How to hire a fulfillment associate

How to hire a fulfillment associate, step by step

Here's a step-by-step fulfillment associate hiring guide:

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

What does a fulfillment associate do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The fulfillment associate 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 fulfillment associate 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 fulfillment associate that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of fulfillment associates and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Fulfillment Associate	Description	Hourly rate
   Fulfillment Associate	Retail sales workers include both those who sell retail merchandise, such as clothing, furniture, and automobiles, (called retail salespersons) and those who sell spare and replacement parts and equipment, especially car parts (called parts salespersons). Both types of workers help customers find the products they want and process customers’ payments.	$11-18

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Basic Math
   • Customer Service
   • Math
   • Customer Orders
   • Ladders
   • Pallets
   • Sales Floor
   • Problem Solve
   • Pallet Jack
   • Computer System
   • Punctuality
   • Hand Trucks
   • Troubleshoot Problems
   • Warehouse Environment

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage inventory and troubleshoot technical problems to resolution.
   • Provide on time shipping base on customer SLA standards.
   • Adhere to multiple company safety directives including those govern by OSHA and MSDS.
   • Key accurately and productively using PC's, hand-held computers or other such devices.
   • Upload of that information into a share database on a daily basis with specific SLA requirements.
   • Pack, seal, label, and affix postage to prepare materials for shipping, using an RF scanner.

   More fulfillment associate duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the fulfillment associate job description is a good way to get more applicants. A fulfillment associate salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a fulfillment associate in Kentucky may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level fulfillment associate. Additionally, a fulfillment associate with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average fulfillment associate salary

   $14.78hourly

   $30,740 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level fulfillment associate salary

   $24,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average fulfillment associate salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$37,210	$18
   2	Oregon	$35,085	$17
   3	New York	$34,209	$16
   4	California	$33,981	$16
   5	North Dakota	$33,839	$16
   6	Minnesota	$32,823	$16
   7	Nevada	$31,647	$15
   8	Colorado	$31,343	$15
   9	Illinois	$31,117	$15
   10	New Jersey	$31,033	$15
   11	Arizona	$30,101	$14
   12	Pennsylvania	$30,017	$14
   13	Delaware	$28,705	$14
   14	Utah	$28,291	$14
   15	Kansas	$28,248	$14
   16	Indiana	$27,970	$13
   17	Wisconsin	$27,607	$13
   18	Texas	$27,507	$13
   19	Tennessee	$27,363	$13
   20	South Carolina	$26,935	$13

   Average fulfillment associate salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	General Electric	$41,671	$20.03	11
   2	Vista Outdoor	$37,161	$17.87
   3	Northwest Center	$36,631	$17.61
   4	Chewy	$36,461	$17.53	9
   5	Techtronic Industries TTI	$36,320	$17.46	4
   6	HOST International	$36,272	$17.44
   7	U.S. Bank	$36,011	$17.31	4
   8	United Service Technologies	$35,698	$17.16
   9	Staples	$35,383	$17.01	407
   10	Wolters Kluwer	$34,689	$16.68	12
   11	iHeartMedia	$34,396	$16.54	2
   12	DoorDash	$34,289	$16.49	229
   13	Amazon	$34,133	$16.41	35
   14	Samsill	$34,036	$16.36
   15	Jacobsen	$33,932	$16.31
   16	Kotis Design	$33,253	$15.99
   17	Quartzy	$33,084	$15.91
   18	Equifax	$33,020	$15.88
   19	KBR	$32,874	$15.80
   20	LOOP	$32,870	$15.80

4. Writing a fulfillment associate job description

   A fulfillment associate 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a fulfillment associate job description:

   Fulfillment associate job description example

   At Milwaukee Tool we firmly believe our People and our Culture are the secrets to our success. One of our most critical teams is the team at our Distribution Center. Every day, this team is on the front lines making sure our customers receive the right products at the right time. As part of this team, you'll help carry out the logistics of receiving, processing, storing, and shipping our products.
   
   We are an inclusive workplace that encourages diversity of thought, experience, and background to solve complex problems as one team. Every employee is encouraged to continuously improve and grow, and it is a top priority for managers to develop their teams, making a wide range of internal development opportunities available to all employees.
   
   We are One Team, overcoming obstacles together and celebrating together. Come be part of a winning team that feels like family.
   To learn more about our story click HERE.
   
   Team Member Benefits:
   Full-time hours with possibility of overtime Comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, and vision insurance along with a 401(K) program, a wellness program, fitness center, PTO, and much more Access to a free on-site wellness clinic for all full-time employees and their dependents who are enrolled in our healthcare plan Career advancement opportunities
   You'll also be DISRUPTIVE through these duties and responsibilities:
   Safely move products through the order process Work well with others on your team Make sure the customer gets what they ordered Use all the right things to make this happen every day
   What TOOLS you'll bring with you:
   Requires education equivalent to four years of high school Commitment to being here on time, every day Make great choices to keep everyone safe and to help our team grow Live #OneTeam every day
   Physical and Weightlifting Demands:
   Frequent bending, stooping, pushing, and pulling of tools and boxes Standing for long periods of time, as well as repetitive motion Operation of a manual pallet jack Able to work in various temperature conditions
   The physical and weightlifting demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right fulfillment associate for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with fulfillment associates they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit fulfillment associates who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   To find fulfillment associate candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as salesjobs, salesheads, allretailjobs.com, sales trax.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting fulfillment associates 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.

   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 fulfillment associate

   Once you have selected a candidate for the fulfillment associate 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new fulfillment associate 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 fulfillment associate?