How to hire a production operator

How to hire a production operator, step by step

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

What does a production operator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The production operator hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   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 production operator 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 shows salaries for various types of production operators.

   Type of Production Operator	Description	Hourly rate
   Production Operator		$12-21
   Assembly Operator	In a manufacturing setting, an assembly operator is in charge of assembling materials using hands or tools. Their responsibilities include following assembly guidelines, packing items in containers and boxes, operating tools and equipment, and developing strategies to optimize operations... Show more	$12-18
   Cell Operator	A Cell Operator is someone who handles a production cell in a company or factory. This position ensures that a cell unit of the production functions properly and efficiently... Show more	$14-21

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Basic Math
   • Math
   • Quality Checks
   • Quality Standards
   • Hand Tools
   • GMP
   • Safety Rules
   • Production Equipment
   • Safety Procedures
   • Customer Service
   • Data Entry
   • Safety Standards
   • Work Ethic
   • Lean Manufacturing

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Experience following procedures and managing GMP documentation.
   • Operate stitching machine for all check bindery.
   • Break down freight onto production line, label/tot, Rf scan guns
   • Cut and inspect sheets, verify laser etching, and circuit test etched sheets.
   • Operate CNC machine, parts washer, and quality testing of parts prior to shipping.
   • Handle daily flow of paper work of production for company's records and for FDA records.

   More production operator duties

3. Make a budget

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

   $35,185yearly

   $16.92 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level production operator salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

   Average production operator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$41,668	$20
   2	Minnesota	$40,790	$20
   3	California	$39,821	$19
   4	Missouri	$39,791	$19
   5	Iowa	$39,366	$19
   6	Colorado	$39,165	$19
   7	Oregon	$39,147	$19
   8	Wisconsin	$38,959	$19
   9	Ohio	$38,470	$19
   10	Nebraska	$37,500	$18
   11	Maine	$37,044	$18
   12	Louisiana	$36,810	$18
   13	Arizona	$36,477	$18
   14	Pennsylvania	$36,103	$17
   15	Indiana	$35,976	$17
   16	Utah	$35,484	$17
   17	Kansas	$34,662	$17
   18	Michigan	$34,247	$16
   19	Texas	$33,122	$16
   20	Georgia	$31,181	$15

   Average production operator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	BD	$47,176	$22.68	11
   2	H.B. Fuller	$46,927	$22.56	27
   3	OMNOVA Solutions	$45,592	$21.92	12
   4	Nestlé	$45,265	$21.76	62
   5	Pfizer	$44,374	$21.33	8
   6	Dairy Farmers of America	$43,456	$20.89	190
   7	Seneca Foods	$43,450	$20.89	19
   8	Darigold	$43,384	$20.86	12
   9	BASF	$42,922	$20.64	15
   10	Wells Enterprises	$42,868	$20.61	7
   11	Relevante	$42,815	$20.58
   12	Google	$42,748	$20.55	30
   13	Mars	$42,708	$20.53	28
   14	Evonik	$42,613	$20.49	24
   15	Ecolab	$42,277	$20.33	9
   16	Danone Sverige	$42,261	$20.32
   17	A.W. Chesterton	$42,240	$20.31	1
   18	Conagra Foods	$42,220	$20.30	40
   19	Michelman	$42,145	$20.26	3
   20	Anheuser-Busch	$42,110	$20.25	34

4. Writing a production operator job description

   A production operator 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a production operator job description:

   Production operator job description example

   The starting wage for this role is $30.93 per hour with early advancement opportunities. The position will require working 12 hour rotating shifts that includes nights, holidays and weekends as well as overtime. Work is performed outside in all types of weather, requires the ability to perform confined space work, wear a self-contained breathing apparatus, and climb ladders, stairways, vessels, towers and pipe racks.

   The Experience You Will Bring

   Required Qualifications:

   • High School Diploma or Equivalent.
   • Valid Driver's License
   • Willing and able to perform physical requirements as listed
   • One or more of the following:
     • 2+ years of work experience in an industrial, commercial agricultural, or manufacturing setting
     • 2+ years of Military experience (depending on position and duties)
     • Hold a certificate in Process/Power Plant Technology (or other comparable education)

   What Will Put You Ahead

   Preferred Qualifications:

   • Work experience in a refinery, chemical plant, or power plant
   • Experience working with new technologies to analyze data and trouble shoot problems
   • Hold a valid Minnesota Special Engineer Boiler’s License

   This role is not eligible for Visa sponsorship

   Salary and Benefits Commensurate with Experience. Equal Opportunity Employer. Except where prohibited by state law, all offers of employment are conditioned upon successfully passing a drug test. This role is subject to a pre-hire physical abilities test. This employer uses E-Verify. Please visit the following website for additional information:www.kochcareers.com/doc/Everify.pdf

   Company DescriptionAt Koch companies, we are entrepreneurs. This means we openly challenge the status quo, find new ways to create value and get rewarded for our individual contributions. Any compensation range provided for a role is an estimate determined by available market data. The actual amount may be higher or lower than the range provided considering each candidate’s knowledge, skills, abilities, and geographic location. If you have questions, please speak to your recruiter about the flexibility and detail of our compensation philosophy.
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer. Except where prohibited by state law, all offers of employment are conditioned upon successfully passing a drug test. This employer uses E-Verify. Please visit the following website for additional

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting production operators 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 production operator

   Once you've found the production operator 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 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 production operator first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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 operator?