How to hire a preparator

How to hire a preparator, step by step

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

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a preparator, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   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 preparator 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.

   This list presents preparator salaries for various positions.

   Type of Preparator	Description	Hourly rate
   Preparator	Food preparation workers perform many routine tasks under the direction of cooks, chefs, or food service managers. Food preparation workers prepare cold foods, slice meat, peel and cut vegetables, brew coffee or tea, and perform many other food service tasks.	$10-48
   Kitchen Helper	Kitchen helpers perform various kitchen tasks in restaurants, schools, nursing homes, and hospitals. Their duties and responsibilities include assisting cooks in the preparation of meal ingredients, helping other staff with unloading food items from delivery trucks, and washing and drying the utensils, dishes, and cookware... Show more	$9-15
   Seafood Clerk	A seafood clerk is well-trained personnel who has a diverse knowledge of seafood and answers customer questions as well as advises them on the best product to buy depending on what they are looking for. They oversee almost all activities that take place between the time the product is ready for sale to the point where the customer is ready to purchase the product... Show more	$12-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Exhibition Design
   • Hand Tools
   • AV
   • Museum Exhibits
   • Artifact
   • Museum Standards
   • Photography
   • Exhibition Spaces
   • Chemistry
   • Art Objects
   • Exhibition Preparation
   • Gallery Space
   • Art Exhibitions
   • Condition Reports

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage visual resource center, including acquisition, cataloging, budget management and other relevant issues.
   • Assist in the creation and installation of MFA solo show
   • Respond to all health and safety emergencies in the chemistry teaching labs.
   • Assist in maintaining cleanliness of the several chemistry laboratories.
   • Perform inventory, descriptive cataloging, and photography of archaeological and ethnographic object collections and preparation for display in digital environment.
   • Develop the design of the online exhibit by coding in HTML, CSS and JavaScript.

   More preparator duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, preparators' average salary in idaho is 70% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level preparators 78% less than senior-level preparators.
   • Certifications. A preparator 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 preparator's salary.

   Average preparator salary

   $47,473yearly

   $22.82 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level preparator salary

   $22,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average preparator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$81,626	$39
   2	Massachusetts	$60,234	$29
   3	New Jersey	$56,527	$27
   4	Virginia	$54,389	$26
   5	California	$52,881	$25
   6	Maryland	$51,519	$25
   7	Texas	$44,445	$21
   8	Ohio	$44,268	$21
   9	Michigan	$43,568	$21
   10	Illinois	$41,052	$20
   11	North Carolina	$40,550	$20
   12	Colorado	$39,082	$19
   13	Florida	$33,838	$16
   14	Montana	$29,021	$14
   15	Kansas	$28,939	$14
   16	Tennessee	$28,854	$14

   Average preparator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Schaeffler	$94,855	$45.60
   2	Binghamton University	$78,389	$37.69
   3	Princeton University	$78,103	$37.55
   4	University of California-Berkeley	$77,228	$37.13
   5	Frazier History Museum	$69,766	$33.54
   6	Textron	$68,427	$32.90
   7	Dartmouth	$67,859	$32.62
   8	The University of Kansas Health System	$56,819	$27.32
   9	Silver Diner	$50,955	$24.50
   10	LAUNCH Technical Workforce Solutions	$43,186	$20.76
   11	The Ohio State University	$43,071	$20.71	1
   12	Lulu.com	$37,350	$17.96
   13	Rooms To Go	$36,497	$17.55
   14	NC.gov	$36,416	$17.51
   15	Rock and Roll Hall of Fame	$35,175	$16.91
   16	American Museum of Natural History	$35,041	$16.85	3
   17	Kimco Realty	$34,415	$16.55
   18	Denver Museum of Nature & Science	$34,039	$16.36
   19	Chicken Salad Chick	$33,727	$16.21	1
   20	Museum of Science and Industry	$33,264	$15.99

4. Writing a preparator job description

   A good preparator 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 preparator job description:

   Preparator job description example

   Rooms To Go
   
   Delivery Preparer
   
   Starting Salary: Starting pay $16 per hour
   
   Earn $50 additional weekly bonus for working certain shifts based on location
   
   Plus medical, dental, vision and other benefits available for associates who want them
   
   Individual Medical Benefits starting at $10 per week
   
   Employee discounts on Rooms To Go furniture purchases
   
   Join our TEAM
   
   Look around. Does it seem like we're nearly everywhere? That's because we are! With 8,500 employees and 200+ locations, Rooms To Go is one of the largest and fastest growing furniture retailers in the US.
   
   As a financially stable, 30 year old company focused on expansion, there's never been a better time to join the Rooms To Go Family. We continue to grow, which provides amazing opportunities for our team members to expand their careers.
   
   What you'll be doing:
   
   * Prepare product for delivery and loading sequence Properly identify product, scan shipping tickets
   * Research orders, create shipping and labels, sequence product
   * Successfully complete delivery sets
   * Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor
   
   What we're looking for:
   
   * Ability to read and identify shipping and product labels
   * Detail oriented and resourceful
   * Be at least 18 years of age
   * Able to submit to a Drug Test and Background Investigation
   * Able to repeatedly lift 50 lbs.
   * Capacity to learn and work in a team-oriented, fast paced environment
   * Ability to bend, stand, walk for prolonged periods of time
   * Able to follow directions and work safely
   
   What's in it for you?
   
   Benefits and Perks
   
   We offer a comprehensive benefits & perks package including 401k + company match, profit sharing, vision, dental, health and life insurance, disability coverage, vacation, sick time, holiday pay, award winning wellness & fitness programs, employee discounts on furniture, and more!
   
   We continue to offer a better way to shop for furniture through innovation, fast delivery, first-rate service, honesty and integrity. We offer a comfortable, friendly work environment with the added peace of mind of working for a financially stable, growth-oriented company. We also give back to our local communities, have an industry leading recycling program and promote employee health and wellness company-wide.
   
   Rooms To Go is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or employment against any individual on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ancestry, religion, physical or mental disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, pregnancy, citizenship, or any other factor protected by anti-discrimination laws
   
   Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find preparators for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any preparators they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level preparators with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your preparator job on Zippia to find and recruit preparator 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 preparators, 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.

   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.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new preparator

   Once you've decided on a perfect preparator 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.

   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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new preparator. 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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