How to hire a lumber yard worker

How to hire a lumber yard worker, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The lumber yard worker 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

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

   Type of Lumber Yard Worker	Description	Hourly rate
   Lumber Yard Worker	Hand laborers and material movers manually move freight, stock, or other materials. Others feed or remove material to and from machines, clean vehicles, pick up unwanted household goods, and pack materials for moving.	$12-18
   Package Handler	A package handler's primary duty is to place and load correct packages to delivery vehicles and review inventory upon shipments. Package handlers are responsible for analyzing product labels to make sure that the items are accurately processed... Show more	$12-19
   Stock Unloader	Stock unloaders are workers in charge of unloading goods and items from the truck into the store. The unloaders move the products in a warehouse, distribution center, or any industrial facility... Show more	$16-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Building Materials
   • Load Trucks
   • Safety Procedures
   • Delivery Truck
   • Customer Orders
   • RAN
   • Load Materials
   • Manual Labor
   • Windows
   • Sales Floor
   • Construction Sites
   • Customer Vehicles
   • Assembly Line
   • Safety Regulations

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Cut selected sizes of lumber and grades them and then stack all sizes on pallets to be ship.
   • Adjust controls to guide, position, or move equipment, such as cranes, booms, or cameras.
   • Used cutting torches, concrete saws, pneumatic tools.
   • Deliver block and brick on boom and buggy trucks.
   • Operate forklift and other heavy equipment such as, booms, skid steers, backhoes, reach forklifts, etc.

   More lumber yard worker duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the lumber yard worker job description is a good way to get more applicants. A lumber yard worker salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a lumber yard worker in Virginia may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level lumber yard worker. Additionally, a lumber yard worker with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average lumber yard worker salary

   $14.93hourly

   $31,052 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level lumber yard worker salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average lumber yard worker salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$38,108	$18
   2	Minnesota	$37,668	$18
   3	New York	$37,436	$18
   4	Alaska	$36,782	$18
   5	Oregon	$35,878	$17
   6	California	$34,732	$17
   7	Colorado	$34,073	$16
   8	Nebraska	$29,980	$14
   9	Ohio	$29,161	$14
   10	Arizona	$29,040	$14

   Average lumber yard worker salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Bloedorn Lumber	$32,642	$15.69
   2	TPI	$32,529	$15.64
   3	Grand Furniture	$32,440	$15.60
   4	Ace Hardware	$31,467	$15.13	15
   5	Advance Holding Corporation	$30,152	$14.50	5
   6	Simonson Properties	$30,152	$14.50	1
   7	US LBM	$30,152	$14.50
   8	Builders FirstSource	$29,959	$14.40	25
   9	ManpowerGroup	$29,705	$14.28	38
   10	Staffworks Group	$29,701	$14.28
   11	G4S	$29,317	$14.09
   12	G4s Secure Solutions International Inc.	$28,719	$13.81
   13	Randstad North America, Inc.	$28,552	$13.73
   14	Aerotek	$27,992	$13.46	162
   15	PeopleReady	$27,568	$13.25	134
   16	Feldman	$27,141	$13.05

4. Writing a lumber yard worker job description

   A job description for a lumber yard 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 lumber yard worker job description:

   Lumber yard worker job description example

   We are hiring for Yard Loaders to join the Lumber Yard department in our Eugene store. Yard Loaders support Jerry's Value Mission of providing World Class Service for our customers by keeping our lumber fully stocked, neatly displayed, accurately priced and organized.
   The Job
   
   * Seek out and assist customers with locating and loading their lumber and building material purchases safely
   * Safely and efficiently load customer product by hand or using appropriate equipment including forklift and pallet jacks
   * Keep aisles and displays clean and clear of clutter
   * Ensure displays are fully stocked, organized, easily accessible, and accurately priced
   * Cull lumber as needed
   * Assist with customer service at the Yard Gate
   * Other duties as assigned
   
   Requirements
   
   * Courteous, Tactful, Diplomatic, Outgoing, and Friendly personality
   * Desire to participate in a team-based atmosphere that maintains high standards
   * Able to safely operate power equipment, including forklift
   * Able to work independently in a fast-paced environment
   * Able to safely lift, push, and pull up to 75 lbs. regularly
   * Able to stand and walk on concrete throughout a full shift
   * Able to work in a wide range of weather conditions
   * No prior experience necessary, we are happy to train someone who is interested in learning and developing a new skill
   
   Schedule
   
   * Flexible Part Time and Full Time positions available
   * Schedule may vary and can include opening, closing, and weekend shifts
   
   Compensation
   
   * Pay-rate starting at $16.00/hr.
   * Benefits available to Part Time and Full Time team members
   * Team Member discount after meeting eligibility requirements
   * Opportunity to develop a long-term career with an established, employee-owned company
   
   Jerry's Home Improvement Center is a drug-free work environment and an equal opportunity employer.
   
   Please call our Human Resources department if you are having any issues applying online and we are happy help get you started! Thank you.
   
   Sales Representative Salesperson Sales Associate Sales Professional Retail Sales Consultant Home Improvement Sales Representative Sales Advisor Customer Sales Representative Customer Service Sales Retail Sales Associate Retail Sales Clerk Retail Associate Customer Experience Professional Retail Sales Specialist Sales Specialist Stock Associate Store Stocker Retail Stocking Associate Store Support Stocker Retail Cashier Checker Checkout Cashier Retail Sales Cashier Customer Service Cashier Parking Lot Attendant Lot Associate Cart Pusher Shopping Carts Clerk Cart Associate Cart Crew Member Cart Attendant Cart Retrieval Cart Clerk Retail Yard Associate Lumber Yard Associate Sales Associate Lumber and Building Materials Sales Front End Plumbing Tools Electrical Hardware Paint Decor Design Bath Kitchen Construction Lighting Garden Gardening Doors Windows Hardware

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting lumber yard 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.

   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 lumber yard worker

   Once you've decided on a perfect lumber yard worker 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 equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new lumber yard worker. 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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