How To Become A Lead Warehouse Associate: What It Is and Career Path

What is a lead warehouse associate and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

The Lead Warehouse Associate spends a lot of time assisting warehouse teams and managers with different tasks, including; ordering, packing, checking inventory, stocking, and transporting orders to trucks. They also help with clerical tasks and the organization of the warehouse office. The Lead Warehouse Associate is responsible for all operations and functions in the warehouse.

As the Lead Warehouse Associate, you receive, process, label, and store incoming stock. You are responsible for recording all inventory and stock, including the damaged ones. You also organize the warehouse space and inspect all supplies for damages. Plus, you prepare orders for shipment and records exact arrival and departure times for shipments.

A high school diploma, experience with inventory software, and a certification in forklift operation are the primary qualifications for the position of a lead warehouse associate. A Lead Warehouse Associate must possess time management, organization, teamwork, and communication skills. They typically earn about $15.57 per hour and an average of $32,390 yearly.

ScoreLead Warehouse AssociateUS Average

Salary

3.0

Avg. Salary $37,856

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

10.0

Growth rate 1%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.93%

Asian 6.23%

Black or African American 13.05%

Hispanic or Latino 20.58%

Unknown 4.76%

White 54.45%

Gender

female 17.18%

male 82.82%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.9

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

2.7

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a lead warehouse associate

Explore lead warehouse associate education requirements

Most common lead warehouse associate degrees

High School Diploma

42.5 %

Bachelor's

20.2 %

Associate

19.4 %

Start to develop specific lead warehouse associate skills

Skills	Percentages
Work Ethic	17.50%
Pallets	16.67%
Pallet Jack	14.53%
Logistics	13.81%
Warehouse Operations	5.06%

Complete relevant lead warehouse associate training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New lead warehouse associates learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a lead warehouse associate based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real lead warehouse associate resumes.

Research lead warehouse associate duties and responsibilities

Help manage an accurate, revolving FIFO inventory and rigorously investigate any discrepancies.
Operate various machines throughout warehouse following OSHA and company safety protocols.
Highly-Motivate, responsive, and quality-driven professional with a successful record of streamlining logistics and operations in a fast-pace environment.
Verify pallet pattern and load stability.

Get lead warehouse associate experience

Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a lead warehouse associate. The most common roles before becoming a lead warehouse associate include warehouse associate, sales associate team lead and forklift operator.

Prepare your lead warehouse associate resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your lead warehouse associate resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a lead warehouse associate resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable lead warehouse associate resume templates

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