How to hire a distribution center supervisor

How to hire a distribution center supervisor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step distribution center supervisor hiring guide:

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

What does a distribution center supervisor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The distribution center supervisor hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a distribution center supervisor to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a distribution center supervisor that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of distribution center supervisors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Distribution Center Supervisor	Description	Hourly rate
   Distribution Center Supervisor		$15-28
   Warehouse Lead	Warehouse leads are responsible for supply chain management in distribution centers. Their duties and responsibilities include supervising employees and evaluating their performance, meeting safety regulations, and monitoring deliveries and shipments... Show more	$12-29
   Service Center Manager	A service center manager is responsible for managing staff performance and monitoring the efficiency of service operations to provide the highest customer satisfaction according to business functions and requirements. Service center managers strategize techniques to maximize operational productivity and identifying cost-reduction procedures with high-quality deliverables... Show more	$14-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Logistics
   • Customer Service
   • Shipping Receiving
   • Safety Procedures
   • Continuous Improvement
   • Lean Manufacturing
   • Safety Training
   • Performance Reviews
   • Warehouse Operations
   • Inventory Control
   • Performance Management
   • Direct Supervision
   • Direct Reports
   • Payroll

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Entrust with managing entire facility and all warehouse, transportation / logistics, and shipping / receiving operations on numerous occasions.
   • Assure compliance standard are meet for all internal and external audits including but not limit to FDA inspections.
   • Strengthen housekeeping standards and make sure that staff comply with the regulatory requirements, such as OSHA forklift certification, PPE
   • Ensure all personnel follow safety guidelines in accordance with OSHA regulations.
   • Maintain electronic time management system to ensure proper payroll for all subordinates.
   • Conduct daily administrative reports including KRONOS payroll, safety observations, employee productivity, and department production.

   More distribution center supervisor duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, distribution center supervisors' average salary in idaho is 38% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level distribution center supervisors 44% less than senior-level distribution center supervisors.
   • Certifications. A distribution center supervisor 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 distribution center supervisor's salary.

   Average distribution center supervisor salary

   $44,535yearly

   $21.41 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level distribution center supervisor salary

   $33,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

   Average distribution center supervisor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$53,277	$26
   2	California	$50,380	$24
   3	Ohio	$49,244	$24
   4	Nevada	$48,436	$23
   5	New York	$46,606	$22
   6	Texas	$46,383	$22
   7	Indiana	$46,205	$22
   8	Pennsylvania	$45,777	$22
   9	Illinois	$44,547	$21
   10	Virginia	$42,650	$21
   11	North Carolina	$42,359	$20
   12	Arizona	$42,340	$20
   13	Tennessee	$41,490	$20
   14	Washington	$41,233	$20
   15	Georgia	$40,294	$19
   16	Colorado	$40,095	$19
   17	Alabama	$39,604	$19
   18	Mississippi	$39,351	$19
   19	Florida	$39,338	$19
   20	Utah	$39,034	$19

   Average distribution center supervisor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Schneider Electric Industrial Services	$60,084	$28.89	5
   2	Blessing Hospital Emergency Room	$59,704	$28.70
   3	Meggitt PLC	$57,483	$27.64
   4	The Judge Group	$55,803	$26.83
   5	Volvo Trucks	$54,661	$26.28	2
   6	PepsiCo	$53,736	$25.83	1
   7	Airgas	$53,361	$25.65	7
   8	Clopay Building Products	$52,844	$25.41	4
   9	Rheem Manufacturing	$52,260	$25.13	13
   10	Campbell Soup	$52,064	$25.03	4
   11	Nestlé	$51,886	$24.95	13
   12	BD	$51,711	$24.86	2
   13	Eaton	$51,457	$24.74	97
   14	Teleflex	$51,123	$24.58
   15	TASER Self-Defense	$50,718	$24.38	1
   16	Invacare	$50,287	$24.18
   17	Donaldson	$50,106	$24.09
   18	Toro	$49,136	$23.62	1
   19	J.W. Pepper	$48,916	$23.52	1
   20	Talbots	$48,590	$23.36

4. Writing a distribution center supervisor job description

   A job description for a distribution center supervisor role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a distribution center supervisor job description:

   Distribution center supervisor job description example

   In this role, you will start your career with one of the largest distributors of materials and supplies used in the MRO market (maintenance, repair, and operations). This role requires a leader to be able to drive the goals within an extremely fast-paced operation. This role looks for off-the-chart communication skills, the ability to motivate team members and strive for consistent client satisfaction. Every day, the products shipped out are more important than ever as companies depend on on-time/on-target solutions for their maintenance operations.
   
   Although this role is the beginning point for a company's career, this is not the end. This role is a common entry point for leaders to develop their knowledge and grow into more complex roles that require higher levels of responsibility on a national basis. This path can also grow you into more corporate positions for the company as well. Be sure to ask about one of our alumni who is still growing with the company almost 20 years later into their career.
   
   The Supervisor manages roughly 15 - 30 people who oversee the intake of deliveries that are critical for the warehouse operations. The unloading, stocking, managing, and recording of the loads are crucial to allowing the products to be ordered and shipped to their customers on a national and international basis. In the Outbound process, it's reversed. You are managing your team to accurately load the necessary products for expedited delivery.
   
   The company is looking for an Operations Leader, someone who understands how to manage people and understand the data around the processes. You should have a mindset that drives attention to detail, safety, and yet, still being a coach and mentor to your teammates. You should be able to talk through how you are cross functional, motivate others, not within your leadership structure, and influence the operations. The military provides leaders that the company wants, which may come from areas like supply chain/combat arms/aviation/maintenance environments. The company is focused on the right cultural fit (mentor/coach/developer of people) over your direct experience.
   
   This is not the endpoint of your career. The company has many military veterans who have started in this position and have grown to higher-level operations roles to include vice-presidents. This position can be a pathway for you to move into operations, engineering, or corporate roles.
   
   If you desire a leadership position that will give you the ability to grow based on your core skill as a leader, you will love this opportunity to shine.
   This site is less than a year old, so you will be working with the newest technology.
   
   Base salary, plus targeted bonus, 401k plan. Medical/dental/vision.
   
   Job 53560

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find distribution center supervisors for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your distribution center supervisor job on Zippia to find and recruit distribution center supervisor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with distribution center supervisor candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   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 distribution center supervisor

   Once you've selected the best distribution center supervisor 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new distribution center supervisor. 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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How much does it cost to hire a distribution center supervisor?