How to hire a parts specialist

How to hire a parts specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step parts specialist hiring guide:

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

What does a parts specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your parts specialist 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 a parts specialist 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a parts specialist 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 parts specialist that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of parts specialist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Parts Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Parts Specialist	Retail sales workers include both those who sell retail merchandise, such as clothing, furniture, and automobiles, (called retail salespersons) and those who sell spare and replacement parts and equipment, especially car parts (called parts salespersons). Both types of workers help customers find the products they want and process customers’ payments.	$12-20
   Counter Sales Person	A counter salesperson is an employee who meets customers when first entering a store or an organization and provides excellent customer service. Counter salespersons are responsible for answering customer queries and resolve all their queries professional to ensure maximum customer satisfaction... Show more	$12-21
   Parts Counter Clerk	A parts counter clerk is a customer service position responsible for advising customers about parts and selling parts to customers. The person holding this position is responsible for receiving and verifying new stock when delivered, managing inventory and sales records, billing and receiving payment, and making orders to replenish parts stock... Show more	$12-20

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Taking Care
   • Customer Service
   • Inventory Control
   • Data Entry
   • Parts Inventory
   • Inventory Management
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Strong Customer Service
   • Product Knowledge
   • Purchase Orders
   • Parts Counter
   • Cash Handling
   • Parts Sales
   • Cycle Counts

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage DIY services including battery installation, testing, wiper installs, etc.
   • Maintain inventory control and increase profit of automotive dealership parts department.
   • Interface with cataloging engineers regarding correcting the parts catalog and technical specifications of parts.
   • Train all new counterman staff.
   • Skil in navigating AS400 database.
   • Complete H-DU chrome staff consultant training.

   More parts specialist duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, parts specialists' average salary in indiana is 37% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level parts specialists 38% less than senior-level parts specialists.
   • Certifications. A parts specialist 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 parts specialist's salary.

   Average parts specialist salary

   $16.16hourly

   $33,611 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level parts specialist salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 13, 2026

   Average parts specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$45,316	$22
   2	Alaska	$43,589	$21
   3	Maine	$39,814	$19
   4	Colorado	$38,906	$19
   5	California	$38,232	$18
   6	New York	$37,896	$18
   7	Wisconsin	$37,334	$18
   8	Minnesota	$36,485	$18
   9	Nevada	$35,711	$17
   10	Ohio	$34,627	$17
   11	Virginia	$34,240	$16
   12	Illinois	$34,131	$16
   13	Kansas	$33,524	$16
   14	Hawaii	$33,475	$16
   15	Oregon	$33,414	$16
   16	Montana	$32,888	$16
   17	Arizona	$32,737	$16
   18	Nebraska	$32,701	$16
   19	Missouri	$32,277	$16
   20	Georgia	$32,140	$15

   Average parts specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Steel Dynamics	$48,112	$23.13	3
   2	King County	$46,005	$22.12
   3	Dayton Freight	$40,743	$19.59	2
   4	Accenture	$40,355	$19.40
   5	Knapheide	$40,056	$19.26
   6	TreeHouse Foods	$39,980	$19.22
   7	Republic Services	$39,656	$19.07	3
   8	Estes Express Lines	$39,594	$19.04	4
   9	Land O'Lakes	$39,581	$19.03
   10	Cummins	$39,569	$19.02	20
   11	Rivian	$39,479	$18.98	3
   12	Clyde Companies	$38,957	$18.73
   13	Dole	$38,869	$18.69
   14	Thomas Concrete	$38,808	$18.66
   15	FedEx	$38,634	$18.57	3
   16	UPS	$38,552	$18.53	9
   17	CTTRANSIT	$38,447	$18.48
   18	Geneva Rock Products	$38,425	$18.47
   19	Fresh Express	$38,195	$18.36	2
   20	Kirby	$37,988	$18.26	16

4. Writing a parts specialist job description

   A job description for a parts specialist 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 parts specialist job description:

   Parts specialist job description example

   As a family company, we serve people and communities. When you work at Meijer, you're provided with career and community opportunities centered around leadership, personal growth and development. Consider joining our family - take care of your career and your community!
   Meijer Rewards
   Weekly pay Scheduling flexibility Paid parental leave Paid education assistance Care.com/back-up care assistance Team member discount Development programs for advancement and career growth
   
   Please review the job profile below and apply today!
   
   Working in Fleet Maintenance to complete warranty claims related to parts inventory and operation.
   .
   
   What You'll be Doing:
   Practice 200% Safety accountability - self and others. Provide efficient and professional administrative support to the department. Schedule meetings, answer phones and assist Team Members with a variety of requests. Prepare, modify and update documents such as memos, notifications, letter drafts and emails. Update and distribute reports, project updates, and routine department measures as required. Learn and operate computer software within the department. Maintain the filing system (both hard and soft copy documentation) related to the assigned area. May assist in updating and monitoring departmental projects. May coordinate third-party vendor Daily Shipments and Receiving.
   
   What You Bring with You (Qualifications):
   High School graduate; additional education helpful, particularly in administrative/business studies. One to two years prior clerical/administrative experience. Ability to maintain strict confidentiality. Familiarity with and ability to use current office technology tools. Strong organizational, planning and time management skills.
   
   .
   
   .

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right parts specialist 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 parts specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit parts specialists 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 parts specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit parts specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with parts specialist 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.

   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 parts specialist

   Once you've decided on a perfect parts specialist 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new parts specialist. 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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How much does it cost to hire a parts specialist?