How to hire a swamper

How to hire a swamper, step by step

Here's a step-by-step swamper hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your swamper 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 swamper 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

   Hiring the perfect swamper 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.

   This list shows salaries for various types of swampers.

   Type of Swamper	Description	Hourly rate
   Swamper	Hand laborers and material movers manually move freight, stock, or other materials. Others feed or remove material to and from machines, clean vehicles, pick up unwanted household goods, and pack materials for moving.	$12-20
   Warehouseman	A warehouseman or warehouse worker is the person who assists with the inventory, shipping, and receiving of items in warehouses. Warehousemen receive and process incoming materials and stocks, along with picking and filling orders from the store... Show more	$14-20
   Dock Worker	People working in the docks are collectively called dock workers. Their primary job is to load and unload ships... Show more	$13-20

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Safety Equipment
   • CDL
   • Frac Tanks
   • Manual Labor
   • Load Trucks
   • Hoisting
   • Oilfield Equipment
   • Tandem
   • PPE
   • VAC Truck
   • DIG
   • DOT
   • H2S
   • Pole Truck

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage mulching, fertilizing, watering and mowing activities.
   • Put correct PPE on and mark the soil to start dig.
   • Used hand tools such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, hedge and brush trimmers and axes.
   • Weld new cutting edges on front end loaders, new shanks and teeth on buckets.
   • Allocate and attach pulleys, cables, braces, booms, chains and hooks to lifting machinery.
   • Operate backhoes, loaders, forklift.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, swampers' average salary in louisiana is 48% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level swampers 37% less than senior-level swampers.
   • Certifications. A swamper 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 swamper's salary.

   Average swamper salary

   $16.54hourly

   $34,411 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level swamper salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

4. Writing a swamper job description

   A good swamper 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 swamper job description:

   Swamper job description example

   **What You Need To Know**
   
   Open your future to incredible career potential. Work for an industry-leader who invests in their people. Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits is North America's preeminent wine and spirits distributor, as well as a family-owned, privately held company with a 50+ year legacy of success. We were named by Newsweek as a Most Loved Workplace and are included on the Forbes lists for Largest Private Companies and Best Employers for Diversity.
   
   Southern Glazer's offers a competitive compensation package with an hourly pay rate of $23.95 / hour. In determining a final offer, the company will evaluate a specific candidate's education, skills and experience and will make an offer appropriately.
   
   As a full-time employee, you can choose from a full menu of our Top Shelf Benefits, including comprehensive medical and prescription drug coverage, dental and vision plans, tax-saving Flexible Spending Accounts, disability coverage, life insurance plans, and a 401(k) plan. We also offer tuition reimbursement, a wellness program, parental leave, vacation accrual, paid sick leave, and more.
   
   At Southern Glazer's, you'll enjoy an environment where continuous learning and growth are supported and experience a culture where you are respected, and your voice is heard. If you're looking to fill your glass with opportunity, come join our FAMILY.
   
   **Overview**
   
   The Warehouse Helper is responsible for receiving and processing incoming stock and materials, picking and filling orders from stock, packing and shipping orders, or managing, organizing, and retrieving stock in the warehouse.
   
   **Primary Responsibilities**
   
   + Assist shipping and receiving unloading trucks and checking in merchandise
   
   + Prepare orders by processing requests and supply orders; pulling materials; packing boxes; placing orders in the delivery area
   
   + Sort and place materials or items on racks, shelves, or in bins according to organizational standards
   
   + Open bales, crates, and other containers
   
   + Maintain inventory controls by collecting stock location orders, printing requests, recording amounts of materials or items received or distributed through a computer. May also assist in counting of physical inventory
   
   + Prepare parcels for mailing
   
   + Maintain a safe and clean work environment by keeping shelves, pallet area, and work stations neat; Sweep, dust and mop. Organize warehouse and work area for orderliness at all times
   
   + Wear the proper safety equipment
   
   + Perform other related duties as assigned
   
   **Additional Primary Responsibilities**
   
   **Minimum Qualifications**
   
   + 1 year of experience
   
   + Inventory, Equipment maintenance required
   
   **Physical Demands**
   
   + Physical demands include a considerable amount of time walking, bending, reaching, standing, squatting, and stooping
   
   + Must be able to regularly sit and operate machinery such as a forklift
   
   + May require working at heights of 8 feet or greater
   
   + Additional hours may be required during October, November, and December and other peak periods
   
   + Must be able to frequently lift/lower, push, carry, or pull 56lbs
   
   **EEO Statement**
   
   Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits, an Affirmative Action/EEO employer, prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training. Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits provides competitive compensation based on estimated performance level consistent with the past relevant experience, knowledge, skills, abilities and education of employees. Unless otherwise expressly stated, any pay ranges posted here are estimates from outside of Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits and do not reflect Southern Glazer's pay bands or ranges.
   
   Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

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5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit swampers, 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.

   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 swamper

   Once you've selected the best swamper 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new swamper. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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