How to hire a yard worker

How to hire a yard worker, step by step

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

What does a yard worker do?

Post a yard worker job for free, promote it for a fee

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your yard worker 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 yard worker 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

   A yard worker's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, yard 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 yard worker salaries for various roles:

   Type of Yard Worker	Description	Hourly rate
   Yard Worker	Grounds maintenance workers ensure that the grounds of houses, businesses, and parks are attractive, orderly, and healthy in order to provide a pleasant outdoor environment.	$12-18
   Groundsman	Groundsmen or greenkeepers are professionals who take responsibility for the maintenance of materials and equipment. They make certain to provide enough stock of consumables... Show more	$12-20
   Landscape Labour	When it comes to landscape labor, one of the primary responsibilities is to perform landscape support tasks such as trimming the lawn, digging holes, planting flowers and trees, placing garden designs, and installing devices such as sprinkler systems. The majority of the tasks require physical work; there are instances where they must create structures such as ponds, fences, borders, patios, and other outdoor features... Show more	$11-17

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • OSHA
   • Basic Math
   • Strong Customer Service
   • Math
   • Customer Service
   • Safety Procedures
   • Rental Equipment
   • Construction Equipment
   • CDL
   • Mowing
   • Load Trucks
   • Tractor Trailer
   • DOT
   • Building Materials

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Used mowers, weed whackers/trimmers and rakes to maintain yards
   • Used forklifts and bucket loaders to load and unload purchase products and materials.
   • Obtain CDL license and deliver lumber and other home building hardware to various contractors.
   • Work in yard stock shelfs deliverd materials run fork lift drive boom truck and flat bed
   • Unload and load rolls of paper, operate cranes, drive trucks around the yard.
   • Operate bobcat and mini excavator to prepare area for sidewalk construction, drain installation, and cleanup.

   More yard worker duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your yard worker job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A yard worker salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a yard worker in Arkansas may be lower than in Massachusetts, and an entry-level yard worker usually earns less than a senior-level yard worker. Additionally, a yard worker with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average yard worker salary

   $15.69hourly

   $32,628 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level yard worker salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

   Average yard worker salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$38,340	$18
   2	Washington	$37,443	$18
   3	North Dakota	$35,872	$17
   4	California	$35,399	$17
   5	Minnesota	$35,350	$17
   6	Oregon	$35,207	$17
   7	Colorado	$34,298	$16
   8	Ohio	$33,703	$16
   9	Nevada	$33,164	$16
   10	Indiana	$32,732	$16
   11	Utah	$32,299	$16
   12	Wisconsin	$32,238	$16
   13	Montana	$30,425	$15
   14	Tennessee	$29,168	$14
   15	Arizona	$28,833	$14
   16	Texas	$27,973	$13
   17	Georgia	$27,430	$13
   18	Alabama	$27,313	$13
   19	South Carolina	$26,162	$13
   20	Florida	$26,012	$13

   Average yard worker salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Rasmussen Co Inc	$39,948	$19.21
   2	Mobile Mini	$36,953	$17.77
   3	VisionCorp Rep	$35,768	$17.20
   4	Oldcastle Infrastructure	$34,861	$16.76	63
   5	Clyde Companies	$34,759	$16.71	3
   6	CARE	$34,731	$16.70	2
   7	Agri Beef	$34,280	$16.48	3
   8	Waste Management	$34,258	$16.47	5
   9	LKQ	$34,080	$16.38	107
   10	W.W. Clyde	$34,038	$16.36
   11	Power International Holding	$34,002	$16.35
   12	Southwest Industrial Rigging	$33,934	$16.31
   13	Flynn	$33,908	$16.30	1
   14	Cemex	$33,878	$16.29	5
   15	American Fence	$33,860	$16.28
   16	Alcal Specialty Contracting, Inc. Corporate Office	$33,598	$16.15
   17	Herc Rentals	$33,574	$16.14
   18	Pacific Coast Building Products	$33,573	$16.14	2
   19	NSC Global	$33,537	$16.12
   20	Sunbelt Rentals	$33,411	$16.06	1

4. Writing a yard worker job description

   A yard 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 yard worker job description:

   Yard worker job description example

   Put your career in motion with a great, new opportunity. Join the Kelly® Professional & Industrial team as a Yard Associate at a great company in Fort Mill, SC. We’re here every step of the way to help you and your career be the best it can be. Bring your energy and find out what’s next for you.
   The Yard Associate Will be responsible for: 1. receive incoming material and check into the warehouse using the packing slip and comparing to our purchase order
   2. must be able to learn the different materials and how they work together
   3. pull outgoing orders for delivery and/or customer pick up
   4. arrange material on yard and in warehouse
   5. notify office on low quantity items for reorder
   6. unload orders picked up on AMP Utility truck into inventory
   7. keep up with reorder of propane gas
   8. keep tools organized in warehouse and for forklifts **experience in plumbing and/or water works is a plus Schedule - 7am-4pm Monday-Friday Preferred- $17-19/hr based on experience.
   Company DescriptionWhy Kelly®?
   There are a lot of light industrial jobs out there. Our industrial staffing experts are laser-focused on opportunities with competitive pay, safe work environments, and cultures that recognize your value. Whether you’re looking for flexible shifts, paid breaks, bonuses, or a progressive work culture—we’re dedicated to finding the very best opportunities for you.
   About Kelly®
   At Kelly, we’re always thinking about what’s next and advising job seekers on new ways of working to reach their full potential. In fact, we’re a leading advocate for temporary/nontraditional workstyles, because we believe they allow flexibility and tremendous growth opportunities that enable a better way to work and live (plus, did we mention we provide a ton of benefits?). Connecting great people with great companies is what we do best, and our employment opportunities span a wide variety of workstyles, skill levels, and industries around the world.
   
   Kelly is an equal opportunity employer committed to employing a diverse workforce and providing accommodations for people with disabilities in all parts of the hiring process as required under its Employment Accommodation Policy. Kelly will work with applicants to meet accommodation needs that are made known to Kelly in advance.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting yard workers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   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 yard worker

   Once you have selected a candidate for the yard worker position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize 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.

   To prepare for the new yard 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 yard worker?