How to hire a production utility worker

How to hire a production utility worker, step by step

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

What does a production utility worker do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your production utility worker job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a production utility worker for hire on a part-time basis or as a 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 production utility worker 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 utility worker that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of production utility workers.

   Type of Production Utility Worker	Description	Hourly rate
   Production Utility Worker		$12-18
   Finisher Operator	A finisher operator finalizes a product. They put on the final layer of paint, stitching, engraving or cloth on the product to complete it... Show more	$13-21
   SMT Operator	Surface mount technology (SMT) operators monitor and maintain any equipment used in establishing SMT electronic circuits. The task of SMT operators involves SMT machine operation to mount electronic components onto the circuit boards... Show more	$12-21

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Production Process
   • Pallets
   • Safety Rules
   • Basic Math
   • Production Equipment
   • Production Utility
   • OSHA
   • Safety Procedures
   • FDA
   • GMP
   • Ladders
   • Production Lines
   • PPE
   • Safety Standards

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and instruct workers in the art of food preparation as culinary team leader.
   • Complete all necessary safety inspection documentation in accordance with OSHA standards and followed-up as required in a timely manner.
   • Perform production QA to identify abnormal system performance reports; ascertain cause and correct system production information.

   More production utility worker duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the production utility worker job description is a good way to get more applicants. A production utility worker 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 production utility worker in Alabama may be lower than in Ohio, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level production utility worker. Additionally, a production utility worker with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average production utility worker salary

   $15.24hourly

   $31,692 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level production utility worker salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average production utility worker salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$35,524	$17
   2	Oregon	$34,371	$17
   3	Maryland	$34,098	$16
   4	Minnesota	$33,510	$16
   5	California	$33,402	$16
   6	Massachusetts	$33,130	$16
   7	Pennsylvania	$32,533	$16
   8	Maine	$32,364	$16
   9	Missouri	$31,759	$15
   10	Arizona	$31,388	$15
   11	Indiana	$30,025	$14
   12	Florida	$28,887	$14
   13	Kansas	$28,798	$14
   14	Iowa	$28,783	$14
   15	Texas	$27,924	$13
   16	Kentucky	$27,756	$13
   17	North Carolina	$27,610	$13
   18	Michigan	$25,796	$12

   Average production utility worker salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Steel Dynamics	$42,392	$20.38	13
   2	OMNOVA Solutions	$40,475	$19.46
   3	General Mills	$39,007	$18.75	6
   4	Sensient Technologies	$38,855	$18.68	5
   5	Nucor	$38,596	$18.56	45
   6	Boise Cascade	$38,094	$18.31	15
   7	Green Bay Packaging	$37,151	$17.86	4
   8	Interfor	$37,106	$17.84	5
   9	Greif	$36,663	$17.63	61
   10	Laclede Chain	$36,469	$17.53
   11	International Paper	$36,443	$17.52	57
   12	US Foods	$36,318	$17.46	21
   13	Lydall, Inc.	$35,298	$16.97	2
   14	WestRock	$35,155	$16.90	86
   15	Fortune Brands Home & Security	$35,107	$16.88	3
   16	Georgia-Pacific	$35,006	$16.83	23
   17	Campbell Soup	$34,728	$16.70	19
   18	Inline Plastics	$34,460	$16.57
   19	Mondi Bags USA, LLC (Pine Bluff)	$34,372	$16.52	2
   20	HCSC	$33,612	$16.16	12

4. Writing a production utility worker job description

   A production utility worker 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 production utility worker job description:

   Production utility worker job description example

   • 401k plan with company match
   • paid vacation
   • paid holidays
   • medical
   • Rx
   • Dental, vision, and life insurance .

   WHO IS CHAMPION HOME BUILDER, INC?

   For decades, Champion has served as a leader in the manufactured housing industry and one of the largest mobile and modular home builders in North America. Champion offers many factory-built solutions, from single-family and multi-family homes to commercial and government buildings. Our manufactured homes, modular homes, mobile homes, park models, and commercial modular buildings can be found throughout the United States and western Canada.

   Throughout the organization, we act with integrity and respect. We take pride in our craftsmanship and build strong relationships with our customers, suppliers, and our employees. We know that we would not be successful without our team. In return for hard work and dedication, our goal is to provide a safe, productive, and enjoyable workplace for every employee.

   THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOMES - JOIN OURS BY APPLYING NOW!

   
   

   Position Summary:

   Under General supervision, work on the production line to build manufactured housing, as part of a team, and perform quality work at a fast moving and consistent manner.

   Our normal production schedule is 7:00 am to 3:30 pm, Monday through Friday and work indoors. Occasional overtime may be required during our highest production times. Weekly pay is made up of an hourly rate based on skill and an attractive incentive program after a probationary period .

   
   

   Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

   Performs all manual labor in the area to which assigned.

   Keeps area neat and clean.

   Read and use a tape measure

   Read blueprints and orders

   Communicate well with coworkers

   Use hand tools, air tools, and electrical tools

   
   

   Qualifications:

   Must have a strong work ethic

   Must have the ability to work quickly and methodically

   Must understand safety procedures

   Must have good teamwork skills

   Must live the Champion Operating Principles

   
   

   Education and/or Experience:

   Previous experience in manufacturing/modular housing desired.

   Keywords: Construction, Carpentry, Framing, Plumbing, Electrical, General Labor, Drywall, Contractor, Handyman, Roof, Tile, Trim, Sheetrock, Tape and Texture, Electrical

   
   Champion Home Builders is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics.

   Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

   The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information.

   
   
   Job Posted by ApplicantPro
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right production utility worker for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with production utility workers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit production utility workers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting production utility workers 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 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 production utility worker

   Once you've decided on a perfect production utility worker 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.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them 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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