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What does a lead warehouse associate do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read

A lead warehouse associate is primarily in charge of leading a team of warehouse associates in performing daily inventory and product management tasks. Their responsibilities typically include loading and unloading product shipments, labeling and organizing items according to protocols and management guidelines, operating equipment such as forklifts and scanners, keeping extensive records, and verifying documentation. Moreover, as a lead warehouse associate, it is essential to coordinate teams and maintain an open communication line with managers for a smooth and efficient workflow.

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Lead warehouse associate responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real lead warehouse associate resumes:

  • 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.
  • Pack boxes, weigh for ups and fed-ex lables.
  • Facilitate accurate time recording and timely submission to payroll.

Lead warehouse associate skills and personality traits

We calculated that 17% of Lead Warehouse Associates are proficient in Work Ethic, Pallets, and Pallet Jack. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Customer-service skills, and Detail oriented.

We break down the percentage of Lead Warehouse Associates that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Work Ethic, 17%

    Recognized by management for outstanding work ethic.

  • Pallets, 17%

    Maintain conveyor system*Pick orders due to ship*Train new hires*Implement safety practices*Ensure pallets stocked*Hold daily stand ups*Coach employees on performance

  • Pallet Jack, 15%

    Insured that product was shipped in accordance with DAI as well as customer specifications, Certified forklift and pallet jacks operation.

  • Logistics, 14%

    Highly-motivated, responsive, and quality-driven professional with a successful record of streamlining logistics and operations in a fast-paced environment.

  • Warehouse Operations, 5%

    Lead day-to-day work activities by assigning and prioritizing activities and monitoring operating standards to ensure efficient warehouse operations.

  • Load Trucks, 5%

    Assign job duties, unload and load trucks, pull orders, verify inventory, cycle counts, shipping and receiving.

Most lead warehouse associates use their skills in "work ethic," "pallets," and "pallet jack" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential lead warehouse associate responsibilities here:

Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a lead warehouse associate to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "production, planning, and expediting clerks are frequently in contact with suppliers, vendors, and production managers and need to communicate the firm’s scheduling needs effectively." Lead warehouse associates often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "supervised warehouse associates by communication job expectations and delegating duties. "

Customer-service skills. Many lead warehouse associate duties rely on customer-service skills. "stock clerks sometimes interact with customers in retail stores and may have to get the item the customer is looking for from the storeroom.," so a lead warehouse associate will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways lead warehouse associate responsibilities rely on customer-service skills: "assist order processing with data entry as the need arises performs quality customer service and administrative"

Detail oriented. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of lead warehouse associates is detail oriented. This skill is critical to many everyday lead warehouse associate duties, as "material and product inspecting clerks check items for defects, some of which are small and difficult to spot." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "executed detailed physical inventory through scanning bar codes, cycle counts, and written documentation. "

Math skills. For certain lead warehouse associate responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "math skills." The day-to-day duties of a lead warehouse associate rely on this skill, as "some material recording clerks use math to calculate shipping costs or take measurements." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what lead warehouse associates do: "be abke to do math to determine how mich product was in 1 unit. "

See the full list of lead warehouse associate skills

The three companies that hire the most lead warehouse associates are:

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Compare different lead warehouse associates

Lead warehouse associate vs. Warehouse operations manager

Warehouse Operations Managers oversee the whole operations of a company's warehouse. They are in charge of setting up processes to ensure the efficiency of warehouse operations. They oversee the processes involved in product handling, storage solutions, the shipment of goods, schedule of operations, and delivery of items. Warehouse Operations Managers also handle the layout of the warehouse so that space is properly used. They create forecasts on product volume to ensure that the warehouse is capable of housing the high volume of goods. They continuously review and evaluate warehouse policies, procedures, and systems to ensure that everything is updated and working efficiently.

The annual salary of warehouse operations managers is $2,985 lower than the average salary of lead warehouse associates.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both lead warehouse associate and warehouse operations manager positions are skilled in work ethic, pallets, and pallet jack.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, lead warehouse associate responsibilities require skills like "load trucks," "safety regulations," "environmental health," and "clamp." Meanwhile a typical warehouse operations manager has skills in areas such as "basic math," "excellent interpersonal," "groceries," and "cleanliness." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Warehouse operations managers tend to make the most money working in the health care industry, where they earn an average salary of $38,012. In contrast, lead warehouse associates make the biggest average salary, $37,607, in the construction industry.On average, warehouse operations managers reach similar levels of education than lead warehouse associates. Warehouse operations managers are 2.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Lead warehouse associate vs. Warehouse lead person

A warehouse lead person is responsible for supervising the overall operations of a distribution or warehouse centers, managing the supply chain requirements, and ensuring the adequacy of stock supplies for shipment and deliveries. Warehouse leads organize the production processes, maintain inventory, and identify strategic techniques to maximize the warehouse staff productivity and efficiency. They also coordinate with the customers for their inquiries and concerns, take orders, and resolve complaints. A warehouse lead person must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in doing administrative tasks to support business operations smoothly and get duties done on time.

On average, warehouse lead people earn a $1,295 lower salary than lead warehouse associates a year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both lead warehouse associates and warehouse lead people have skills such as "work ethic," "pallets," and "warehouse operations. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, lead warehouse associate responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "pallet jack," "logistics," "data entry," and "warehouse associates." Meanwhile, a warehouse lead person has duties that require skills in areas such as "order sheets," "warehouse person," "load sheet," and "route trucks." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

On average, warehouse lead people earn a lower salary than lead warehouse associates. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, warehouse lead people earn the most pay in the education industry with an average salary of $38,867. Whereas lead warehouse associates have higher pay in the construction industry, with an average salary of $37,607.warehouse lead people earn similar levels of education than lead warehouse associates in general. They're 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Lead warehouse associate vs. Warehouse supervisor

A Warehouse Supervisor's responsibility mainly revolves around inventory, logistics, and workforce supervision. One of the main tasks is to oversee and coordinate with every employee or company involved to ensure that all of the stocks have been received, stored, and delivered according to what is needed. Aside from the maintenance of inventory, it is also the task of the Warehouse Supervisor to hire employees that would be a great addition to the team and the company.

An average warehouse supervisor eans a higher salary compared to the average salary of lead warehouse associates. The difference in salaries amounts to warehouse supervisors earning a $11,700 higher average salary than lead warehouse associates.By looking over several lead warehouse associates and warehouse supervisors resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "pallet jack," "logistics," and "data entry." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, lead warehouse associates are more likely to have skills like "work ethic," "pallets," "warehouse operations," and "load trucks." But a warehouse supervisor is more likely to have skills like "excellent interpersonal," "wms," "warehouse functions," and "customer-service standards."

Warehouse supervisors earn the best pay in the manufacturing industry, where they command an average salary of $50,084. Lead warehouse associates earn the highest pay from the construction industry, with an average salary of $37,607.warehouse supervisors typically earn similar educational levels compared to lead warehouse associates. Specifically, they're 1.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Lead warehouse associate vs. Warehouse labour

Warehouse labour workers are responsible for organizing shipment details by processing the correct quantity of orders, ensuring that the items are free from any defects and mislabeling. Warehouse labourers prepare the items for packaging efficiently, update the inventory records, and escalate production discrepancy to the management for immediate resolution. They should also strictly adhere to the production area's safety regulations, especially on loading and unloading items, and moving each package to appropriate shelves using warehouse equipment.

Warehouse labours average a lower salary than the annual salary of lead warehouse associates. The difference is about $6,110 per year.While their salaries may vary, lead warehouse associates and warehouse labours both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "pallets," "warehouse operations," and "load trucks. "While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "work ethic," "pallet jack," "logistics," and "data entry" are skills that commonly show up on lead warehouse associate resumes. On the other hand, warehouse labours use skills like basic math, cleanliness, math, and electric pallet jack on their resumes.warehouse labours enjoy the best pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $33,085. For comparison, lead warehouse associates earn the highest salary in the construction industry.warehouse labours reach similar levels of education compared to lead warehouse associates, in general. The difference is that they're 0.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of lead warehouse associate

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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