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Inventory control technician vs warehouse associate

The differences between inventory control technicians and warehouse associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an inventory control technician has an average salary of $37,041, which is higher than the $32,863 average annual salary of a warehouse associate.

The top three skills for an inventory control technician include purchase orders, cycle counts and data entry. The most important skills for a warehouse associate are pallets, work ethic, and customer service.

Inventory control technician vs warehouse associate overview

Inventory Control TechnicianWarehouse Associate
Yearly salary$37,041$32,863
Hourly rate$17.81$15.80
Growth rate1%1%
Number of jobs66,559215,910
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 37%High School Diploma, 50%
Average age3838
Years of experience--

What does an inventory control technician do?

An Inventory Control Technician oversees the storage conditions of products at warehouses, ensuring quality and efficiency. They typically set inventory control guidelines, conduct inventory inspections and assessments, gather and analyze data to develop solutions and action plans against issues, recommend storage and maintenance practices, review documentation, maintain records of transactions, and create strategies to optimize overall operations. Inventory Control Technicians lead and encourage staff to reach their goals while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

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.

Inventory control technician vs warehouse associate salary

Inventory control technicians and warehouse associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

Inventory Control TechnicianWarehouse Associate
Average salary$37,041$32,863
Salary rangeBetween $27,000 And $50,000Between $26,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City-Portland, OR
Highest paying state-North Dakota
Best paying company-Uline
Best paying industry-Manufacturing

Differences between inventory control technician and warehouse associate education

There are a few differences between an inventory control technician and a warehouse associate in terms of educational background:

Inventory Control TechnicianWarehouse Associate
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 37%High School Diploma, 50%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Inventory control technician vs warehouse associate demographics

Here are the differences between inventory control technicians' and warehouse associates' demographics:

Inventory Control TechnicianWarehouse Associate
Average age3838
Gender ratioMale, 71.7% Female, 28.3%Male, 73.7% Female, 26.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.6% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%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 inventory control technician and warehouse associate duties and responsibilities

Inventory control technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage, review, analyze, verify, and ship raw, stock, purchase, QA, and manufacture materials.
  • Repair and troubleshoot equipment, work safely, good intrapersonal skills
  • Control, disperse and troubleshoot parts and equipment for field technicians daily.
  • Communicate inventory information with inter-officials.
  • Communicate inventory information with inter-officials.

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

Inventory control technician vs warehouse associate skills

Common inventory control technician skills
  • Purchase Orders, 21%
  • Cycle Counts, 18%
  • Data Entry, 11%
  • Computer System, 5%
  • Inventory Control Procedures, 4%
  • Inventory Management, 4%
Common warehouse associate skills
  • Pallets, 15%
  • Work Ethic, 12%
  • Customer Service, 8%
  • Basic Math, 7%
  • Warehouse Environment, 5%
  • Math, 4%

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