How to hire a plant worker

How to hire a plant worker, step by step

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

What does a plant worker do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your plant worker 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 plant worker 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

   A plant worker's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, plant workers 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 presents plant worker salaries for various positions.

   Type of Plant Worker	Description	Hourly rate
   Plant Worker	General maintenance and repair workers fix and maintain machines, mechanical equipment, and buildings. They paint, repair flooring, and work on plumbing, electrical, and air-conditioning and heating systems.	$12-18
   Repair Technician	A repair technician's role focuses on assessing the problem or damage of a device and implementing solutions for it to function again. Although the extent of a technician's tasks will depend on the device or industry of employment, most of it revolves around troubleshooting, providing technical support, installing and writing programs, detaching and re-attaching wirings, welding, and even thoroughly discussing problems and solutions to clients... Show more	$12-30
   Handyman	A handyman can perform various repair and maintenance tasks involving electricity, carpentry, plumbing, and even appliance installation. Most handymen work independently, but they can also choose to be part of a company... Show more	$15-29

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Recordkeeping
   • Conveyor Systems
   • OSHA
   • Hazardous Materials
   • Plant Operations
   • Customer Service
   • BIO
   • Dryers
   • Safety Procedures
   • Assembly Line
   • Load Trucks
   • Hazardous Waste
   • Welding Tools
   • General Maintenance

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Decontaminate vehicles and cargo-carrying portion, reload assigned racks, scan waste containers into Bio-track systems for proper recordkeeping.
   • Load cafeteria trays/silverware/cookware into commercial dishwasher.

   More plant worker duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, plant workers' average salary in louisiana is 50% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level plant workers earn 36% less than senior-level plant workers.
   • Certifications. A plant worker 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 a plant worker's salary.

   Average plant worker salary

   $15.24hourly

   $31,705 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level plant worker salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average plant worker salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$36,374	$17
   2	Illinois	$34,930	$17
   3	Iowa	$32,231	$16
   4	Colorado	$31,950	$15
   5	Michigan	$31,203	$15
   6	North Carolina	$29,052	$14
   7	Kansas	$28,900	$14
   8	Kentucky	$27,825	$13
   9	Georgia	$27,332	$13
   10	Texas	$27,311	$13
   11	Tennessee	$26,782	$13
   12	Alabama	$25,922	$12
   13	Arizona	$25,862	$12

   Average plant worker salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	City of Austin	$38,273	$18.40	1
   2	Silgan Containers	$37,337	$17.95	14
   3	Hormel Foods	$37,154	$17.86	44
   4	Texas	$35,381	$17.01	111
   5	Stericycle	$34,799	$16.73	1
   6	Kindred Healthcare	$33,630	$16.17
   7	Garden State Growers	$33,317	$16.02
   8	Bozeman Health	$33,142	$15.93	3
   9	BCforward	$32,617	$15.68	7
   10	Elwood Staffing	$32,307	$15.53
   11	Compass Group USA	$32,218	$15.49	1,323
   12	Kelly Services	$31,604	$15.19	41
   13	G-TECH	$31,375	$15.08
   14	Lacosta Inc	$31,186	$14.99
   15	IH Services	$31,162	$14.98	1
   16	PeopleReady	$31,129	$14.97	173
   17	Caliper Family of Companies	$31,124	$14.96
   18	NORTH	$31,018	$14.91
   19	Universal Health Services	$30,746	$14.78	69
   20	NESCO	$30,662	$14.74

4. Writing a plant worker job description

   A good plant worker 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 a plant worker job description:

   Plant worker job description example

   Dignity Health East Valley Rehabilitation Hospital- Gilbert is the second joint venture operation, free-standing Post-Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital between Dignity Health and Kindred Healthcare. This new 50,000 square foot two-story 40-bed hospital will be located at
   1850 South Santan Village Gilbert, Arizona.
   
   The facility will have all private rooms and focus on acute rehabilitation for patients who suffer from stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, complex neurological disorders, orthopedic conditions, multiple trauma, amputation and other injuries or disorders. The large multidisciplinary therapy gymnasiums will be outfitted with the latest therapeutic technologies, including augmented reality balance training, therapy bionics and a full body exoskeleton. The hospital will also include a therapeutic courtyard with exterior amenities, such as a golf chipping range, pickle ball and cornhole.
   
   JOB SUMMARY:
   
   Assists in assigned activities of plant operation functions which are necessary in maintaining the physical structures, HVAC, mechanical, electrical systems, utility systems and grounds of the hospital in an operative and safe working condition. Assists in maintaining performance improvement activities within the facility and participates in CQI activities. Performs general maintenance and repair duties to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the Physical Plant. Receives daily direction from the Director of Plant Operations via verbal or written communications. May share on call with Director of Plant Operations.
   
   ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
   
   
   
   
   Reports daily to the Director of Plant Operations regarding the physical and structural conditions of hospital facilities and the status of work in progress.
   Participates in the applications of standards of quality and productivity for the facility. Follows policies, procedures and standards of work performance for maintenance and repair of equipment, buildings and building systems.
   Assists in administering the maintenance program to ensure the uninterrupted operation of the entire physical plant.
   Works closely with other departments and administration. Negotiates priorities, plans work schedules, completes job assignments, and requests orders of needed materials, supplies and parts.
   Performs and completes maintenance repair work, alterations, remodeling, minor construction, and checks out installation and servicing of mechanical and electrical equipment and building systems.
   Assists with maintaining stock levels of materials and parts within budgetary constraints.
   Assists in ensuring compliance with state and federal requirements in regards to the energy management program.
   Assists with coordination of all fire and safety measures throughout the hospital, including fire and safety inspections and procedures in conjunction with Safety and Security Departments when requested.
   Participates in performance improvement and information management activities.
   Other duties as assigned.
   
   
   Qualifications
   
   High School diploma or the equivalent.
   At least 2 years’ experience with maintenance preferably in a hospital setting.
   Familiarity with Joint Commission and other regulatory policy and procedures highly preferred.
   Able to communicate effectively in English, both verbally and in writing.
   Basic computer knowledge.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right plant worker 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 plant worker job on Zippia to find and recruit plant worker candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting plant workers 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 plant worker

   Once you have selected a candidate for the plant worker position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is 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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