How to hire a station operator

How to hire a station operator, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a station operator, 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

   Hiring the perfect station 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.

   Here's a comparison of station operator salaries for various roles:

   Type of Station Operator	Description	Hourly rate
   Station Operator		$12-25
   Gas Engineer	A Gas Engineer specializes in installing, maintaining, and repairing gas systems and appliances in homes and business establishments. They typically travel to various locations, conduct inspections using detectors and other equipment, troubleshoot problems, replace or fix parts, and enforce safety protocols in case of emergencies... Show more	$30-67
   Operator	Operators are skilled workers who are in charge of working on an industrial machine or a specific aspect of the manufacturing business. They are trained to operate machines, learning how to use them... Show more	$12-25

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Routine Maintenance
   • Station Equipment
   • Plant Equipment
   • System Maintenance
   • Computer System
   • Preventive Maintenance Checks
   • Secret Security Clearance
   • Missile Systems
   • Test Equipment
   • Electronic Systems
   • Troubleshoot
   • Gas Compressors
   • Station Operations
   • Autocad

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage LAN network and provide support for users.
   • Perform PMCS on assign communications equipment, vehicles and power generators.
   • Process debris and load in preparation for landfill.
   • Provide services in accordance with NISPOM and UL regulations.
   • Utilize GPS systems for placement of equipment during field exercises.
   • Utilize GPS systems for placement of equipment in field sites.

   More station operator duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, station operators' average salary in mississippi is 20% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level station operators earn 54% less than senior-level station operators.
   • Certifications. A station operator 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 station operator's salary.

   Average station operator salary

   $37,124yearly

   $17.85 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level station operator salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average station operator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$43,314	$21
   2	New Jersey	$42,935	$21
   3	California	$42,831	$21
   4	Michigan	$41,547	$20
   5	Wisconsin	$41,396	$20
   6	Arizona	$40,035	$19
   7	New Mexico	$39,498	$19
   8	Hawaii	$39,133	$19
   9	Texas	$39,029	$19
   10	North Carolina	$38,365	$18
   11	Florida	$37,624	$18
   12	Missouri	$35,794	$17
   13	Louisiana	$35,354	$17

   Average station operator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Nebraska Public Power District	$49,715	$23.90
   2	City of Los Angeles	$47,704	$22.93	1
   3	Church & Dwight Co.	$47,415	$22.80	2
   4	The University of Texas at San Antonio	$46,612	$22.41	1
   5	Enbridge	$44,362	$21.33
   6	University of Wisconsin System	$42,762	$20.56	1
   7	Energy Transfer	$41,316	$19.86	5
   8	City of Las Cruces Government	$40,094	$19.28	1
   9	St. Louis	$38,902	$18.70
   10	Badger Daylighting	$38,621	$18.57	106
   11	American Water	$38,584	$18.55	6
   12	UTRGV - The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	$38,532	$18.52	1
   13	Bering Straits	$37,327	$17.95
   14	Univ. Of Texas Cancer Ctr.	$37,133	$17.85	1
   15	Greif	$36,999	$17.79	5
   16	Amazon	$36,422	$17.51	49
   17	Macomb County	$36,264	$17.43
   18	Town of Davie, FL	$35,490	$17.06	4
   19	National Fuel Gas	$34,301	$16.49
   20	Hitachi U.S.A.	$34,099	$16.39

4. Writing a station operator job description

   A good station operator job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a station operator job description:

   Station operator job description example

   Time Type: Full time
   Minimum Clearance Required to Start: TS/SCI
   
   Employee Type: Regular
   
   Percentage of Travel Required: Up to 10%
   
   Type of Travel: None
   
   **What You'll Get to Do:**
   
   Operate a Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance aircraft ground station to support developmental and operational testing of new aircraft capabilities. Support pre-mission planning, aircraft media canister build, data extraction and dissemination, and post-mission analysis.
   
   **More About the Role:**
   
   + Support configuration management / archival of drive images and data
   
   + Support management of user accounts and permissions
   
   + Operate acoustic analysis tools to support identification and location of deployed vessels in areas of interest
   
   + Operate pre-mission planning tools to generate pre-flight insertion data associated with maps, communications, data links, sensors, and inventory
   
   + Build aircraft media canisters to support test flights
   
   + Operate tracking tools to provide real-time flight monitoring
   
   + Perform post-mission extraction of data from aircraft media canisters
   
   + Disseminate and archive collected data
   
   + Operate post-mission replay and sensor data analysis tools (e.g., ESM, RADAR, SIGINT)
   
   + Support information assurance activities such as vulnerability scanning and log review
   
   + Generate trouble tickets to document system deficiencies
   
   + Interface with Government personnel at PAX River Naval Air Station
   
   **You'll Bring These Qualifications:**
   
   + Minimum 5 years of related work experience (ideally with DoD or Prime DoD Contractor)
   
   + Active TS/SCI security clearance
   
   + Experience with maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance
   
   + Experience with developmental and operational test and evaluation
   
   + MS Office suite proficiency
   
   + Creative problem-solving skills and ability to work independently
   
   **These Qualifications Would be Nice to Have:**
   
   + Prior U.S. Navy service in Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Force
   
   + Experience with ground station software tools for pre-mission planning, mission support, and post-mission analysis
   
   What We Can Offer You:
   
   - We've been named a Best Place to Work by the Washington Post.
   
   - Our employees value the flexibility at CACI that allows them to balance quality work and their personal lives.
   
   - We offer competitive benefits and learning and development opportunities.
   
   - We are mission-oriented and ever vigilant in aligning our solutions with the nation's highest priorities.
   
   - For over 60 years, the principles of CACI's unique, character-based culture have been the driving force behind our success.
   
   Company Overview: At CACI, you will have the opportunity to make an immediate impact by providing information solutions and services in support of national security missions and government transformation for Intelligence, Defense, and Federal Civilian customers. CACI is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Females/Minorities/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities.
   
   As a federal contractor, CACI is subject to any federal vaccine mandates or other customer vaccination requirements. All new hires are required to report their vaccination status.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit station operators, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 station operator

   Once you've selected the best station operator 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 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 station 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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