How to hire a packaging associate

How to hire a packaging associate, step by step

Here's a step-by-step packaging associate hiring guide:

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

What does a packaging associate do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the packaging associate you need to hire. Certain packaging associate 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

   Hiring the perfect packaging associate also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of packaging associate salaries for various roles:

   Type of Packaging Associate	Description	Hourly rate
   Packaging Associate		$12-18
   Cell Operator	A Cell Operator is someone who handles a production cell in a company or factory. This position ensures that a cell unit of the production functions properly and efficiently... Show more	$14-21
   Relief Operator	A relief operator job depends on the institution or organization. Their main jobs include examining, measuring, and weighing materials or products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring devices such as rulers, micrometers, or scales... Show more	$17-24

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Pallets
   • Defective Products
   • Basic Math
   • Safety Standards
   • Quality Issues
   • Quality Products
   • Cleanliness
   • OSHA
   • Quality Checks
   • Quality Standards
   • PET
   • FDA
   • Safety Procedures
   • GMP

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the receipt and tracking of control substances as well as the DEA biennial inspection.
   • Assemble sterile syringes for shipping.
   • Collect required samples for QA testing.
   • Pack customers' groceries in a neat and orderly fashion.
   • Train many employees on various lines adhering to FDA /DEA prodigal.
   • Assist with cleaning and servicing operations in a DEA and FDA regulate.

   More packaging associate duties

3. Make a budget

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

   $15.15hourly

   $31,519 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level packaging associate salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average packaging associate salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$36,746	$18
   2	Minnesota	$36,523	$18
   3	Wisconsin	$34,705	$17
   4	North Dakota	$34,166	$16
   5	Oregon	$33,640	$16
   6	Illinois	$33,535	$16
   7	Kansas	$33,473	$16
   8	Missouri	$33,408	$16
   9	Colorado	$32,491	$16
   10	Utah	$32,378	$16
   11	Pennsylvania	$32,142	$15
   12	California	$31,972	$15
   13	Maine	$31,699	$15
   14	Ohio	$31,463	$15
   15	Indiana	$31,030	$15
   16	Kentucky	$30,947	$15
   17	Nebraska	$30,510	$15
   18	Arizona	$30,120	$14
   19	South Carolina	$28,641	$14
   20	New Mexico	$28,128	$14

   Average packaging associate salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	PepsiCo	$40,465	$19.45	2
   2	Mars	$40,078	$19.27	5
   3	Rich Products	$39,915	$19.19	4
   4	Shearer's Foods	$39,199	$18.85	7
   5	Ingredion	$38,989	$18.74	5
   6	Hoffmann-LA Roche Inc	$38,983	$18.74
   7	TreeHouse Foods	$38,309	$18.42	13
   8	Promega	$37,688	$18.12
   9	Danaher	$37,579	$18.07	20
   10	Pfizer	$37,535	$18.05	2
   11	PPG	$37,367	$17.96	8
   12	Saint-gobain Adfors	$37,300	$17.93
   13	Kohler Co.	$37,265	$17.92
   14	E.W. Grobbel Sons	$37,030	$17.80	1
   15	UPS	$36,777	$17.68	5
   16	Tenneco	$36,407	$17.50	3
   17	Stryker	$36,397	$17.50	4
   18	AstenJohnson	$36,199	$17.40	2
   19	Gillette	$35,367	$17.00
   20	Perrigo	$35,030	$16.84	7

4. Writing a packaging associate job description

   A job description for a packaging associate 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 packaging associate job description:

   Packaging associate job description example

   Job DescriptionAt Staffmark and our partner company, we know a team is only as strong as the relationships that hold it together. Join the innovative team as a Warehouse Packaging Associate in Mt. Pleasant and pave the way with the world's largest diversified printing and coating technologies company.
   Warehouse Packaging Associate job details include:
   Choose from 1st and 3rd shifts available (Temp to Perm): (5:50am - 6:00pm); (5:50pm - 6:00am) 2 days on, 2 days off, 3 days on, then 2 days off, 2 days on, 3 days off
   
   Temp Only Position - 7am - 3:30pm Monday thru Friday.
   
   Be in charge of receiving and storing products of shipments coming in. Pull and pack products based on daily orders. Be responsible for distributing material, tools, equipment, and products within establishments. Perform quality control inspections and trouble-shoot any equipment issues. Keep inventory organized and in good rotation to allow for efficient workflow.
   
   Perks? We have tons!We offer Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance, Life insurance and Disability insurance, as well as 401k with match.Paid Time Off, sick days, Credit Union, and flexible spending accounts for health and childcare.We provide Weekly Pay, Direct Deposit, Pay Card options, employee discount programs, and unlimited referral bonuses
   
   Grow with great onsite mentorship, work in a friendly environment, and enter a lasting career with endless opportunities.
   
   Click on "Apply Now" and be ready to be a part of something bigger with your success at the forefront. We are thrilled to connect with you soon.
   Apply today and you could win in our $100k Giveaway for Job Fest 2022. This year’s Job Fest features weekly drawings for $1k, three $25k giveaways, and more. In total, we''re giving away $100k! Between September 12 and December 4, employees receive an automatic contest entry for every week you work 36+ hours on assignment with us. The more weeks you work, the better chance you have to win. To learn more and read the contest rules, visit www.worknowandwin.com. Apply now for a chance to win! Company DescriptionLet’s find your next job – together. Whether you’re looking for temporary work or a direct-hire job, Staffmark will connect you to an opportunity that closely matches your interests and skills. Staffmark is a proud member of Staffmark Group, an award-winning family of staffing brands with a national network of 450+ offices. We connect over 250,000 people to jobs each year, and we’re ready to put this expertise to work for you! Learn more at www.staffmark.com.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right packaging associate for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with packaging associates they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit packaging associates who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with packaging associate candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   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 packaging associate

   Once you've found the packaging associate 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new packaging associate. 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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How much does it cost to hire a packaging associate?