How to hire a fulfillment center associate

How to hire a fulfillment center associate, step by step

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

Post a fulfillment center associate job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The fulfillment center 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 center 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 center associate that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of fulfillment center associates.

   Type of Fulfillment Center Associate	Description	Hourly rate
   Fulfillment Center 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.	$13-21

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Sales Floor
   • Customer Orders
   • Stand-Up Forklift
   • Pallet Jack
   • Safety Regulations
   • Punctuality
   • Pallets
   • Cycle Counts
   • Problem Solve
   • FC
   • Dollies
   • WMS
   • RF Scanner
   • Production Standards

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Operate scanners to manage shipment sortation.
   • Clean and maintain the distribution center in compliance with OSHA safety standards.
   • Operate carts, dollies, hand trucks and other moving equipment to move large quantities of merchandise.
   • Train and work as slam operator.
   • Demonstrate positive work attitude and leadership skills.
   • Maintain patient confidentiality as per HIPAA mandates.

   More fulfillment center associate duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your fulfillment center associate job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A fulfillment center associate 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 fulfillment center associate in Louisiana may be lower than in Hawaii, and an entry-level fulfillment center associate usually earns less than a senior-level fulfillment center associate. Additionally, a fulfillment center associate 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 fulfillment center associate salary

   $35,766yearly

   $17.20 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level fulfillment center associate salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 25, 2025

   Average fulfillment center associate salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$45,319	$22
   2	California	$40,888	$20
   3	Missouri	$39,532	$19
   4	Virginia	$39,150	$19
   5	Arizona	$38,204	$18
   6	Colorado	$38,030	$18
   7	New York	$37,720	$18
   8	Kansas	$36,885	$18
   9	Arkansas	$36,220	$17
   10	Pennsylvania	$35,536	$17
   11	Tennessee	$35,167	$17
   12	North Carolina	$34,626	$17
   13	Utah	$34,379	$17
   14	Texas	$34,350	$17
   15	New Mexico	$34,210	$16
   16	Indiana	$33,822	$16
   17	Florida	$33,334	$16
   18	Georgia	$32,587	$16
   19	Mississippi	$29,620	$14
   20	Alabama	$29,209	$14

   Average fulfillment center associate salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Deloitte	$60,782	$29.22	7
   2	Arup	$53,000	$25.48	3
   3	Fc Dallas	$46,240	$22.23
   4	Mount Sinai Health System	$43,491	$20.91	1
   5	The PNC Financial Services Group	$42,388	$20.38	27
   6	National Multiple Sclerosis Society	$41,279	$19.85
   7	Network Capital	$40,634	$19.54
   8	Fifth Third Bank	$40,410	$19.43	69
   9	New York State Restaurant Association	$40,147	$19.30
   10	Xylem	$39,623	$19.05	6
   11	La Clinica De Familia Inc Lcdf	$39,326	$18.91
   12	Cardi's Furniture	$39,247	$18.87
   13	Northwest Center	$38,198	$18.36
   14	Walmart	$38,178	$18.35	9,623
   15	Comscore	$38,021	$18.28	3
   16	SICK	$37,215	$17.89
   17	Fairview Health Services	$36,799	$17.69	3
   18	Tillamook Ice Creamery	$36,700	$17.64
   19	Spectrum Health	$36,439	$17.52
   20	Kroger	$36,409	$17.50	8

4. Writing a fulfillment center associate job description

   A good fulfillment center associate job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a fulfillment center associate job description:

   Fulfillment center associate job description example

   Dolls Kill is a global fashion brand that empowers everyone to celebrate their individuality. We currently have over 10 million social media followers including some of the most influential personalities in music, art, pop culture and fashion. We're also backed by strong consumer-focused investors who share in our vision of building one of the world's next great consumer brands.
   
   Our team is growing quickly and we are hiring across many functions. We are looking for team members who are equally passionate about what we do and excited about joining the Dolls Kill crew.
   About Us
   Named "The Fastest Growing Retailer in the US", Dolls Kill is a fashion brand that boldly empowers young people to celebrate their individuality. With over two million followers on Instagram, we've become a cult favorite among DJs, celebrities and artists around the world.
   
   About the Role
   This role requires a self-motivated, detail oriented, and responsible Warehouse Associate for a fashion e-commerce site in San Bernardino, CA. The ideal candidate will have previous retail and fashion experience/interest.
   
   This position includes order fulfillment, shipping/packing/ receiving shipments, maintaining excellent quality control and order accuracy. We thrive in a fast paced environment where there is sudden pressure and deadlines so you must be flexible, quick, a can-do attitude and be able to manage a workload with changing priorities.This position requires to stay on your feet for 10 hours a day.
   Key ResponsibilitiesPicking orders accurately, shipping packages in compliance with international and domestic guidelines Packaging orders accordingly Conduct inventory counts Maintain organization by SKUMove boxes of inventory Learn product assortment, become familiar with our customers' needs Communicate with managers to deliver results
   Requirements1-2 years retail or warehouse experience Completion of High School or GED equivalent Attendance and punctuality Ability to work well in a team environment Ability to exercise good judgment in decision making Promote and follow safety protocol Ability to lift up to 40 pounds and climb ladders Ability to stand for 10 hours a day
   ShiftsSunday - Wednesday 6AM - 4:30PMMon,Tues,Thurs, Fri 6AM - 4:30PM

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right fulfillment center associate 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.

   To find fulfillment center 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

   During your first interview to recruit fulfillment center associates, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 center associate

   Once you've decided on a perfect fulfillment center associate candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new fulfillment center associate. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a fulfillment center associate?