How to hire a heat treater

How to hire a heat treater, step by step

Here's a step-by-step heat treater hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a heat treater, 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 heat treater's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, heat treaters 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 heat treaters and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Heat Treater	Description	Hourly rate
   Heat Treater	Metal and plastic machine workers set up and operate machines that cut, shape, and form metal and plastic materials or pieces.	$12-21
   Furnace Operator	A furnace operator records time and production data, adjusts thermostats, and observes a pyrometer to maintain the temperature between specified limits. The operators set furnace control to regulate the temperature and heating time... Show more	$13-21

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Aerospace
   • Aluminum
   • Hardness Testing
   • Anneal
   • Hoists
   • Production Schedules
   • RAN
   • Brazing
   • Heat Treating Furnaces
   • Hardness Testers
   • Gas Furnaces
   • CNC
   • Safety Inspections
   • Troubleshoot

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Organize and lead rig up and rig down of equipment.
   • Conduct quality SPC random spot checks and manage department personnel.
   • Engineer heat treatments according to print and applicable aerospace and/or customer specifications.
   • Operate multiple furnaces (pre-temp, high temp and ISO).
   • Perform duties of aluminum and titanium work.
   • Operate overhead cranes and run mobile equipment.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your heat treater job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A heat treater can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, heat treaters' average salary in florida is 23% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level heat treaters 41% less than senior-level heat treaters.
   • Certifications. A heat treater with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a heat treater's salary.

   Average heat treater salary

   $16.62hourly

   $34,572 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level heat treater salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 29, 2026

4. Writing a heat treater job description

   A heat treater 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. Below, you can find an example of a heat treater job description:

   Heat treater job description example

   This position will work to improve process modeling efficiency, accuracy, and capability for application to critical Caterpillar steel components. Projects will center primarily around heat treat process modeling on steels with some exposure to forming and casting modeling. The candidate will work with process simulation software and provide code to model and predict steel microstructures, mechanical properties, and residual stresses resulting from various heat treatments at a full component level. In addition to using and improving internal and external heat treatment simulation codes, the successful candidate will write code and advise on methods of rapid characterization and quantification of steel microstructures from microscopic images.
   **Your Work Shapes the World**
   
   Whether groundbreaking products, best-in-class solutions or creating a lifelong career, you can do the work that matters at Caterpillar. With a 95-year legacy of quality, innovation, and 150 locations worldwide, your impact spans the globe.
   
   When you join Caterpillar, you join a team of makers, innovators, and doers. We are the people who roll up our sleeves and do the work to build a better world. We don't just talk about progress and innovation. We make it happen. We are proud of this because it helps our customers build and power the world we live in - the roads, hospitals, homes, and infrastructure. Without a dedicated workforce, Caterpillar could not effectively meet our customer's needs. Come join our Caterpillar team.
   
   Parallel Co-Op Engineers work alongside engineering teams to complete design & simulation tasks in support of Caterpillar product development.
   
   If you are interested in applying for this position, please attach a copy of your resume with an unofficial copy of your transcripts to your application.
   
   **Co-Op Program Qualifications:**
   
   Must be enrolled full-time at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
   
   Minimum 3.0/4.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average (no rounding) at current institution
   
   **Top candidates will also have:**
   
   Management experience
   
   Previous technical internship, co-op, or research/relevant experience
   
   This is **a part-time, temporary** position.
   
   Relocation is **NOT** available
   
   Sponsorship is available
   
   For more information, visit caterpillar.com. To connect with us on social media, see caterpillar.com/social media.
   
   EEO/AA Employer. All qualified individuals - Including minorities, females, veterans and individuals with disabilities - are encouraged to apply.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find heat treaters 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 heat treaters they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level heat treaters 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 heat treater job on Zippia to find and recruit heat treater candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with heat treater 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 heat treater

   Once you have selected a candidate for the heat treater position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new heat treater. 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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