How to hire a metal finisher

How to hire a metal finisher, step by step

Here's a step-by-step metal finisher hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

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

   Type of Metal Finisher	Description	Hourly rate
   Metal Finisher	Metal and plastic machine workers set up and operate machines that cut, shape, and form metal and plastic materials or pieces.	$13-20
   Grinder	Depending on the industry, a grinder has a diverse range of duties. Typically, they oversee setting up and operating bearing grinders, cam grinders, and CNC lathes... Show more	$12-19
   Polisher	Polishers need skills in critical thinking, troubleshooting, equipment maintenance, and social perceptiveness. Generally, this career requires only a high school diploma or GED, though some polishers do hold bachelor's degrees... Show more	$12-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Grinders
   • Stainless Steel
   • Hand Tools
   • Dents
   • Detect Defects
   • Quality Checks
   • CNC
   • Aerospace
   • Air Tools
   • Safety Regulations
   • MIG
   • Laser Cutting
   • Smooth Surfaces
   • Hand Grinders

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Train and instruct other polishers and achieve significant improvements in their productivity.
   • Prepare a variety of jigs and fabricate extremely ornate gates, railings, stairs, and fences.
   • Operate fork lifts, cutting torches and power tools to dismantle equipment to find and remove defective parts.
   • Concrete construction, bobcat operator, concrete finisher
   • Assist ICM with project management responsibilities and updating and editing documentation for ISO compliance.
   • Manufacture extruded aluminum evaporator coils, condenser coils, and other products for heat transfer applications.

   More metal finisher duties

3. Make a budget

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

   $16.71hourly

   $34,760 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level metal finisher salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average metal finisher salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Oregon	$42,859	$21
   2	Indiana	$40,910	$20
   3	Minnesota	$40,899	$20
   4	New York	$37,675	$18
   5	Wisconsin	$36,791	$18
   6	Michigan	$36,183	$17
   7	California	$35,044	$17
   8	Ohio	$34,764	$17
   9	Colorado	$34,042	$16
   10	Pennsylvania	$33,647	$16
   11	Iowa	$33,632	$16
   12	Missouri	$33,460	$16
   13	Arkansas	$32,738	$16
   14	Texas	$32,041	$15
   15	Florida	$28,981	$14

   Average metal finisher salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	MicroPort	$40,369	$19.41
   2	Capco	$40,181	$19.32
   3	Brunswick	$40,109	$19.28	3
   4	Oshkosh	$39,467	$18.97	2
   5	VisionCorp Rep	$39,424	$18.95	1
   6	Polaris	$38,724	$18.62	1
   7	Maysteel Industries	$38,521	$18.52
   8	REV Group	$38,409	$18.47	2
   9	Tetra Pak	$37,947	$18.24	1
   10	Dynetics	$37,836	$18.19
   11	AdvanTech	$37,428	$17.99
   12	Gemini	$36,799	$17.69
   13	O'Neal Industries Inc	$36,735	$17.66
   14	Knoll	$36,646	$17.62
   15	First Choice Medical Staffing	$36,384	$17.49
   16	Kratos Defense & Security Solutions	$36,379	$17.49
   17	Princeton Watches	$36,206	$17.41
   18	MEC	$36,206	$17.41	1
   19	Sharpe Resources, Inc.	$36,204	$17.41
   20	Mack Group	$36,198	$17.40

4. Writing a metal finisher job description

   A metal finisher 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 metal finisher job description:

   Metal finisher job description example

   For 75 years, Anderson Dahlen has provided world-class metal fabrication and equipment integration services to leading companies in a wide variety of industries:
   Food Processing Industrial Pharmaceutical Vacuum (Applied Vacuum Division) Contract manufacturing for OEMs, engineering support and design-build capability for custom projects. From components to fully integrated equipment, our uniquely effective Project Management process helps us continuously shape bright ideas into brilliant results. ISO 9001:2015 certified; ASME, AWS and PED compliant.
   Anderson Dahlen is proud to have become part of the Gray family of companies in September 2020. Gray Inc. is a family-owned, fully integrated service provider specializing in engineering, design, construction, and smart manufacturing. This acquisition provides Gray new capabilities for stainless-steel manufacturing of key critical equipment for the Food and Beverage industry. It also expands Anderson Dahlen's resources to serve customers in the Food, Pharmaceutical, Industrial, and Vacuum Technology markets.
   PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF POSITION: Performs a full range of rough grinding, polishing and metal finishing operations on components, manufactured parts and assemblies in accordance with prescribed specifications. Requirements: MAJOR AREAS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY: Follow safe work practices and OSHA requirements. Grinds, files, or sands surfaces of metal items using hand tools, power tools, and knowledge of metal finishing techniques: Examines and feels surface of metal to detect defects, such as dents, scratches, or breaks in metal. Smooths surface of item to specified finish, using hand-tools and powered tools. May polish metal surface, using powered polishing wheel or belt. Be able to set-up and operate straight-line sanders, buffers, timesavers, and hand-held grinders and polishers. Complete projects within established guidelines and time frames according to our quality standards. May utilize blueprints to perform job. Read and understand written or verbal work instructions to complete tasks. Understand and follow all company policies and procedures. Work in teams to create cost saving measures and/or ideas to improve quality and service. Monitor quality of goods produced. Other duties as assigned. QUALIFICATIONS FOR ENTRY: High School Diploma/GED + 1 year in manufacturing industry, preferred. A high level of attention to detail is a must as aesthetic appearance is critical. Must be able to select the proper abrasives for each application to achieve the specified finish using the most efficient process. Must have good dexterity and hand eye coordination. Must be comfortable bending, squatting, reaching overhead, pushing and pulling. Ability to use profilometers and other measuring tools. Good verbal and written communication Must be reliable and punctual. Vision with full spectrum of color Basic computer knowledge
   
   PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Anderson Dahlen fosters a manufacturing type environment. Moderately heavy work requiring the occasional lifting of objects weighing 50 pounds or less. In the performance of essential duties, the incumbent may be required to operate a variety of industrial machining tools.
   BENEFITS: Bonus Program Paid Time Off (PTO) Health Insurance Dental Insurance 401K Profit Sharing Program Long Term Disability Insurance Optional Short-Term Disability Employer paid Life Insurance Continuing Education Benefits 4 by 10 Schedule (Monday-Thursday) Paid Uniform Program Air Conditioned Production Shop All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, or other legally protected status.
   At this time, Anderson Dahlen requests no solicitation from staffing or placement agencies regarding this position.
   
   All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, or other legally protected status.
   
   PI194575397

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting metal finishers 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 metal finisher

   Once you have selected a candidate for the metal finisher 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.

   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 metal finisher. 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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