How to hire an oyster shucker

How to hire an oyster shucker, step by step

Here's a step-by-step oyster shucker hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The oyster shucker 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

   An oyster shucker's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, oyster shuckers 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 oyster shucker salaries for various roles:

   Type of Oyster Shucker	Description	Hourly rate
   Oyster Shucker		$9-16
   Seafood Processor	Seafood processors are employees tasked with the job of processing and refining raw materials to finished goods. They sort, tend and operate relative machinery related to the processing plant as well as cleaning working space to ensure hygiene... Show more	$9-13
   Food Runner/Busser	A food runner or busser is an employee who works at a restaurant to provide quality food services to customers and patrons. Food runners or bussers perform food preparation and ensure that foods are delivered promptly to the appropriate customers' tables... Show more	$10-17

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service

   Responsibilities:

   • Expedite all food out of kitchen; plate and inspect all food.
   • Recognize for consistent leadership skills and ability to maintain a positive and efficient team environment while maintaining high productivity and sales.
   • Operate large- volume cooking equipment such as grills, deep-fat fryers and griddles.
   • Operate large-volume cooking equipment such as grills, deep-fat fryers, or griddles.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, oyster shuckers' average salary in louisiana is 48% less than in north dakota.
   • Seniority. Entry-level oyster shuckers earn 44% less than senior-level oyster shuckers.
   • Certifications. An oyster shucker 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 oyster shucker's salary.

   Average oyster shucker salary

   $12.63hourly

   $26,265 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level oyster shucker salary

   $19,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average oyster shucker salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$33,459	$16
   2	Illinois	$33,177	$16
   3	New Jersey	$32,106	$15
   4	Washington	$29,824	$14
   5	Washington	$29,751	$14
   6	New York	$28,646	$14
   7	Florida	$26,447	$13
   8	Florida	$26,441	$13
   9	Florida	$26,411	$13
   10	California	$26,347	$13
   11	Texas	$26,337	$13
   12	Florida	$26,328	$13
   13	Texas	$26,326	$13
   14	Texas	$26,314	$13
   15	Texas	$26,313	$13
   16	Texas	$26,311	$13
   17	Pennsylvania	$26,248	$13
   18	Tennessee	$25,166	$12
   19	South Carolina	$25,027	$12
   20	South Carolina	$24,817	$12

   Average oyster shucker salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Taylor Shellfish	$25,468	$12.24
   2	Metompkin Bay Oyster Co	$25,339	$12.18
   3	Aimbridge Hospitality	$25,297	$12.16
   4	Jeri's Seafood Inc	$24,850	$11.95
   5	Grand Savings Bank	$24,709	$11.88
   6	Phillips Seafood	$24,528	$11.79
   7	The Lobster Place	$24,428	$11.74
   8	Coast Seafoods	$24,000	$11.54
   9	Fresh Frozen Foods	$23,944	$11.51

4. Writing an oyster shucker job description

   A good oyster shucker 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 oyster shucker job description:

   Oyster shucker job description example

   Key Job Functions
   Reports to kitchen supervisors and kitchen manager Assumes 100% responsibility for quality of products served Knows & complies consistently with our standard portion sizes, quality standards, policies and procedures Handles stores and rotates all products properly Maintains a clean and sanitary work station area, including oyster bar, knives, gloves, sinks, and refrigeration equipment Opens & closes oyster bar area properly and follows checklist and assists others in closing duties Operate Micros to manage your own customers Deliver Passionate & Engaging Service to our Guests
   You will be passionate and truly engaged in taking care of our guests, recognizing individual guests and anticipating their unique needs in order to exceed their expectations You will consistently deliver our GUEST model:Thank everyone Solve and own all requests/complaints Establish/anticipate needs Use eye and ear contact and guest's name Greet or welcome everyone, warmly with a smile Build solid relationship with your ColleaguesTreat colleagues with respect and dignity Food/Beverage Service Worker Permit, where applicable Meet minimum age requirement of jurisdiction Ability to communicate effectively with the public and other Team Members
   
   Qualifications and Skills
   
   Communication skills are utilized a significant amount of time for training and safety purposes, and when interacting with guests and associates.
   Strong communication skills Appropriate professional appearance and demeanor3 years of previous oyster bar experience preferred, preferably high volume oyster bars Culinary degree or related hotel experience is preferred.Ability to perform all basic and intermediate cooking skills.Able to work multiple stations in the oyster bar.Micros experience preferred
   
   Physical Demands
   The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
   
   While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to stand and use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is frequently required to talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to walk; reach with hands and arms and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds.
   
   Work Environment
   The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
   
   While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts; extreme cold and extreme heat. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
   
   Additional Job Description
   
   Benefits
   
   Sonesta recognizes that benefits play a vital role in helping ensure the health and financial security of employees and their families. We offer a variety of benefits to our employees including:
   
   Medical, Dental and Vision InsuranceHealth Savings Account with Company Match 401(k) Retirement Plan with Company MatchPaid Vacation and Sick DaysSonesta Hotel DiscountsEducational AssistancePaid Parental LeaveCompany Paid Life InsuranceCompany Paid Short Term and Long Term Disability InsuranceVarious Employee Perks and Discounts
   
   Upon submitting your application, please ensure you complete a full application in addition to attaching a resume. Incomplete applications received will not be considered.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right oyster shucker for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your oyster shucker job on Zippia to find and recruit oyster shucker candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting oyster shuckers 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. 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 oyster shucker

   Once you've found the oyster shucker candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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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