How to hire an operator

How to hire an operator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step operator hiring guide:

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

What does an operator do?

Post an operator job for free, promote it for a fee

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your operator job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an operator for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   An operator's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, operators 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.

   This list shows salaries for various types of operators.

   Type of Operator	Description	Hourly rate
   Operator	Material moving machine operators use machinery to transport various objects. Some operators move construction materials around building sites or excavate earth from a mine... Show more	$12-25
   Machine Operator/Forklift Operator	A machine operator/forklift operator is responsible for operating industrial trucks to move merchandise around the warehouse facilities and other assigned areas. Machine operators/forklift operators also assist with inventory tasks by scanning orders and ensuring the correct merchandise for shipment... Show more	$12-18
   Equipment Operator/Labour	Heavy equipment operators control and drive construction equipment. The operators operate heavy equipment, including backhoes, bulldozers, and lift... Show more	$12-20

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Safety Procedures
   • CDL
   • Emergency Calls
   • Preventative Maintenance
   • Quality Checks
   • Dozer
   • Dump Truck
   • Assembly Line
   • CNC
   • Backhoe
   • Pallet Jack
   • Load Trucks
   • End Loaders
   • Frac

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Assist in developing the company s short and long term training plans and managing yearly ammunition allocation.
   • Assist and manage the extrusion process of polyester raw material in pellet or chip form to produce finish rolls of plastic.
   • Manage day-to-day transportation and logistics services for multinational account base.
   • Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
   • Job require basic math skills: fractions and decimals.
   • Ensure safety of all equipment during production in compliance with strict OSHA and safety regulations.

   More operator duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, operators' average salary in alabama is 37% less than in north dakota.
   • Seniority. Entry-level operators earn 49% less than senior-level operators.
   • Certifications. An operator 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 an operator's salary.

   Average operator salary

   $37,928yearly

   $18.23 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level operator salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average operator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$53,920	$26
   2	North Dakota	$49,704	$24
   3	Washington	$48,348	$23
   4	Oregon	$46,199	$22
   5	New York	$45,840	$22
   6	Massachusetts	$43,866	$21
   7	Utah	$43,764	$21
   8	Minnesota	$43,708	$21
   9	Colorado	$41,887	$20
   10	Virginia	$41,883	$20
   11	Illinois	$40,912	$20
   12	Iowa	$39,602	$19
   13	Maine	$39,189	$19
   14	New Mexico	$38,935	$19
   15	Michigan	$38,723	$19
   16	Indiana	$37,553	$18
   17	Kentucky	$37,453	$18
   18	Pennsylvania	$37,332	$18
   19	Arizona	$37,119	$18
   20	Missouri	$36,325	$17

   Average operator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Microsoft	$132,222	$63.57	3
   2	Barclays	$115,291	$55.43	1
   3	Micron Technology	$113,398	$54.52	2
   4	Tradeweb	$97,462	$46.86
   5	Aera Energy	$93,092	$44.76
   6	American Water	$91,217	$43.85	16
   7	Duquesne Light Company	$83,747	$40.26
   8	Citi	$81,080	$38.98	1
   9	Tata Group	$78,434	$37.71	3
   10	Los Alamos National Laboratory	$74,592	$35.86	6
   11	Covanta	$73,861	$35.51
   12	Argonne National Laboratory	$70,780	$34.03	16
   13	Arizona Public Service	$70,344	$33.82
   14	Cognizant	$69,994	$33.65
   15	Aqua	$67,689	$32.54	9
   16	Battelle	$67,580	$32.49	1
   17	HCL Technologies	$66,109	$31.78
   18	National Grid plc	$65,690	$31.58	2
   19	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$65,595	$31.54	133
   20	Constellation Energy Partners	$64,904	$31.20	4

4. Writing an operator job description

   A good operator job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an operator job description:

   Operator job description example

   This role may also be located in our Playa Vista, CA campus.
   
   Minimum qualifications:
   
   + Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience
   
   + 5 years of work experience in a Strategy, Operations, or similar field
   
   + Ability to speak and write in English and Spanish fluently.
   
   Preferred qualifications:
   
   + Experience communicating complex information to internal executive management and external partners/stakeholders.
   
   + Knowledge of the financial services ecosystem in LATAM.
   
   + Ability to deal with ambiguity and work independently across multiple functions and product areas to drive alignment and deliverables.
   
   + Ability to speak and write in Portuguese fluently.
   
   + Excellent written and verbal communication skills with ability to influence and collaborate with leaders across the organization.
   
   + Excellent problem-solving, project management and analytical skills, with effective business acumen.
   
   As a Strategy and Operations Lead, you will demonstrate project management skills, executive communications, analytical skills, and business judgment to support strategic decisions and foster growth initiatives across the full suite of Payments Products. You will be responsible for enabling an externally-facing Business Development team and effectively program managing and aligning internal teams and functions.
   
   Whether it is paying online with Autofill, using tap and pay in stores, or using the Google Pay app, the Payments team at Google is focused on making payments simple, seamless, and secure. In addition to consumer payment technologies, the Payments team also powers the money movement between Google and its consumers and businesses.
   
   Additional Information
   
   (Colorado only*) Minimum full-time salary range between $153,000 - $164,000 + bonus + equity + benefits.
   
   *Note: Disclosure as required by sb19-085 (8-5-20) of the minimum salary compensation range for this role when being hired into our offices in Colorado.
   
   + Leverage strategic insights and operational efficiency to enable externally-facing Business Development teams to achieve growth targets and develop unique solutions.
   
   + Manage several initiatives concurrently, collaborating with multiple internal stakeholders.
   
   + Conduct and manage market analyses, solve strategic and operational problems, and identify key insights relevant for the global teams.
   
   + Communicate results and insights with cross-functional leaders (e.g. through presentations and ongoing analysis/reports, etc.).

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit operators, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 operator

   Once you've decided on a perfect operator 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 also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new operator first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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 an operator?