What does a lumber associate do?
Lumber associate responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real lumber associate resumes:
- Participate in ordering of all nursery stock and managing inventory.
- Help patients obtain secondary insurance coverage through Arkansas Medicaid, and/or exploring Arkansas Medicaid options for uninsure or exhaust benefits.
- Perform weekly demonstrations for (DIY) customers with the latest power tools and hand tools.
Lumber associate skills and personality traits
We calculated that 21% of Lumber Associates are proficient in Customer Service, Forklift Operation, and Work Ethic. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Math skills, and Selling skills.
We break down the percentage of Lumber Associates that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 21%
Followed loss prevention protocols and provided effective customer service to minimize shrink loss levels.
- Forklift Operation, 9%
Certified for chop saw, panel saw, forklift & reach forklift operation and safety standards.
- Work Ethic, 8%
Work ethic was evident in that I needed little to no supervision to complete tasks.
- Math, 8%
Job required excellent math skills and a great deal of concentration.
- Sales Floor, 7%
Unload and pack out freight and other merchandise to its respective place on the sales floor.
- Basic Math, 6%
Apply basic mathematical concepts such as adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing and knowledge of weights and measures.
Common skills that a lumber associate uses to do their job include "customer service," "forklift operation," and "work ethic." You can find details on the most important lumber associate responsibilities below.
Interpersonal skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a lumber associate to have is interpersonal skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "a friendly and outgoing personality is important for these workers because the job requires almost constant interaction with people." Lumber associates often use interpersonal skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "exemplify strong management and interpersonal skills as well as the ability to handle a wide variety of tasks with complete autonomy. "
Math skills. Many lumber associate duties rely on math skills. "retail sales workers must have the ability to calculate price totals, discounts, and change owed to customers.," so a lumber associate will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways lumber associate responsibilities rely on math skills: "applied statistics, calculus i, calculus ii resolved customer issues and ensured customer satisfaction with service and product. "
Selling skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of lumber associates is selling skills. This skill is critical to many everyday lumber associate duties, as "retail sales workers must be persuasive when interacting with customers." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "experience in stocking, sales associate (customer relations), and wood cutting; including specific measurements. "
Customer-service skills. A big part of what lumber associates do relies on "customer-service skills." You can see how essential it is to lumber associate responsibilities because "retail sales workers must be responsive to the wants and needs of customers." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical lumber associate tasks: "stock merchandise, help customers, keep garden and lumber area clean"
The three companies that hire the most lumber associates are:
- R P Lumber72 lumber associates jobs
- 84 Lumber21 lumber associates jobs
- US LBM20 lumber associates jobs
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Lumber associate vs. Associate retailer
An Associate Retailer is responsible for keeping the sales area up to standard and assisting customers while inside the store's premises. Most of the tasks revolve around keeping items on shelves clean and well-organized, greeting and offering assistance to customers, responding to inquiries and locating products, and even providing suggestions or recommendations when necessary and in adherence to the store's policies and regulations. In other stores and retail outlets, the Associate Retailer may also process payments and returns while still putting importance to customer satisfaction.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, lumber associate responsibilities require skills like "forklift operation," "strong customer service," "safety policies," and "electric pallet jack." Meanwhile a typical associate retailer has skills in areas such as "ladders," "loss prevention," "customer issues," and "pet." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Associate retailers really shine in the hospitality industry with an average salary of $29,543. Comparatively, lumber associates tend to make the most money in the retail industry with an average salary of $35,994.The education levels that associate retailers earn slightly differ from lumber associates. In particular, associate retailers are 1.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a lumber associate. Additionally, they're 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Lumber associate vs. Apparel sales associate
An apparel sales associate works with customers and makes sales. A sales associate's primary responsibility is to communicate with customers, answer their inquiries about the products, and promote its benefits to encourage a purchase. The apparel sales associate is expected to be knowledgeable about the company's products or services. The associate's other responsibilities are to develop sales techniques to encourage purchases, make a store inventory of products, and receive feedback and comments from customers. They will also work with the sales and marketing department.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that lumber associate responsibilities requires skills like "forklift operation," "work ethic," "math," and "basic math." But an apparel sales associate might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "cash handling," "customer engagement," "merchandise presentation," and "loyalty programs."
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Apparel sales associates tend to reach similar levels of education than lumber associates. In fact, they're 1.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Lumber associate vs. Fitting room associate
A Lawn And Garden Associate is the one who organizes and properly does the labeling of plants, soil, flowers, and other equipment in the garden. They maintain the cleanliness of the site or the gardening by monitoring it on a day-to-day basis. They also give the customers or clients proper advice on what to get by providing the necessary information. Often you see them watering the plants, keeps the seasonal flowers in place, manages the soil activity, and moving the pots or other plant equipment from one place to another.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a lumber associate is likely to be skilled in "forklift operation," "work ethic," "basic math," and "plumbing," while a typical fitting room associate is skilled in "back room," "mail room," "loss prevention," and "front desk."
Fitting room associates earn the best pay in the retail industry, where they command an average salary of $31,210. Lumber associates earn the highest pay from the retail industry, with an average salary of $35,994.fitting room associates typically earn similar educational levels compared to lumber associates. Specifically, they're 1.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Lumber associate vs. Lawn and garden associate
Updated January 8, 2025











