Distribution associates receive processes and fulfill customer orders. These professionals work in warehouses or product distribution facilities. They are a critical part of the organization's supply chain, and they bear a lot of responsibility. Distribution associates may also supervise warehouse workers who package orders and load them onto the trucks for delivery.
As a distribution associate, they may have to handle multiple delivery orders at once, and so, they need a variety of organizational and prioritization skills. They may also need to process payments and order more products to be distributed.
In some cases, a distribution associate may communicate with suppliers to deliver more stock when the warehouse runs low. These professionals can work in the building, food, shipping, or even e-commerce industries.
To become a distribution associate, applicants need a high school diploma or its equivalent. They also need some experience in a warehouse environment. Some employers also require applicants to have a forklift certification.
What is a Distribution Associate?
What Does a Distribution Associate Do
There are certain skills that many distribution associates have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed communication skills, customer-service skills and detail oriented.
How To Become a Distribution Associate
If you're interested in becoming a distribution associate, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 33.3% of distribution associates have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 2.1% of distribution associates have master's degrees. Even though some distribution associates have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Distribution Associate Career Paths
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of forklift operator you might progress to a role such as technician eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title operations manager.
Average Salary for a Distribution Associate
What Am I Worth?
Roles and Types of Distribution Associate
The role of a distribution associate includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general distribution associate responsibilities:
- Applies basic skills and procedures appropriate for the position within assigned functional area. Performs standard duties
- Gather and scan products from storage coolers per branch or customer orders typically reaching up to but not limited to 84 inches high, grasping
- Perform all job functions in accordance with iso quality system procedures
There are several types of distribution associate, including:
Shipping And Receiving Coordinator
Role:
When it comes to skills and traits, as a Shipping And Receiving Coordinator, you are expected to have good communication skills, great customer service skills, and you also need to be detail-oriented at all times. As long as you have these important skills, you will have the chance to land this job.
When it comes to salary rate, you can earn an average of $29,781 per year as a Shipping And Receiving Coordinator. You can also explore other roles or tasks if you'd like. You can be a Forklift Operator, a Technician, a Team Leader, and an Operations Manager after some years of being a Shipping And Receiving Coordinator.
- Average Salary: $32,382
- Degree: High School Diploma
Receiving Clerk
Role:
A receiving clerk is involved in tasks such as performing delivery inspections, conducting inventory updates, managing order records as well as reconciling purchase orders and invoices. Besides that, they assist in unloading products from trucks, processing return items, and ensuring proper item storage.
Employers require receiving clerks to have a minimum of a high school diploma with training to be provided on the job. This role earns, on average, $13 per hour and suits individuals who want to craft a career in logistics.
- Average Salary: $31,482
- Degree: High School Diploma
Warehouse Clerk
Role:
Warehouse clerks are highly organized and able to work at a fast pace. They will know where to look for misplaced items, how to operate a forklift, and how to get through to a potentially grumpy truck driver.
The more experienced you are on the job, the more money you will make. From entry-level wages averaging around $27,000 a year, you can make your way up to earning $34,000 if you keep at it.
- Average Salary: $31,564
- Degree: High School Diploma
States With The Most Distribution Associate Jobs
Mouse over a state to see the number of active distribution associate jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where distribution associates earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Number Of Distribution Associate Jobs By State
| Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 3,634 | $35,689 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | 2,737 | $38,195 |
| 3 | Texas | 1,897 | $33,167 |
| 4 | New Jersey | 1,871 | $36,510 |
| 5 | Florida | 1,791 | $31,901 |
| 6 | Ohio | 1,411 | $33,066 |
| 7 | Illinois | 1,356 | $39,528 |
| 8 | Indiana | 1,350 | $34,574 |
| 9 | Georgia | 1,274 | $31,813 |
| 10 | Michigan | 1,245 | $35,392 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | 1,057 | $38,173 |
| 12 | New York | 1,031 | $42,981 |
| 13 | Maryland | 1,006 | $35,401 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | 923 | $37,272 |
| 15 | Arizona | 906 | $38,151 |
| 16 | Virginia | 833 | $33,327 |
| 17 | North Carolina | 829 | $31,085 |
| 18 | Tennessee | 712 | $32,485 |
| 19 | Washington | 706 | $40,776 |
| 20 | Minnesota | 683 | $36,243 |
| 21 | Kentucky | 588 | $35,131 |
| 22 | Missouri | 512 | $30,739 |
| 23 | Colorado | 509 | $38,549 |
| 24 | Kansas | 463 | $30,935 |
| 25 | Connecticut | 389 | $38,811 |
| 26 | Oregon | 385 | $36,036 |
| 27 | Utah | 376 | $31,831 |
| 28 | South Carolina | 368 | $32,554 |
| 29 | Nevada | 354 | $38,374 |
| 30 | Alabama | 354 | $33,104 |
| 31 | Iowa | 321 | $37,152 |
| 32 | Mississippi | 237 | $34,576 |
| 33 | Arkansas | 226 | $36,946 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | 187 | $36,020 |
| 35 | Louisiana | 175 | $34,620 |
| 36 | New Hampshire | 170 | $36,383 |
| 37 | Rhode Island | 170 | $35,398 |
| 38 | Idaho | 148 | $33,545 |
| 39 | Nebraska | 145 | $34,597 |
| 40 | North Dakota | 130 | $40,677 |
| 41 | Maine | 116 | $32,526 |
| 42 | Delaware | 85 | $31,121 |
| 43 | Hawaii | 73 | $37,671 |
| 44 | West Virginia | 71 | $31,367 |
| 45 | New Mexico | 59 | $32,351 |
| 46 | Montana | 56 | $28,979 |
| 47 | Vermont | 55 | $36,839 |
| 48 | South Dakota | 55 | $28,366 |
| 49 | Alaska | 51 | $35,882 |
| 50 | Wyoming | 33 | $37,460 |
Top Skills For a Distribution Associate
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 34.4% of distribution associates listed pallets on their resume, but soft skills such as communication skills and customer-service skills are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Distribution Associate Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Distribution Associate templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Distribution Associate resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Distribution Associate Demographics
Distribution Associate Gender Distribution
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among distribution associates, 33.7% of them are women, while 66.3% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among distribution associates is White, which makes up 55.5% of all distribution associates.
- The most common foreign language among distribution associates is Spanish at 57.7%.
Online Courses For Distribution Associate That You May Like
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Covid-19 has accelerated radical changes that will revolutionize retailing in every way. Shoppers' expectations are being ratcheted up, making winning (and keeping) those consumers all the more challenging. In this course, Professor Barbara Kahn will explain what it means to switch from a product-focused approach to a customer-focused approach and create marketing strategy to deliver real customer value. Learning from companies that have been most successful during this wave of change, this...
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See More on UdemyBest States For a Distribution Associate
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a distribution associate. The best states for people in this position are New York, Washington, North Dakota, and Illinois. Distribution associates make the most in New York with an average salary of $42,981. Whereas in Washington and North Dakota, they would average $40,776 and $40,677, respectively. While distribution associates would only make an average of $39,528 in Illinois, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. Pennsylvania
$38,195
Avg. Salary
2. North Dakota
$40,677
Avg. Salary
3. Nevada
$38,374
Avg. Salary
How Do Distribution Associate Rate Their Jobs?
Top Distribution Associate Employers
Most Common Employers For Distribution Associate
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PACCAR | $41,137 | $19.78 | 140 |
| 2 | ABB | $38,756 | $18.63 | 15 |
| 3 | Bausch + Lomb | $38,487 | $18.50 | 23 |
| 4 | Federal Mogul Corporation | $37,357 | $17.96 | 25 |
| 5 | Smith & Nephew | $36,356 | $17.48 | 17 |
| 6 | Ashley HomeStore | $36,118 | $17.36 | 54 |
| 7 | Cardinal Health | $35,575 | $17.10 | 56 |
| 8 | Grainger | $35,049 | $16.85 | 27 |
| 9 | Kohl's | $34,605 | $16.64 | 47 |
| 10 | UPS | $34,514 | $16.59 | 16 |
Distribution Associate Videos
