How to hire a labour worker

How to hire a labour worker, step by step

Here's a step-by-step labour 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 labour worker job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new labour worker
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a labour worker do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the labour worker you need to hire. Certain labour worker roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A labour worker's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, labour workers 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 labour worker salaries for various roles:

   Type of Labour Worker	Description	Hourly rate
   Labour Worker		$11-18
   Helper	Helpers are employed by families or homeowners to provide overall assistance in the house. They are usually assigned to do household chores such as cleaning the house, doing the laundry, cooking meals, and tending the garden... Show more	$11-18
   Production Internship	A production internship is a program for a college student who works as a support person and seeks experience in the film or television set. An intern will research topics using various sources such as the internet, assist production staff in developing relevant stories for the television, film, and social media and run errands for a particular project... Show more	$12-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Safety Procedures
   • Power Drills
   • Construction Sites
   • Safety Rules
   • Manual Labor
   • Assembly Line
   • Pallet Jack
   • Mowing
   • Snow Removal
   • Load Trucks
   • Windows
   • Dump Truck
   • Water Lines
   • Shovels

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Perform routine physical labor at building, highway and heavy construction projects, tunnel and shaft excavations and demolition sites.
   • Light landscaping which include: mowing, planting flowers, and planting shrubs/trees, spreading grass seed and wood chips.
   • Remove snow from sidewalks, driveways, or parking areas, using snow plows, snow blowers, or shovels.
   • Work independently and with a team on construction projects that include general remodeling, roofing, additions and demolition
   • Utilize bobcat and other tools for demolition.
   • Operate tools such as hoists and saws.

   More labour worker duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your labour worker job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A labour worker 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 labour worker in Mississippi may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level labour worker usually earns less than a senior-level labour worker. Additionally, a labour worker 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 labour worker salary

   $14.46hourly

   $30,080 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level labour worker salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 22, 2025

   Average labour worker salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$39,301	$19
   2	New York	$34,768	$17
   3	Minnesota	$34,459	$17
   4	Nevada	$32,574	$16
   5	Iowa	$32,450	$16
   6	Ohio	$32,436	$16
   7	Arizona	$32,345	$16
   8	Illinois	$31,851	$15
   9	Pennsylvania	$31,231	$15
   10	Nebraska	$30,964	$15
   11	Colorado	$30,774	$15
   12	Indiana	$30,513	$15
   13	Missouri	$30,015	$14
   14	Utah	$29,397	$14
   15	Tennessee	$29,258	$14
   16	South Carolina	$29,001	$14
   17	Virginia	$28,281	$14
   18	Louisiana	$28,013	$13
   19	Texas	$27,358	$13
   20	North Carolina	$27,261	$13

   Average labour worker salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Brookhaven National Laboratory	$52,477	$25.23
   2	Columbia University in the City of New York	$44,855	$21.56	1
   3	University of California-Berkeley	$44,172	$21.24
   4	The Phelps School	$44,169	$21.24
   5	Sierra Pacific Industries	$42,772	$20.56	10
   6	Northrop Grumman	$41,765	$20.08	10
   7	Freeport-McMoRan	$41,714	$20.05	3
   8	Genesee & Wyoming	$41,518	$19.96	10
   9	UC Merced	$41,155	$19.79
   10	Lockheed Martin	$41,032	$19.73	9
   11	Michigan State University	$39,763	$19.12	18
   12	UMass Dartmouth	$39,714	$19.09
   13	Georgetown University	$39,701	$19.09	1
   14	Rich Products	$39,508	$18.99	14
   15	Martin Marietta	$39,358	$18.92	1
   16	Bunge	$39,337	$18.91	10
   17	Fort Bend County	$39,264	$18.88	3
   18	Fluor Corporation	$38,978	$18.74	13
   19	Midwest Manufacturing	$38,916	$18.71
   20	Hillstone Networks	$38,898	$18.70

4. Writing a labour worker job description

   A job description for a labour worker 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 labour worker job description:

   Labour worker job description example

   As a Crew Member your will be on your feet all day constantly rotating compressed gas tanks off delivery trucks, into the fill plant, and back out into inventory or onto a truck for delivery. You are part of the team that ensures our customers will get the products they ordered for next day delivery.
   This is a physical job and will require the person to work outdoors up to 50% of the time. Schedule : Full-Time (40 hours), 8:30am - 5:00pm Mon - Fri Pay : $19 to start, earn up to $22 for completing training. (4 - 6 months to complete training) Primary Duties: Load & unload delivery trucks Sort & organize tanks Operate a propane forklift to transport tanks around facility Operate filling equipment to fill tanks with correct gas Perform maintenance on tanks, pallets and other equipment Requirements : Steel Toe Boots (will reimburse after 90 days) Able to move 200 - 300lbs using carts & rolling techniques Able to lift up to 50lbs propane & CO2 tanks Preferred Qualifications: Reliable Must pass pre-employment drug screen & background check before starting employment. Company DescriptionWho We Are:
   
   Toll Company is 100% employee owned gas and welding supply distributor based in Plymouth, MN. Toll has been servicing the Twin Cities market since 1945 and is proud to lead the market in products, services, quality customer service and continuous improvement in our quality processes. We operate four retail store locations throughout the Twin Cities metro with full-service delivery capabilities. In addition to our retail outlets, we also have an in-house fill plant, an ISO 17025 accredited specialty gas lab, bulk gas installation capabilities, and an extensive rental fleet of welding equipment.
   
   The Benefits:
   
   Health Insurance
   Dental Insurance
   Life & Long-term disability insurance
   Flexible Spending Plan
   Paid Time Off
   Supplemental Insurance
   Health Club Discounts
   Employee Stock Ownership Plan
   401(k) plan
   Product discounts
   Weekly paychecks

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting labour 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.

   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 labour worker

   Once you've selected the best labour 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.

   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 labour worker. 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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How much does it cost to hire a labour worker?