Free utility worker job description templates by industry: kitchen, hospitality, warehouse, healthcare, and production, with physical and FLSA guidance.
6 free templates by industry, because a utility worker means a different job in a kitchen, a warehouse, a hospital, and a plant. With the physical-requirements and FLSA guidance generic templates skip. Download as DOCX.
"Utility worker" is one of the most versatile, and most confusing, job titles you can hire for. In a kitchen it means a dishwasher-plus; in a warehouse it is a floater across departments; in a hospital it is environmental services or nutrition; in a plant it is line support. A single generic job description serves none of these well, which is why the templates online are vague and hard to use. This page fixes that with six templates split by industry, each written for the real work in that setting.
At FirstHR, we build for the restaurants, hotels, warehouses, and small processors that make this hire directly, where an owner or floor manager writes the posting. The six templates below cover the general facilities version plus kitchen, hospitality, warehouse, healthcare, and production. Each is ready to use: fill in the brackets and post. The guide to writing a job description covers the fundamentals, and the small-business hiring guide puts this hire in context.
TL;DR
"Utility worker" means a different job by industry: kitchen (dishwasher-plus), warehouse (department floater), hospital (EVS or nutrition), hospitality, production, or general facilities. It is always non-exempt and hourly, with pay roughly $14-24/hour depending on industry. Do not confuse it with a utilities worker (public water, gas, electric). Download six industry templates as DOCX.
What Is a Utility Worker?
A utility worker is a flexible, hands-on support role that keeps an operation clean, stocked, and running. The defining trait is versatility: cleaning, sanitation, moving and stocking materials, light maintenance, and filling in wherever needed. It is an entry-level, hourly role found across food service, hospitality, healthcare, warehousing, manufacturing, and facilities.
The catch is that the specific work varies enormously by industry, so much that "utility worker" is less one job than a family of related ones. Because the title is not a standard federal occupation, the closest official data comes from catch-all categories like food preparation workers and building cleaning workers. For the employer writing the posting, the single most important step is to define which industry version you are hiring, because a kitchen utility worker and a warehouse utility worker do almost entirely different work.
Utility Worker vs Utilities Worker
Before you write the posting, know which role you mean, because one letter changes everything. A utility worker is the private-sector support role these templates cover. A utilities worker, with an s, is a public-utility role, and it is a different job entirely.
One Letter, Two Different Jobs
A utility worker is a flexible support worker in food service, hospitality, warehousing, healthcare, manufacturing, or facilities, doing cleaning, sanitation, material handling, and light maintenance. A utilities worker works in the public-utility sector, water, wastewater, gas, electric, and public works, often a municipal, civil-service, or union position that may require a commercial driver's license and on-call standby. These templates are written for the private-sector utility worker. If you are a city, water district, or power company, you are hiring a utilities worker, which is a different role with different requirements.
The rest of this page covers the private-sector utility worker across its industry versions. If your operation is a restaurant, hotel, warehouse, clinic, or plant, you are in the right place.
Utility Worker Duties and Responsibilities
Across industries, utility worker duties cluster into four areas: cleaning and sanitation, light maintenance and support, physical and material handling, and safety and compliance. A strong job description picks the specific responsibilities from each area that match your setting rather than listing every possible task. These are the duties grouped the way the templates use them.
Cleaning and sanitation
Clean and sanitize assigned areas
Operate dish machines or cleaning equipment
Remove trash and regulated waste
Light maintenance and support
Perform basic repairs and upkeep
Move and stock supplies and materials
Fill in across tasks and departments
Physical and material handling
Lift and carry up to 50 to 75 lbs
Load, unload, and stage product
Stand and work on your feet for shifts
Safety and compliance
Use required PPE consistently
Follow chemical and food-safety rules
Maintain certifications where required
The emphasis shifts sharply by industry: a kitchen role centers on dish and sanitation, a warehouse role on material handling, and a healthcare role on infection control. For a structured way to scope the role, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by your industry, since that is what defines the work. The core structure is the same across all six, but each emphasizes the duties, certifications, and physical demands specific to its setting. Use this guide to choose the closest fit, then adjust.
General / Facilities
The universal base
The jack-of-all-trades version: cleaning, light maintenance, moving supplies, and helping across the operation. The baseline to adapt to any setting.
Kitchen / Food Service
Dish-plus
For restaurants, catering, and senior-living dining: dish machine, sanitation, light prep, and stocking. Includes a food-handler field.
Hospitality / Hotel
Banquet and back-of-house
For hotels and event venues: kitchen and banquet sanitation, event setup and breakdown, and light maintenance across the property.
Warehouse / Distribution
Floater across departments
For warehouses and distribution centers: loading, moving product, picking and packing support, and sanitation, with a forklift and GMP field.
Hospital / Healthcare
EVS or nutrition
For healthcare settings: environmental-services cleaning and disinfection or kitchen nutrition sanitation, with infection-control and PPE requirements.
Manufacturing / Production
Line support
For food processors and small manufacturers: machine support, material moving, sanitation, and cross-line flexibility, with GMP and HACCP fields.
Match the Template to the Industry
A restaurant, caterer, or senior-living kitchen: Kitchen / Food Service. A hotel or event venue: Hospitality. A warehouse or distribution center: Warehouse. A hospital or clinic: Healthcare (EVS or nutrition). A food processor or small plant: Manufacturing. A building, property, or anything that does not fit the others: General / Facilities. Every version is non-exempt and hourly; set the lifting weight, certifications, and schedule to your operation.
6 Free Utility Worker Job Description Templates
Download all six as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: company summary, job summary, key responsibilities, qualifications, a physical-requirements section, the FLSA classification, pay, and how to apply, with an EEO statement. Fill in the brackets and post.
Download All 6 Job Description Templates
General/facilities, kitchen, hospitality, warehouse, healthcare, and production. All in one DOCX.
Template 1: Utility Worker (General / Facilities)
The universal base: cleaning, light maintenance, moving supplies, and helping across the operation. Use this as the jack-of-all-trades version to adapt to any setting.
[One or two sentences about your business and the team this person supports.]
JOB SUMMARY
[Company Name] is hiring a Utility Worker to keep our facility clean, stocked, and
running. This is a hands-on, flexible role: cleaning, light maintenance, moving
supplies, and helping wherever needed across the operation. A great fit for a
reliable, versatile worker who likes variety and stays busy.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Clean and maintain assigned areas and equipment
•Perform light maintenance and basic repairs
•Move, stock, and organize supplies and materials
•Operate cleaning and basic hand equipment safely
•Support other departments and tasks as needed
•Remove trash and keep work areas clean and safe
•Follow all safety procedures and use required PPE
•Report maintenance needs, hazards, and low supplies
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Able to lift up to [50-75] lbs and work on your feet
•Reliable, flexible, and safety-minded
•Willing to learn a variety of tasks
•Available for [shift / weekend] schedule as needed
•High school diploma or equivalent preferred, not required
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
•Standing, walking, bending, and reaching for full shifts
•Lifting and carrying up to [50-75] lbs repeatedly
•Use of required PPE (gloves, slip-resistant shoes, etc.)
•[Exposure to cleaning chemicals / temperature / noise as applicable]
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Pay range: $_____ to $_____ per hour [+ benefits]
To apply, [apply in person at / email] __.
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Template 2: Kitchen / Food-Service Utility Worker
For restaurants, catering, and senior-living dining: dish machine, sanitation, light prep, and stocking, with a food-handler field. The dishwasher-plus version.
For healthcare settings: environmental-services cleaning and disinfection or kitchen nutrition sanitation, with infection-control and PPE requirements.
[Company Name] is hiring a Production Utility Worker to support our production
lines and keep the floor running. You will feed and support machines, move
materials, run sanitation and cleaning, and fill in across the line as needed.
A reliable, safety-minded worker who can flex across tasks is ideal.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Support production lines and feed or tend machines
•Move raw materials and finished product
•Run sanitation and clean equipment and areas
•Fill in across line positions as needed
•Follow GMP, HACCP, and food-safety rules [if applicable]
•Inspect for quality and report issues
•Follow all safety and lockout/tagout procedures
•Use required PPE at all times
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Able to lift up to [50-75] lbs and stand for full shifts
•Reliable, flexible, and safety-minded
•Comfortable in a fast-paced production environment
•Willing to cross-train across line tasks
•Available for [shift / weekend / rotating] schedule
PHYSICAL AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS
•Standing, lifting, and repetitive motion up to [50-75] lbs
•Required PPE (hearing protection, gloves, hairnet, boots)
•[GMP / HACCP compliance and lockout/tagout]
•Exposure to noise, temperature, and machinery
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Pay range: $_____ to $_____ per hour [+ benefits]
To apply, [apply in person at / email] __.
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Pay and FLSA Classification
Utility workers are non-exempt, hourly workers across every industry reading, which makes the classification straightforward and the overtime rules easy to apply.
Non-Exempt and Overtime-Eligible
Utility work is manual, physical labor that does not meet any white-collar exemption under the Fair Labor Standards Act, so utility workers are non-exempt and owed overtime at one and a half times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. This applies to part-time utility workers too if they cross 40 hours. Track hours carefully, since these roles run in shifts and pick up overtime during busy periods, and remember that some states set higher minimum wages and stricter overtime rules. Confirm specifics with an employment advisor. This is general information, not legal advice.
Utility workers are paid hourly, and pay varies widely by industry, region, and setting. Anchor your range to your specific industry, not a single national average, since the spread is large.
Roughly $14 to $24 an Hour by Industry
National compensation surveys put the overall utility worker average around $19 to $23 an hour, but the range by industry is wide: kitchen and food-service roles often sit at $14 to $17, while warehouse, facilities, and production roles run $18 to $24. Because utility worker is not a standard federal occupation, the closest official wage data comes from catch-all categories like food preparation workers and building cleaning workers, which average roughly $35,000 to $44,000 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Set your range using current market data for your specific industry and location. A kitchen utility role and a warehouse utility role are paid very differently, so benchmark to the version you are hiring, and remember that overtime applies for hours over 40 in a week regardless of the base rate.
Hiring a Utility Worker for a Small Business
Restaurants, hotels, warehouses, small processors, and care facilities hire utility workers constantly, and they make the hire directly, usually for entry-level, high-turnover, often part-time roles. Three realities shape this hire, and the generic templates online address none of them.
"Utility worker" means a different job in every industry, so pick the version that fits
The single biggest mistake in hiring a utility worker is posting a generic, one-size-fits-all job description. The title means at least six different jobs: a kitchen utility worker is essentially a dishwasher-plus, a warehouse utility worker is a floater across departments, a hospital utility worker runs environmental services or nutrition sanitation, and a facilities utility worker is a jack-of-all-trades for cleaning and light maintenance. A candidate reading a vague posting cannot tell what they would actually do, and you attract the wrong applicants. The templates above are split by industry for exactly this reason: pick the one that matches your operation, fill in the specifics, and post a description that says clearly what the work is.
It is hourly and non-exempt, and the physical demands belong in the posting
Across every industry reading, a utility worker is an entry-level, non-exempt, hourly role entitled to overtime for hours over 40 in a workweek, and the work is physical: standing for full shifts, lifting 50 to 75 pounds, and exposure to heat, water, chemicals, or noise depending on the setting. State these demands honestly in the posting. Being upfront about the lifting weight, the standing, and the PPE attracts candidates who can actually do the work and reduces the early quits that plague vague, physically demanding hourly roles. The templates leave the lifting weight and conditions as fields, and each includes a physical-requirements section, because honesty here is what keeps a new hire past week one.
Utility roles are high-turnover and certification-heavy, so the process has to be repeatable
Utility workers are among the highest-turnover hires a small operation makes, and many readings carry certification requirements: a food handler or ServSafe card in food service, forklift certification in the warehouse, bloodborne pathogen training in healthcare EVS, and HACCP or GMP in food manufacturing. That combination, frequent rehiring plus tracked certifications, is exactly what a repeatable system handles well. A clear job description, a quick offer, the I-9 and tax forms, a signed safety-policy acknowledgment, and certification collection and expiration tracking turn constant churn into a process you run the same way every time. FirstHR fits this for a restaurant, hotel, warehouse, or small processor: e-signature for the offer and policy sign-offs, task workflows for onboarding, training modules for food safety and OSHA, and document management with the employee database tracking certification expirations. To be clear about scope, FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not a facilities or payroll system, and it does not run payroll or administer benefits, so pair it with those providers. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
From Hiring to Onboarding
The job description is step one. Once a candidate accepts, the same document becomes the basis for the offer and onboarding, and for a utility worker two things matter more than usual: safety training has to come before the first shift, and any required certifications need to be collected and tracked. A fast, repeatable process keeps a high-turnover hire from becoming a scramble.
Send the offer
Confirm the role, hourly pay, schedule, and the non-exempt classification in writing. An offer letter template makes this fast for an hourly hire.
Cover safety first
Train on chemical, equipment, and PPE safety before the first shift, with a signed safety-policy acknowledgment kept on file.
Collect certifications
Gather the food handler, forklift, or bloodborne pathogen training the role requires, and track renewal dates so nothing lapses.
Make it repeatable
Save the posting, offer, and checklist as a reusable flow, since utility roles are a frequent, high-turnover hire.
Once your offer is ready, the offer letter template handles the next step, an onboarding template gives the new hire a structured start, and an employee handbook template covers policies and safety expectations. For adjacent roles you may also hire, the janitor, dishwasher, material handler, and environmental services templates cover the specialized versions of this work. FirstHR connects the offer, paperwork, e-signatures, safety acknowledgments, certification tracking, and the onboarding workflow in one place, so a small restaurant, hotel, warehouse, or processor can run the same fast process every time. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not a facilities or payroll tool, so connect those separately. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Key Takeaways
A utility worker is a flexible support role, but the work differs sharply by industry: kitchen, hospitality, warehouse, healthcare, production, or facilities.
Always post the industry-specific version, not a generic one, since a vague posting attracts the wrong candidates and is hard to fill.
Do not confuse a utility worker with a utilities worker; the latter is a public water, gas, or electric role, often municipal or union.
The role is non-exempt and hourly with overtime, and pay runs roughly $14 to $24 an hour depending on industry.
State physical requirements honestly, lifting 50 to 75 lbs, standing, and PPE, since being upfront reduces early turnover.
Match certifications to the industry: food handler for kitchens, forklift for warehouses, bloodborne pathogen for healthcare EVS, HACCP for food production.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a utility worker do?
A utility worker is a flexible, hands-on role that keeps an operation clean, stocked, and running, but the exact duties depend heavily on the industry. In a kitchen or restaurant, a utility worker is essentially a dishwasher-plus: running the dish machine, sanitizing, light food prep, and stocking. In a warehouse, they float across departments, loading, moving product, supporting picking and packing, and running sanitation. In a hospital, they handle environmental-services cleaning and disinfection or kitchen nutrition sanitation. In a facility or building, they are a jack-of-all-trades for cleaning and light maintenance. Across all of them, the common thread is versatility and physical work: cleaning, moving things, lifting, and filling in wherever needed. Because the title is so broad, the most important step when hiring is to define which industry version you actually need.
What is the difference between a utility worker and a utilities worker?
This distinction matters and is easy to get wrong. A utility worker, the role these templates cover, is a flexible support worker in food service, hospitality, warehousing, healthcare, manufacturing, or facilities, doing cleaning, sanitation, material handling, and light maintenance. A utilities worker, with an s, refers to the public-utility sector: water distribution, wastewater, gas, electric, and public works, often a municipal, civil-service, or union role that may require a commercial driver's license and on-call standby. If you run a restaurant, hotel, warehouse, or small plant, you are hiring a utility worker. If you are a city, water district, or power company, that is a utilities worker and a different role entirely. These templates are written for the private-sector utility worker, not the public-utility version.
Is a utility worker exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
A utility worker is non-exempt and paid hourly, meaning entitled to overtime at one and a half times the regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. This is unambiguous across every industry reading of the role: utility work is manual, physical labor that does not meet any of the white-collar exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act, and both municipal and private job descriptions consistently classify it as non-exempt. The practical points for an employer are to classify the role as non-exempt, track hours accurately since utility roles often run in shifts and pick up overtime during busy periods, and pay overtime when it applies. Part-time utility workers are also non-exempt and owed overtime if they cross 40 hours in a week. Some states set higher minimum wages and additional overtime rules. This is general information, not legal advice.
How much does a utility worker make?
Utility workers are paid hourly, and pay varies widely by industry, region, and setting. National compensation surveys put the overall average around 19 to 23 dollars an hour, or roughly 41,000 to 47,000 dollars a year, but the range by industry is wide. Kitchen and food-service utility roles sit at the lower end, often around 14 to 17 dollars an hour, while warehouse, facilities, and production utility roles run higher, commonly 18 to 24 dollars an hour. Because utility worker is not a standard federal occupation, the closest official wage data comes from catch-all categories like food preparation and serving workers, building cleaning workers, and production workers, which span roughly 35,000 to 44,000 dollars a year on average. Benchmark to your specific industry and local market rather than to a single national average, and set the range to attract reliable workers for the demands of the role.
What qualifications does a utility worker need?
Most utility worker roles have minimal formal requirements, which is part of why they are common entry-level and first jobs. The core requirements are the physical ability to lift and carry, often 50 to 75 pounds, the stamina to stand and work on your feet for full shifts, reliability, and a willingness to learn a variety of tasks and follow safety procedures. A high school diploma or equivalent is common but frequently not required, and most employers provide on-the-job training. Industry-specific certifications add to this: a food handler or ServSafe card for food service, forklift certification for warehouse roles, bloodborne pathogen training for healthcare environmental services, and HACCP or GMP knowledge for food manufacturing. List these as preferred or trainable rather than required where you can, since the work is learned quickly and requiring certifications upfront shrinks your candidate pool for a high-turnover role.
What certifications might a utility worker need?
It depends entirely on the industry. A kitchen or food-service utility worker typically needs a food handler card, with ServSafe as the recognized program, and food safety knowledge for sanitation. A warehouse utility worker who operates equipment needs forklift certification, which the employer usually provides. A hospital or healthcare utility worker in environmental services needs bloodborne pathogen training under OSHA and infection-control procedures, and may need a background check and TB test. A food-manufacturing production utility worker needs HACCP and GMP food-safety knowledge. A general facilities utility worker mainly needs hazard communication and chemical-safety training for the cleaning products they use. The practical task for a small employer is to identify which certifications your specific role requires, build them into onboarding, and track expiration dates so nothing lapses, especially for food handler cards and forklift certifications that renew on a schedule.
Do small businesses hire utility workers?
Yes, constantly, and they are a core part of FirstHR's audience. Independent restaurants, catering companies, senior-living and assisted-living dining operations, small food processors, hotels and motels, building-services and janitorial contractors, small distribution and warehouse operations, and small or rural healthcare facilities all hire utility workers in volume. These are entry-level, often part-time, high-turnover roles that a small business hires directly, usually through an owner, a kitchen or warehouse manager, or an operations lead. The role scales with the operation, so a growing restaurant or distributor hires utility workers regularly. The public-utility version is the exception: water, gas, and electric utility roles are hired by municipalities and large utilities, not small businesses, which is why these templates focus on the private-sector industry readings that fit a small operation.
What should a utility worker job description include?
A strong utility worker job description starts by naming the industry and setting clearly, since the title is so broad, then includes a job summary, responsibilities grouped into cleaning and sanitation, light maintenance and support, physical and material handling, and safety and compliance. State the physical requirements honestly, the lifting weight, standing, and any exposure to heat, chemicals, or noise, since they are central to the role and being upfront reduces early turnover. Be clear about the FLSA classification, non-exempt and hourly with overtime, and give an honest hourly pay range for your industry. Name any required certifications, like a food handler card or forklift certification, and note that no experience is required if you provide training. Close with an equal opportunity statement and clear apply instructions. This is general information, not legal advice.
