How to hire a process server

How to hire a process server, step by step

Here's a step-by-step process server hiring guide:

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

Post a process server job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a process server, 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

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

   This list presents process server salaries for various positions.

   Type of Process Server	Description	Hourly rate
   Process Server	Information clerks perform routine clerical duties such as maintaining records, collecting data, and providing information to customers.	$14-59
   Criminal Justice Internship	In a criminal justice internship, an intern gains industry insights and practical experience by observing how criminal justice theories are put into practice. Although their duties can vary upon the directives given by a supervising criminal justice professional or agency of employment, they are usually responsible for performing support tasks such as conducting research and analysis, organizing files, studying criminal cases, and running errands... Show more	$11-19
   Deputy Clerk	A deputy clerk is responsible for performing administrative duties in a court setting, sorting and filing legal documents, and preparing a comprehensive report for court procedures. Deputy clerks also organize a record of jury information, court personnel, and other representatives... Show more	$12-24

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Subpoenas
   • Affidavits
   • Summonses
   • Court Orders
   • Legal Papers
   • Legal Process
   • Law Firm
   • Administrative Tasks
   • Civil Process
   • Telephone Directories
   • Court Papers
   • Court Proceedings
   • Background Checks
   • Evictions

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage all aspects of the shipping dock, including TDR, truck arrival/departure scheduling, and associate dock assignments.
   • Serve subpoena's, summonses, notices and evictions, in active court cases within the administrative laws of Florida.
   • Process serving, initiating and completing cases involving child support, evictions, civil, family law, and small claims.
   • Demonstrate the migration tooling and WPS capabilities to migrate the existing ICS collaborations.
   • File in probate for unlawful detainer cases, family cases, and criminal cases.
   • Used GPS and MapQuest to figure locations where the different paper work are delivered.

   More process server duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the process server job description is a good way to get more applicants. A process server salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a process server in Nebraska may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level process server. Additionally, a process server with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average process server salary

   $62,039yearly

   $29.83 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level process server salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

   Average process server salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$100,900	$49
   2	New York	$75,192	$36
   3	Arizona	$63,869	$31
   4	Virginia	$53,731	$26
   5	Georgia	$53,349	$26
   6	Texas	$50,268	$24
   7	Indiana	$48,878	$24

   Average process server salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	IBM	$80,579	$38.74	1
   2	ABC Legal Services	$80,284	$38.60	124
   3	Altus Hospital	$75,427	$36.26
   4	Polk County Sheriff's Office	$68,393	$32.88
   5	Cummins	$67,012	$32.22	5
   6	Kings County Education Office	$54,338	$26.12
   7	Equity Management	$32,702	$15.72

4. Writing a process server job description

   A process server job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a process server job description:

   Process server job description example

   Hours: 19 hours / week, intermittent, as needed, varies and can include weekends and evenings

   Salary: $20.00 per hour

   Summary:

   Under general supervision of the Program Administrator, serves court documents and court orders for parties named (e.g., citations, subpoenas, etc.); maintains accurate and complete records relative to time, place, manner of service and locates parties to be served.

   Duties:

   · Serves individuals with summons, subpoenas, attachments, legal notices, etc. as issued by magistrates, county clerk, attorneys and / or CSEA staff. Works independently with minimal supervision and works with sensitive information and maintains confidentiality.

   · Performs clerical duties in relation to serving of processes and prepares and maintains proper reports / records of time, travel, place, manner of service and other detailed information as might be required. May deliver general messages and documents between courts and attorneys. Plans route schedule to maximize efficient use of travel time consistent with agencies policies.

   · Locates person to be served using telephone directories, state, county and city records or public utility records for delivery of documents.

   Qualifications
   
   

   Minimum Qualifications :

   High school diploma or general education degree (GED); and one to three years’ related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

   Additional Qualifications (Agency/Dept. Qualifications):

   Valid Ohio Driver’s License. Works frequently in inclement weather conditions. Requires the ability to walk and/or run and ability to use stairs when no other access is available. Must possess: flexibility with scheduling as this will be unusual hours of work, creativity in locating people who don’t want to be found, organizational and time management skills, determination and the ability to work independently and problem solve. Previous law experience is preferred but not required.

   
   
   Additional Information
   
   

   Application Procedures: Submit completed application, resume and cover letter to the Licking County Human Resources Department, 20 South Second Street, 3rd Floor, Newark, Ohio 43055. Applications can be obtained in person in the Human Resources Department between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. daily or printed from the web site at www.lcounty.com.

   Successful candidates will be subject to Licking County’s pre-employment drug screen

   Licking County is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find process servers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with process server 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 process server

   Once you've selected the best process server 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 process server. 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a process server?