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How to hire a production assistant

Production assistant hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring production assistants in the United States:

  • HR departments typically spend 15% of their expenses on recruitment.
  • It usually takes about 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • It typically takes 36-42 days to fill a job opening.
  • The median cost to hire a production assistant is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend an average of $1,105 per production assistant on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • There are currently 70,430 production assistants in the US and 51,905 job openings.
  • New York, NY, has the highest demand for production assistants, with 57 job openings.
  • New York, NY has the highest concentration of production assistants.

How to hire a production assistant, step by step

To hire a production assistant, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a production assistant:

Here's a step-by-step production assistant hiring guide:

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

What does a production assistant do?

Production assistants are employees in show business, working behind the scenes. They work in film, television, or even theatre sets primarily to provide support. They usually work directly under directors or producers. Production assistants are responsible for ensuring that the day will run smoothly, be it for a television or film shoot or a performance at the theatre. They should be familiar with all the scenes, ensure that the cast and crew are ready, and cue them when it is their time to go on. They should also be able to anticipate needs that may arise and should be able to quickly mitigate any challenges. Production assistants should be flexible and have quick decision-making skills.

Learn more about the specifics of what a production assistant does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    First, determine the employments status of the production assistant you need to hire. Certain production assistant 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?

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

    This list presents production assistant salaries for various positions.

    Type of Production AssistantDescriptionHourly rate
    Production AssistantA Production Assistant supports all aspects of film or TV production. They are responsible for ensuring the production quality of all promotionals, commercials, and public service announcements.$12-21
    Line Up WorkerThe Responsibilities of a Line-Up Worker varies upon the organization or industry. Still, most of the tasks revolve around doing manual work such as loading and unloading heavy shipments, operating various devices and machines of different sizes, assist in maintenance and assembling, and coordinating with teammates and reporting to supervisors... Show more$9-17
    Labour WorkerA labour worker is responsible for performing high-quality operations, depending on the chosen industry. In most cases, construction businesses employ labor workers to do physical tasks that involve utilizing machinery, carrying materials, inspecting sites, analyzing blueprints and plan specifications, and ensuring the structures' safety and security... Show more$11-18
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Video Production
    • Teleprompter
    • Audio Board
    • Purchase Orders
    • Production Equipment
    • Photography
    • Production Process
    • Control Room
    • Quality Standards
    • Studio Cameras
    • Facebook
    • Live Broadcasts
    • Adobe Photoshop
    • Twitter
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage customer accounts using Quickbooks.
    • Manage cross-departmental communication and collaboration to increase ESPN viewers.
    • Manage QA process including test/debug cycles and platform compliance/compatibility testing.
    • Manage all office aspects including general administrative duties and assisting with staff payroll.
    • Manage client photography house accounts and submissions, including calculating usage rights and licensing royalty-free and rights-manage images.
    • Manage and refine the metadata system for a photography database -communicate with customers over e-mail with regards to advertisement proofs
    More production assistant duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your production assistant job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A production assistant salary can vary based on several factors:
    • Location. For example, production assistants' average salary in arkansas is 55% less than in hawaii.
    • Seniority. Entry-level production assistants earn 43% less than senior-level production assistants.
    • Certifications. A production assistant 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 production assistant's salary.

    Average production assistant salary

    $16.06hourly

    $33,405 yearly

    Entry-level production assistant salary
    $25,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 5, 2025

    Average production assistant salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1Connecticut$43,664$21
    2New York$42,636$21
    3California$39,700$19
    4Massachusetts$37,918$18
    5Washington$36,808$18
    6Minnesota$36,675$18
    7Maine$36,493$18
    8Pennsylvania$35,604$17
    9Wisconsin$34,963$17
    10New Jersey$34,840$17
    11Oregon$34,697$17
    12Ohio$34,248$16
    13Illinois$33,279$16
    14Michigan$32,257$16
    15Nevada$32,049$15
    16Colorado$31,951$15
    17Utah$31,906$15
    18Arizona$31,342$15
    19Indiana$29,891$14
    20District of Columbia$29,569$14

    Average production assistant salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1National Football League$47,168$22.681
    2Deloitte$42,372$20.37
    3Mars$40,454$19.4511
    4ESPN$40,178$19.32
    5NBCUniversal$39,978$19.2224
    6Activision Blizzard$39,665$19.071
    7Ecolab$39,207$18.8510
    8Constellation Brands$39,123$18.81
    9Broadridge$38,687$18.6014
    10Owens Corning$38,648$18.5819
    11Gotham Greens$38,498$18.512
    12SealMaster$37,765$18.16
    13SiriusXM$37,706$18.13
    14Fortune Brands Home & Security$37,675$18.115
    15MVP Group Int$37,597$18.08
    16DreamWorks Animation$37,580$18.07
    17American Enterprise Institute$37,252$17.91
    18Cumulus Media$37,128$17.851
    19WestRock$36,809$17.7065
    20Denver Botanic Gardens$36,786$17.69
  4. Writing a production assistant job description

    A good production assistant 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 production assistant job description:

    Production assistant job description example

    T he Kraft Heinz Company is one of the largest food and beverage companies in the world, with eight $1 billion+ brands and global sales of approximately $25 billion. We're a globally trusted producer of high-quality, great-tasting, and nutritious foods for over 150 years. Our brands are truly global, with products produced and marketed in over 40 countries. These beloved products include condiments and sauces, cheese and dairy, meals, meats, refreshment beverages, coffee, infant and nutrition products, and numerous other grocery products in a portfolio of more than 200 legacy and emerging brands.

    No matter the brand, we're united under one vision: To sustainably grow by delighting more consumers globally . Bringing this vision to life is our team of 39,000+ food lovers, creative thinkers, and high performers worldwide. Together, we help provide meals to those in need through our global partnership with Rise Against Hunger. We also stand committed to responsible, sustainable practices that extend to every facet of our business, our consumers, and our communities. Every day, we're transforming the food industry with bold thinking and unprecedented results. If you share our passion - and are ready to create the future, build a legacy, and lead as a global citizen - there's only one thing to do: join our table and let's make life delicious!

    Our Culture of Ownership, Meritocracy & Collaboration

    We're not afraid to think differently. Embrace new ideas. Dream big. We empower our people at every level - from entry-level intern to senior leader - to own their work. We share a responsibility to think like Owners - to be mindful of the collective and sustained success of Kraft Heinz - which we apply to every situation, every day. As part of Kraft Heinz, you're supported to grow and achieve. You're expected to bring your authentic self to work every day, to lead with humility, and drive outstanding performance at every level - and you'll be rewarded. You're given opportunities to leave a mark and build a legacy. But you won't do it alone. You're supported by passionate teammates along the way, and our collective, collaborative spirit fuels our incredible progress.

    Job Description

    Role / Title


    The Production Supervisor is a member of the plant leadership team and plays a key role in providing management and leadership to deliver business results and operational improvements. Under direction of the Business Unit Manager, the Production Supervisor is responsible for the day-to-day manufacturing operations for an assigned area and shift.

    Primary Responsibilities

    This role has responsibility to achieve productivity, efficiency, customer service, cost, quality, safety and employee engagement objectives through both individual and team contributions. Provides direction, leadership, development and support to direct reports through empowerment, teamwork, on-the-job assignments and continuous improvement projects and initiatives. Develops, implements and promotes safety programs and safe work practices through involvement in plant safety teams, programs and initiatives. Promotes sound employee & labor relations within the department by developing and maintaining an effective organization with qualified personnel. Develops, promotes, and supports continuous improvement and other cross-functional initiatives.

    Qualifications

    • BA/BS Degree in Business, Food Science, Engineering or related field is preferred
    • 2+ years of experience in supervisor role
    • 1-5 years of experience in a manufacturing environment is required
    • Ability to lead, motivate and mentor large teams of hourly associates is required
    • Strong communication and leadership skills
    • Strong analytical/critical thinking
    • Strong accountability, consistency and follow-through skills
    • Ability to work effectively with a wide array of plant personnel ranging from hourly employees to senior management
    Location(s) Kirksville Plant Kraft Heinz is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Underrepresented Ethnic Minority Groups/Women/Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity and other protected classes. In order to ensure reasonable accommodation for protected individuals, applicants that require accommodation in the job application process may contact for assistance.
  5. Post your job

    To find production assistants 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 production assistants they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level production assistants 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 production assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit production assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Your first interview with production assistant 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.

    Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 production assistant

    Once you've found the production assistant candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

    It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been 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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How much does it cost to hire a production assistant?

Hiring a production assistant comes with both the one-time cost per hire and ongoing costs. The cost of recruiting production assistants involves promoting the job and spending time conducting interviews. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider the cost of production assistant recruiting as well the ongoing costs of maintaining the new employee.

You can expect to pay around $33,405 per year for a production assistant, 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 production assistants in the US typically range between $12 and $21 an hour.

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