How to hire a package worker

How to hire a package worker, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the package worker you need to hire. Certain package 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a package worker to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a package worker that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of package workers.

   Type of Package Worker	Description	Hourly rate
   Package 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.	$11-17
   Warehouseman	A warehouseman or warehouse worker is the person who assists with the inventory, shipping, and receiving of items in warehouses. Warehousemen receive and process incoming materials and stocks, along with picking and filling orders from the store... Show more	$14-20
   Material Handler	Material handlers are responsible for moving products, storing items, and managing supplies to proper shelf categories. A material handler also documents deliveries and ensures that all items for shipment are correct and free of any damage... Show more	$12-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Pallets
   • Assembly Line
   • Safety Policies
   • GMP
   • Clean Environment
   • Lot Numbers
   • Quality Standards
   • General Clean-Up
   • RAN

   Responsibilities:

   • Follow GMP requirements, assist associates when need.
   • Load and unload materials on or from pallets, carts, and trailers.
   • Load and deliver lumber, sheetrock, shingles, insulation, and also help customers.
   • Stack lumber with forklift and deliver, carry, and place sheet rock and roof shingles into homes.
   • Pack product according to spreadsheets and run distributing lines while conducting computer operating codes for organization.
   • Transport materials from storage to select areas by using a pallet jack, forklift or electronic dolly.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your package worker job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A package worker can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, package workers' average salary in alabama is 46% less than in north dakota.
   • Seniority. Entry-level package workers 38% less than senior-level package workers.
   • Certifications. A package worker with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a package worker's salary.

   Average package worker salary

   $14.17hourly

   $29,482 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level package worker salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 24, 2025

   Average package worker salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	North Dakota	$40,464	$19
   2	Colorado	$39,219	$19
   3	Minnesota	$37,246	$18
   4	Wisconsin	$36,140	$17
   5	Washington	$36,034	$17
   6	New York	$35,264	$17
   7	Oregon	$35,114	$17
   8	California	$33,358	$16
   9	Utah	$33,101	$16
   10	Iowa	$31,474	$15
   11	Indiana	$31,396	$15
   12	Michigan	$30,442	$15
   13	Ohio	$29,660	$14
   14	Missouri	$29,545	$14
   15	Illinois	$29,204	$14
   16	South Dakota	$28,777	$14
   17	Kansas	$28,737	$14
   18	Virginia	$28,652	$14
   19	Arizona	$27,767	$13
   20	Georgia	$26,778	$13

   Average package worker salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	UPS	$35,358	$17.00	27
   2	Daisy Brand	$33,072	$15.90
   3	FedEx	$32,501	$15.63	95
   4	Iowa Department of Transportation	$32,163	$15.46
   5	The Kraft Heinz Company	$29,931	$14.39	4
   6	Hughes	$29,420	$14.14
   7	Workbox Staffing	$28,938	$13.91	1
   8	Iowa State Association of Counties	$28,901	$13.89
   9	Great Work! Employment Services Co	$28,804	$13.85
   10	Kelly Services	$28,568	$13.73	24
   11	ManpowerGroup	$28,227	$13.57	53
   12	Aerotek	$28,217	$13.57	272
   13	TERRA Staffing Group	$28,065	$13.49
   14	PeopleReady	$27,812	$13.37	100
   15	Randstad North America, Inc.	$27,784	$13.36	1
   16	Adecco	$27,756	$13.34	122
   17	Express Employment Indy South	$27,497	$13.22	1
   18	Automation Personnel Services	$27,002	$12.98	12
   19	R.M. Schulte & Associates	$25,395	$12.21

4. Writing a package worker job description

   A job description for a package 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 package worker job description:

   Package worker job description example

   PeopleReady of Port Huron, MI is now hiring Food Packaging Workers!
   
   Apply today and you could start as soon as tomorrow. No resume or interview required – yep, you read that right.
   
   As a PeopleReady associate you'll benefit from:
   
   * The freedom to work where you want, when you want and as often as you want.
   
   * Next-day pay* for many of our open positions.
   
   * The ability to choose long-term positions for steady work or short-term positions if you just want some extra cash.
   
   * The ability to sign up for jobs right from our mobile app, JobStack!
   
   Pay Rate:
   
   The pay rate for this job is $10.65 / Hour
   
   What you'll be doing as a Food Packaging Worker:
   
   *
   
   Putting empty boxes into a conyeyor belt, stack pallets and putting ice into boxes to keep the food cooled
   
   * Pull and prepare orders for shipment, delivering the proper paperwork, packaging, and quantity for each order to the required destination in shipping and receiving.
   
   * Perform merchandise scan-ins, and other required quality assurance steps that confirm the contents of each order while tracking inventory for the company.
   
   * Receive, verify, stage, and stock incoming material, either independently or as part of a team depending on order size and daily staffing needs.
   
   * Ensure the warehouse area is cleaned, organized, and that all safety procedures are being followed at all times by yourself and your teammates.
   
   * Provide dependable, shift-long coverage of the warehouse facilities to ensure order fulfillment operates as efficiently as possible for the duration of the warehouse associate's shift.
   
   Available shifts:
   
   Shift timings - All Available
   
   Job requirements:
   
   *
   
   Read and Agree Associate Food Protocol Form
   
   * Dependable daily attendance and ability to meet productivity goals
   
   * Strong organizational work
   
   * Detail-oriented
   
   Ready to take control of the way you work?
   
   Complete our application to join the PeopleReady team today. In case you missed it, no resumes or interviews are required!
   
   \#EVER650B
   
   PeopleReady is an equal opportunity employer, and we value diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religious affiliation, color, national origin, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability, or any other basis protected by law. We will get to know you and connect you with jobs that match your skills, experience and preferences. We work hard every single day to find jobs so each employee has opportunity and variety in their work.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find package 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 package worker job on Zippia to find and recruit package worker 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 package workers, 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 package worker

   Once you've found the package worker 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.

   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.

   To prepare for the new package worker 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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