures.
   • Assist in team training and OSHA compliance.
   • Ensure MSDS are provided for all hazardous materials carry or used.
   • Conduct HAZCOM training IAW 29 CFR for all personnel handling or using hazardous material.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your hazardous material technician job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A hazardous material technician salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, hazardous material technicians' average salary in kansas is 42% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level hazardous material technicians earn 58% less than senior-level hazardous material technicians.
   • Certifications. A hazardous material technician with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a hazardous material technician's salary.

   Average hazardous material technician salary

   $48,403yearly

   $23.27 hourly rate

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   Entry-level hazardous material technician salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

4. Writing a hazardous material technician job description

   A job description for a hazardous material technician 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 hazardous material technician job description:

   Hazardous material technician job description example

   SCHEDULE: TUES-SAT 7AM-3:30PM (OT IS AVAILBLE) MUST BE FLEXIBLE W/ SCHEDULE- COULD START 6AM AND LEAVE @ 4:30PM (RARE, ONCE A WEEK/ONCE A MONTH) MAIN SITES- IRVINE & SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO- WILL BE COMPENSATED FOR DRIVE TIME CANDIDATE SHOULD BE BASED OUT OF ORANGE COUNTY SINCE MAIN SITES ARE IN ORANGE COUNTY The Opportunity The Hazardous Material Tech II is responsible for the performance of tasks associated with handling of hazardous materials on a customer site. Why work for Clean Harbors? Health and Safety is our #1 priority and we live it 3-6-5 Competitive wages Comprehensive health benefits coverage after 30 days of full-time employment Group 401K with company matching component Generous paid time off, company paid training and tuition reimbursement Positive and safe work environments Opportunities for growth and development for all the stages of your career Key Responsibilities: Ensuring that Health and Safety is the number one priority by complying with all safe work practices, policies, and processes and acting in a safe manner at all times Make chemical pickups throughout customer facility as directed. Conduct chemical bulking/consolidation as required. Proper packaging of waste to maximize efficiency and maintain compliance. Ensure work area maintained in a neat and orderly manner. Participate in spill response on customer's site as needed. Attend all compliance and safety update meetings. Inspect drums for container integrity and regulatory compliance. Operate fork lift in a safe manner. Safe loading and unloading of waste hauling vehicles. Conduct waste stream sampling and profiling as necessary. Assist with all Clean Harbors activities on site as needed. Performs other duties and tasks as assigned from time to time by management and will be required by the needs of the Clean Harbors business. What does it take to work for Clean Harbors? High school diploma or equivalent required. 1+ years of related work experience. 40 Hour OSHA, DOT and Forklift Training. Grade 4 Industrial Wastewater License preferred. Attention to detail, able to take and follow direction, and to perform multiple tasks. Proficiency in Windows based applications preferred. Ability to interface with customers. Clean Driving record Join our team today! To learn more about our company, and to apply online for this exciting opportunity, visit us at www.cleanharbors.com/careers Clean Harbors is the leading provider of environmental, energy and industrial services throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Everywhere industry meets environment, Clean Harbors is one-site, providing premier environmental, energy and industrial services. We are solving tough problems through innovation and proven methodology - come be part of the solution with us. We thank all those interested in joining the Clean Harbors team; however only those that complete the online application and meet the minimum job qualifications will be considered for this role. Clean Harbors is a Military & Veteran friendly company. *CH

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5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting hazardous material technicians 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you 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 hazardous material technician

   Once you've decided on a perfect hazardous material technician 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.

   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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new hazardous material technician. 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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