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General warehouse vs warehouse associate

The differences between general warehouses and warehouse associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a warehouse associate has an average salary of $32,863, which is higher than the $31,660 average annual salary of a general warehouse.

The top three skills for a general warehouse include pallets, RF and pallet jack. The most important skills for a warehouse associate are pallets, work ethic, and customer service.

General warehouse vs warehouse associate overview

General WarehouseWarehouse Associate
Yearly salary$31,660$32,863
Hourly rate$15.22$15.80
Growth rate1%1%
Number of jobs249,104215,910
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 49%High School Diploma, 50%
Average age3838
Years of experience--

What does a general warehouse do?

A general warehouse worker is responsible for supporting and assisting in warehouse operations and manufacturing processes. Warehouse workers process orders and confirm shipment details for customers and resolve delivery delays immediately. They also inspect the adequacy of stock inventory, run quality checks with the products, and dispose of defective items. A general warehouse worker helps in loading and unloading merchandise from the distribution trucks and store the materials in their appropriate area within the warehouse facility.

What does a warehouse associate do?

Warehouse associates are employees who take on any task needed at the company warehouse. They receive incoming deliveries, store the items in their proper places, scan the items to log them into the company system, manage stocks and inventory, conduct product inspection to check for damages or defects, and maintain the overall cleanliness of the warehouse. Warehouse associates are also responsible for receiving purchase orders, assembling and packing products related to orders, checking the accuracy of the products relative to the order, and ensuring proper shipment of the products.

General warehouse vs warehouse associate salary

General warehouses and warehouse associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

General WarehouseWarehouse Associate
Average salary$31,660$32,863
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $38,000Between $26,000 And $40,000
Highest paying CityFremont, CAPortland, OR
Highest paying stateIdahoNorth Dakota
Best paying companyUnited Natural FoodsUline
Best paying industryManufacturingManufacturing

Differences between general warehouse and warehouse associate education

There are a few differences between a general warehouse and a warehouse associate in terms of educational background:

General WarehouseWarehouse Associate
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 49%High School Diploma, 50%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

General warehouse vs warehouse associate demographics

Here are the differences between general warehouses' and warehouse associates' demographics:

General WarehouseWarehouse Associate
Average age3838
Gender ratioMale, 77.0% Female, 23.0%Male, 73.7% Female, 26.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 21.2% Asian, 6.6% White, 54.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 6.7% White, 56.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between general warehouse and warehouse associate duties and responsibilities

General warehouse example responsibilities.

  • Reconfigure WMS to manage company's new multi-brand strategy.
  • Put all information into the WMS system for accurate account of each trailer that comes into company premises.
  • Operate forklifts removing pallets from inventory racks.
  • Verify proper logistics documentation to ensure destination and proper handling of hazardous material etc.
  • Organize and comply outbound shipping orders through the use of AS400 software.

Warehouse associate example responsibilities.

  • Rotate stock by code and receiving date - FIFO.
  • Create and ship documents for customs using DHL software.
  • Utilize RF gun for scanning duties include closing out invoices and assigning load plans.
  • Perform all tasks according to OSHA regulations and also attend daily safety tool box meetings.
  • Utilize a hand-held RF unit to select products/quantities for retail orders in a high volume warehouse.
  • Require consistent heavy lifting, math skills (primarily measurements), and fierce attention to detail.
  • Show more

General warehouse vs warehouse associate skills

Common general warehouse skills
  • Pallets, 20%
  • RF, 19%
  • Pallet Jack, 9%
  • Customer Orders, 9%
  • Quality Standards, 9%
  • Cycle Counts, 7%
Common warehouse associate skills
  • Pallets, 15%
  • Work Ethic, 12%
  • Customer Service, 8%
  • Basic Math, 7%
  • Warehouse Environment, 5%
  • Math, 4%

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