How to hire a shop assistant

How to hire a shop assistant, step by step

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

What does a shop assistant do?

Post a shop assistant job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a shop assistant, 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

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

   This list presents shop assistant salaries for various positions.

   Type of Shop Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Shop Assistant		$12-18
   Hvac Helper	If someone has prior training in HVAC systems, but does not have an advanced degree, then they may do well working as an HVAC helper. HVAC helpers are required to carry out installation, troubleshooting, repair, and maintenance of both commercial and residential HVAC systems... Show more	$12-17
   Installation Helper	Installation helpers are skilled employees who are responsible for observing equipment and machinery to verify their efficient and safe operations. These helpers are required to assist in troubleshooting equipment after the installation while identifying defects to ensure a timely repair or return of the equipment... Show more	$11-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Vehicles
   • CNC
   • Customer Service
   • Sales Floor
   • Machine Shop
   • Shop Equipment
   • Preventative Maintenance
   • POS
   • Costume Shop
   • Routine Maintenance
   • Scheduling Appointments
   • Oil Changes
   • Repair Orders
   • Scene Shop

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Provide GHIN handicap services for the members
   • General shop maintenance Mig welding repairs and projects
   • Prepare envelopes and run address/post-mark mail machine.
   • Maintain GHIN handicap system for the golf course.
   • Shop support in embroidery, screen printing, and DTG printing.
   • Help other staff with printing, collating, binding and distribution of materials.

   More shop assistant duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average shop assistant salary

   $15.01hourly

   $31,216 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level shop assistant salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average shop assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$38,310	$18
   2	Minnesota	$38,174	$18
   3	Massachusetts	$37,986	$18
   4	Montana	$37,503	$18
   5	New York	$36,654	$18
   6	California	$35,106	$17
   7	Nevada	$34,409	$17
   8	Colorado	$33,686	$16
   9	Wisconsin	$33,227	$16
   10	Utah	$32,977	$16
   11	New Jersey	$32,422	$16
   12	Kansas	$31,625	$15
   13	Arkansas	$30,321	$15
   14	Nebraska	$29,955	$14
   15	Indiana	$29,931	$14
   16	Idaho	$29,558	$14
   17	Missouri	$28,626	$14
   18	Arizona	$28,350	$14
   19	Texas	$28,343	$14
   20	Tennessee	$27,635	$13

   Average shop assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Steel Dynamics	$41,592	$20.00
   2	Princeton University	$37,892	$18.22
   3	Airgas	$36,905	$17.74
   4	Kroger	$36,721	$17.65	98
   5	The American Musical and Dramatic Academy	$36,680	$17.63
   6	Simi Valley Unified School District	$36,294	$17.45
   7	Precision Valve & Automation	$35,683	$17.16
   8	Michels	$35,642	$17.14	4
   9	Bridgewater State University	$35,562	$17.10
   10	PACCAR	$35,122	$16.89
   11	VisionCorp Rep	$35,074	$16.86
   12	Ryder System	$35,041	$16.85	12
   13	Patterson Companies	$34,955	$16.81	1
   14	Waste Connections	$34,904	$16.78	1
   15	JE Dunn Construction	$34,803	$16.73	3
   16	Loyola Marymount University	$34,788	$16.73
   17	The University of Kansas Health System	$34,749	$16.71
   18	MasTec	$34,465	$16.57	1
   19	Macy's	$34,315	$16.50
   20	Stratolaunch	$34,239	$16.46

4. Writing a shop assistant job description

   A job description for a shop assistant 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 shop assistant job description:

   Shop assistant job description example

   About Old Navy
   
   Forget what you know about old-school industry rules. When you work at Old Navy, you're choosing a different path. From day one, we've been on a mission to democratize fashion and make shopping fun again. Our teams make style accessible to everyone, creating high-quality, must-have fashion essentials for the whole family, with love, season after season.
   
   We opened our first store in 1994 in San Francisco and have been on a roll ever since. We cultivate a community of playful personalities that thrive in a fast-paced environment where our employees can be their most authentic selves. Here, we're family.
   
   About the Role
   
   In this role, you will engage and connect with our customers by providing excellent customer service. You will be an expert in product and use this expertise to educate, inform, inspire and outfit the customer. You will offer information to the customer on current merchandise assortment, store promotions and events, and execute operational processes effectively and efficiently. Your goal is to bring our brand to life for our customers while building brand loyalty and delivering with productivity.
   
   What You'll Do
   
   * All associates are expected to become experts of the brand's selling behaviors, leveraging these behaviors with every customer who walks through our doors and allowing us to provide a premium customer experience.
   * Acknowledge and assist customers; locate merchandise efficiently using various methods; answer questions quickly and accurately
   * Offer style and outfit suggestions to the customer, utilizing mannequins and displays for inspiration
   * Promote loyalty by educating customers about our loyalty programs
   * Leverage omni channel offerings to deliver a frictionless customer experience
   * Support sales floor, fitting room, check out, and back of house processes, as required
   * Courteous and responsive to internal/external request
   * Exchange and verifies job related information to provide support
   
   Who You Are
   
   * Good communicator with the ability to utilize technology effectively and engage with customers and your team to meet goals
   * Problem solver with a focus on continuous improvement, who is always learning, open to feedback and takes action as required
   * Able to handle customer interactions and potential issues/concerns courteously and professionally
   * Use basic information-gathering skills to solve problems
   * Ability to learn procedural knowledge acquired through on- the-job training
   
   Benefits at Old Navy
   
   * Merchandise discount for our brands: 50% off regular-priced merchandise at Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic and Athleta, and 30% off at Outlet for all employees.
   * One of the most competitive Paid Time Off plans in the industry.*
   * Employees can take up to five "on the clock" hours each month to volunteer at a charity of their choice.*
   * Extensive 401(k) plan with company matching for contributions up to four percent of an employee's base pay.*
   * Employee stock purchase plan.*
   * Medical, dental, vision and life insurance.*
   * See more of the benefits we offer.
   * For eligible employees
   
   Gap Inc. is an equal-opportunity employer and is committed to providing a workplace free from harassment and discrimination. We are committed to recruiting, hiring, training and promoting qualified people of all backgrounds, and make all employment decisions without regard to any protected status. We have received numerous awards for our long-held commitment to equality and will continue to foster a diverse and inclusive environment of belonging. This year, we've been named as one of the Best Places to Work by the Humans Rights Campaign for the fourteenth consecutive year and have been included in the 2019 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for the second year in a row. US Candidates - Non NYCPlease note that effective, June 30, 2022, Gap Inc. will no longer require any of its employees to wear face masks or require proof of COVID vaccination, unless required by local or state/provincial mandates or as part of Gap Inc's quarantine guidelines after being exposed to or testing positive for COVID. Therefore, please disregard any language in any job posting that refers to Gap Inc.'s face mask and proof of vaccination policy as said policy is no longer effective.US Candidates - NYCBeginning December 27, 2021 the City of New York requires all employees in the City who work on site to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, unless an exemption from the vaccine requirement is approved due to an accommodation for a disability, a sincerely held religious belief or other legally protected basis (including status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking or sex offenses).

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with shop 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 shop assistant

   Once you've selected the best shop assistant candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new shop assistant. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a shop assistant?