How to hire a service worker

How to hire a service worker, step by step

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

What does a service worker do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a service worker, 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

   A service worker's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, service workers 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.

   Here's a comparison of service worker salaries for various roles:

   Type of Service Worker	Description	Hourly rate
   Service Worker	Social and human service assistants provide client services, including support for families, in a wide variety of fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, and social work. They assist other workers, such as social workers, and they help clients find benefits or community services.	$10-19
   Community Service Coordinator	The community service coordinator is someone who works with a community for its betterment. The community service coordinator brings all welfare services to the community and connects people who need welfare to receive benefits... Show more	$14-25
   Youth Worker	Youth workers specialize in handling and providing support to young individuals with behavioral difficulties. They are primarily responsible for devising recreational projects, handling the budget, producing progress reports, managing intervention programs, and counseling troubled youth while keeping their information confidential... Show more	$12-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Cleanliness
   • Patients
   • Rehabilitation
   • Excellent Interpersonal
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Food Preparation
   • Direct Care
   • Social Work
   • Home Health
   • Medication Administration
   • Work Ethic
   • CPR
   • Developmental Disabilities

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage a caseload of over one hundr TANF cases.
   • Assist in managing inventory for student and staff culinary and scholastic supplies.
   • Receive specialized training on CPR, human rights and history of individuals with intellectual disabilities.
   • Implement HIPAA standards within the facility.
   • Copy patient medical records when request within HIPPA regulations.
   • Used scrubbers, mops, and seal and wax floors.

   More service worker duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your service worker job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A service worker salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, service workers' average salary in mississippi is 56% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level service workers earn 45% less than senior-level service workers.
   • Certifications. A service worker 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 service worker's salary.

   Average service worker salary

   $14.44hourly

   $30,045 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level service worker salary

   $22,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 24, 2025

   Average service worker salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Oregon	$43,138	$21
   2	California	$39,446	$19
   3	Wisconsin	$34,077	$16
   4	Minnesota	$33,443	$16
   5	Arizona	$33,089	$16
   6	Colorado	$32,994	$16
   7	District of Columbia	$32,182	$15
   8	Illinois	$31,795	$15
   9	Connecticut	$30,576	$15
   10	Massachusetts	$29,873	$14
   11	Texas	$29,691	$14
   12	New York	$29,035	$14
   13	Nebraska	$28,205	$14
   14	Pennsylvania	$27,388	$13
   15	Maryland	$26,568	$13
   16	Florida	$26,054	$13
   17	Ohio	$25,726	$12
   18	Kentucky	$24,509	$12
   19	Michigan	$24,281	$12
   20	Oklahoma	$24,024	$12

   Average service worker salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Massachusetts General Hospital	$54,155	$26.04
   2	Boston Public Schools	$51,584	$24.80	7
   3	Michigan State University	$47,463	$22.82	14
   4	King County	$47,229	$22.71	4
   5	Polk County	$47,100	$22.64	8
   6	University of California-Berkeley	$47,048	$22.62
   7	Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania	$45,072	$21.67
   8	Wayne County, Michigan	$45,070	$21.67	3
   9	Adams County Government Center	$45,000	$21.63
   10	City Of Toledo	$44,966	$21.62	1
   11	New York State Restaurant Association	$44,760	$21.52
   12	Four Seasons Sales & Service	$44,265	$21.28
   13	Iowa Department of Transportation	$44,254	$21.28
   14	DC Water	$43,897	$21.10	3
   15	Ramsey County	$43,817	$21.07	8
   16	Bridgewater State University	$43,787	$21.05
   17	Grants Pass, Oregon	$43,634	$20.98
   18	General Electric	$43,633	$20.98	1
   19	University of Puget Sound	$43,461	$20.89
   20	State Of Illinois - Illinois Student Assistance Commission	$43,372	$20.85	13

4. Writing a service worker job description

   A service 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 service worker job description:

   Service worker job description example

   Imagine...working for a company that knows that its people are the key to its success in the marketplace. A company in which achieving extraordinary results and having a stimulating work experience are part of the same process.
   
   We cultivate and embrace a diverse employee population. We recognize that people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives fuel our growth and enrich our global culture.
   
   We are looking for an individual who enjoys working in a fast-paced, team oriented environment, likes to be challenged, and values the opportunity to make a difference.
   
   Following established procedures and working under the direction of the Plant Services supervisor, clean and sanitize on a scheduled basis the full range of bakery production equipment and facilities to meet inspection standards.
   PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:
   Partially disassemble, clean and sanitize a variety of bakery production equipment such as mixers, divider, rounder, molder, laminator, cooling tunnels, and packaging equipment.Reassemble equipment, performing minor preventive maintenance, and check for proper operation.Clean and maintain a variety of product and material handling equipment such as dough troughs, storage racks, utensils, and waste containers. Clean up spills of any kind.Clean and maintain exteriors/interiors of: mixers, flour holding bins, syrup holding tanks, ovens, chocolate tanks, enrober, bottomers, lyebaths, and all other assessable equipment that is "floor secured".Use all cleaners, sanitizers and other chemicals in accordance with the instructions on label or as defined by supervision.Use all equipment in a safe manner utilizing all prescribed safety precautions/tools/devices.Maintain sanitation supply area and equipment in a clean orderly manner.Inform supervision of all safety hazards and of any equipment/tool needs.Follow safety work rules and complete job tasks in a safe manner at all times.Perform other duties as assigned by supervision.
   
   COMPLEXITY AND SCOPE:
   Candidate will possess effective verbal and written communication skills. Job requires working from overhead lifts and ladders. Forklift, blood borne pathogen cleanup, dust mask use, powered industrial equipment (PIE) training and physical and fall protection certifications are required. May require lifting, up to 50 pounds and participation in respirator program. Prior cleaning experience in a food plant is desirable. Weekend work is required and changes in working hours may occur.
   
   MINIMUM EDUCATION REQUIRED:
   HS Diploma or GED
   
   WORK ENVIRONMENT:
   Frequent exposure to plant environment (noise, heat, machinery). Must be able to work any shift and job requires shift rotation. Frequent weekend and holiday work.
   
   The Company is committed to providing equal opportunity for employees and applicants in all aspects of the employment relationship, without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, marital status, veteran status, disability, age, religion or any other classification protected by law.
   
   In that regard, U.S. applicants and employees are protected from discrimination based on certain categories protected by Federal law. Click here for additional information.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit service workers, 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 service worker

   Once you've found the service worker 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new service worker 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 service worker?