How to hire a scale attendant

How to hire a scale attendant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step scale attendant hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The scale attendant 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

   A scale attendant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, scale attendants from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of scale attendants.

   Type of Scale Attendant	Description	Hourly rate
   Scale Attendant	Material recording clerks track product information in order to keep businesses and supply chains on schedule. They ensure proper scheduling, recordkeeping, and inventory control.	$12-18
   Scale Operator	Scale Operators are responsible for the operations of a material or vehicle weighing process. Their duties include weighing vehicles, sampling of inbound materials, maintaining inbound and outbound scaling documentation, reviewing loads and paperwork for inbound and outbound vehicles, and upkeeping scale house and scales... Show more	$11-20
   Scale Clerk	A scale clerk is a broad job and entails a wide range of duties from weighing, measuring, record keeping, supplies, and material checking. They must have the skill set to interact with customers, vendors, and suppliers, as well as having a keen eye for details... Show more	$12-20

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Computer System
   • General Upkeep
   • PPE
   • Landfill
   • Customer Service
   • Cash Handling
   • Data Entry
   • Scale Tickets
   • Inappropriate Material
   • Truck Scale
   • Credit Card Payments
   • Hazardous Waste
   • Input Data
   • Administrative Tasks

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage weights and measures, reports, compliance and billing for city landfill, front desk customer service, cashier
   • Prepare payroll spreadsheets to ensure all employees hours are correct, and ready for checks to be issue.
   • Check in and weigh garbage trucks, commercial and residential customers with their garbage to unload in the landfill.
   • Ensure that all customers and employees conduct business in a safe manner and wear all require PPE (protective gear).
   • Keep records on individual pet, including daily observations and information activities perform, meals sever, and medication administer.
   • Handle all paperwork for trucks leaving Dow.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, scale attendants' average salary in florida is 22% less than in maine.
   • Seniority. Entry-level scale attendants 33% less than senior-level scale attendants.
   • Certifications. A scale attendant 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 scale attendant's salary.

   Average scale attendant salary

   $15.46hourly

   $32,163 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level scale attendant salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 21, 2025

4. Writing a scale attendant job description

   A job description for a scale attendant role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a scale attendant job description:

   Scale attendant job description example

   Waste Connections is looking for a high energy Scale Attendant to join our GROWING team in Phoenix, Arizona.
   
   In this position, you will be weighing trucks in and out of the facility and interacting with the public. You must have excellent customer service, good computer skills, and cash handling experience. You will also be completing administrative tasks to help the landfill run smoothly.
   HOURS:
   
   * Tuesday - Friday: 7am-4pm
   * Saturday: 6am - 1pm.
   
   Why you need to join us!
   
   * CULTURE: It's a Great place to work! We work in an environment where empowered, self-directed All-stars know what they do is important.
   * INTEGRITY: Our definition is "saying what you will do and then doing it!" We keep our promises to our customers and our employees.
   
   DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
   
   * Greet and direct all customers and employees upon entry of the transfer station.
   * Weighing trucks in and out and calculating payments for customers.
   * Track weight information from scale to computer system and get appropriate signatures. •Ensuring that incoming garbage loads are safe and do not contain any inappropriate material. •Answers phone in a professional and enthusiastic fashion.
   * Performs full clerical and general office duties.
   * Proficient in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, and Excel).
   * Assisting with office duties, filing and paperwork as needed.
   * Ensuring that customers and employees conduct all business in a safe manner and wear all required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
   * Providing general upkeep of the Scale House.
   * Ability to work in a team environment and demonstrate a high degree of tact, discretion and diplomacy.
   
   MINIMUM JOB REQUIREMENTS:
   
   * Excellent customer service skills.
   * Good computer skills.
   * Ability to multi-task.
   * Prior cash handling experience required.
   * Reliability and punctuality is a must.
   
   To be considered for any of our current openings you must complete an application at www.careers.wasteconnections.com . Application information and additional instructions can be found once you select your position of interest.
   
   We offer excellent benefits including: medical, dental, vision, flexible spending account, long term & short term disability, life insurance, 401K retirement and unlimited opportunities to "Connect with Your Future".
   
   Waste Connections is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer (Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran)

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit scale attendants, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up 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 scale attendant

   Once you've found the scale attendant 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 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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