How to hire a plater

Plater hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring platers in the United States:

In the United States, the median cost per hire a plater is $1,633.
It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new plater to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a plater, step by step

To hire a plater, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire a plater, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step plater hiring guide:

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

Post a plater job for free, promote it for a fee

Identify your hiring needs
First, determine the employments status of the plater you need to hire. Certain plater 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?
A plater's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, platers 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 shows salaries for various types of platers.
Type of Plater Description Hourly rate
Plater Metal and plastic machine workers set up and operate machines that cut, shape, and form metal and plastic materials or pieces. $10-37
Create an ideal candidate profile
Common skills:
- Calipers
- CAD
- Hoists
- Hazardous Materials
- FAA
- Electroplating
- NADCAP
- Safety Standards
- Chrome
- Tin
- Customer Specifications
- Hazardous Chemicals
- Chemical Baths
- Circuit Boards
Check all skills
Responsibilities:
- Grit blast waxed parts and trim by adjusting air pressure require by the traveler.
- Barrel plait computer parts, administer test for quality, and run computerized plating machine.
- Certify to work on nuclear and FAA restrict parts.
- Plait small objects, such as nuts and bolts, using motor-driven barrel.
- Verify dimension of finish products visually or using micrometer, calipers, or gauges.
- Used various procedures for testing nickel, tin, copper and resistor foil products.
More plater duties

Type of Plater	Description	Hourly rate
Plater	Metal and plastic machine workers set up and operate machines that cut, shape, and form metal and plastic materials or pieces.	$10-37

Make a budget

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

$41,355yearly

$19.88 hourly rate

Entry-level plater salary

$21,000 yearly salary

Updated January 31, 2026

Average plater salary by state

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Pennsylvania	$54,789	$26
2	Rhode Island	$50,394	$24
3	Illinois	$44,811	$22
4	California	$41,778	$20
5	Wisconsin	$41,654	$20
6	Indiana	$39,884	$19
7	Minnesota	$39,874	$19
8	Texas	$38,499	$19
9	Florida	$36,185	$17
10	New York	$35,941	$17
11	South Carolina	$34,744	$17
12	Oregon	$34,455	$17
13	Washington	$34,333	$17
14	Missouri	$31,954	$15
15	Colorado	$29,914	$14

Average plater salary by company

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
1	Amphenol	$100,632	$48.38
2	CyberCoders	$77,473	$37.25
3	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America	$54,335	$26.12	1
4	Fortune Brands Home & Security	$53,323	$25.64
5	General Dynamics	$49,167	$23.64
6	SMS group	$48,873	$23.50	1
7	Columbus McKinnon	$46,080	$22.15
8	Honeywell	$45,619	$21.93
9	Asko Processing Inc	$45,137	$21.70
10	AAR	$45,135	$21.70
11	EnPro Industries	$44,990	$21.63
12	LECO	$44,964	$21.62	2
13	Bodycote USA Inc	$44,763	$21.52
14	Texas Hydraulics	$44,049	$21.18
15	Positronic	$42,704	$20.53
16	Raytheon Technologies	$42,409	$20.39
17	Anoplate	$41,724	$20.06	3
18	NCW	$41,615	$20.01
19	Masco	$41,604	$20.00	1
20	Randstad North America, Inc.	$33,592	$16.15

Writing a plater job description
A good plater 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 plater job description:
Plater job description example
· Must be able to lift 50 lbs. on a regular basis.
- Must obtain a fork truck license within 30 days.
- Must pass a pulmonary function test.
Additional Information

BENEFITS
- We offer excellent health benefits starting day 1
- Paid Vacation
- 10 paid Holidays
- Overtime pay after 8 hours each day
- Sunday double time pay
- Weekly paycheck
Fortune Brands Doors & Security (Master Lock/Therma-Tru Doors) is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants are considered for positions without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, mental or physical disability, marital/family/caregiver status, genetic information, military or veteran status, citizenship or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local low. Fortune Brands Doors & Security also prohibits harassment of applicants or employees based on any of these protected categories.

Candidates for positions with Fortune Brands Doors & Security must be able to present proof of identity and work eligibility post hire. Immigration visa sponsorship is not available for this position and accordingly this position is not appropriate for foreign students who will require sponsorship in the future, including assistance with an Optional Practical Training (OPT) F-1 extension.

To all recruitment agencies: Fortune Brands Doors & Security does not accept unsolicited agency resumes/CVs. Please do not forward resumes/CVs to our careers email addresses, our employees or any other company location. We are not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes/CVs.
Post your job
There are various strategies that you can use to find the right plater 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 plater job on Zippia to find and recruit plater candidates who meet your exact specifications.
- Use field-specific websites.
- Post a job on free websites.
Interview candidates
To successfully recruit platers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.
It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.
The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.
Send a job offer and onboard your new plater
Once you've selected the best plater candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing 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.
Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new plater. 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.
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 plater?

Before you start to hire platers, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire platers pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

You can expect to pay around $41,355 per year for a plater, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for platers in the US typically range between $10 and $37 an hour.

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Updated January 31, 2026

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How to hire a plater