How long does it take to become a Material Handler?

It takes 3 years of professional experience to become a material handler. That is the time it takes to learn specific material handler skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education.

How much money does a material handler make?

A material handler makes $29,028 a year ($13.96 an hour). The range, however, can be as high as $84,000 a year to as low as $18,500 a year. Factors such as the location of the position, number of years of experience, and the type of material hanger position all impact the earning potential of material handlers.

What is material handling experience?

Material handling experience means experience related to the movement, protection, storage, and control of materials and products throughout manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, consumption, and disposal.

What's another word for material handler?

Another word for a material handler is a package handler. However, many different words are used by companies to describe the role of a material handler. In its essence, a material handler is paid to move materials - be it in a building or from a vehicle to a building. Material handlers work throughout many supply chains, including manufacturing and production, shipping and storage, and customer receiving.

How To Become A Material Handler: What It Is and Career Path

What is a material handler and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A material handler moves and manages materials within a warehouse or manufacturing facility. They load and unload trucks, move products to storage areas,and pack orders for shipment. Material handlers also operate pallet jacks and forklifts to move heavy items. They must be able to read shipping labels, follow safety procedures, and track inventory and order status. Material handlers play a crucial role in supply chain management and ensure that goods are moved efficiently.

ScoreMaterial HandlerUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $33,215

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.4

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.07%

Asian 5.61%

Black or African American 13.86%

Hispanic or Latino 18.56%

Unknown 5.16%

White 55.74%

Gender

female 22.39%

male 77.61%

Age - 39

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 - 39

Stress level

6.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

4.7

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.4

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a material handler?

Pros

Opportunities for advancement
Job security
Overtime pay
Variety in daily tasks
Competitive salary and benefits

Cons

Repetitive tasks and potential for boredom
High stress during peak periods or unexpected issues
Working in extreme temperatures or weather conditions
Fast-paced environment may lead to mistakes or errors
Limited opportunities for creative problem-solving.

Key steps to become a material handler

Explore material handler education requirements

Most common material handler degrees

High School Diploma

50.6 %

Associate

17.0 %

Bachelor's

13.9 %

Start to develop specific material handler skills

Skills	Percentages
Pallets	12.49%
Basic Math	6.28%
Forklifts	5.69%
Math	5.06%
Customer Service	4.46%

Complete relevant material handler training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New material handlers 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 material handler based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real material handler resumes.

Research material handler duties and responsibilities

Utilize a manufacturing cloud ERP system to accomplish tasks.
Operate forklift according to OSHA safety regulations.
Pull parts from stockroom using detail BOM's.
Perform daily transactions of materials and inventory movements in ERP system.

Prepare your material handler resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your material handler 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 material handler resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable material handler resume templates

Build a professional material handler resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your material handler resume.

Apply for material handler jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a material handler job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first material handler job

JP Punchero

Material Handler, NFI Hanes Brand

The company was NFI Hanesbrand. We were based out of High Point, North Carolina. Like many people there I started out as just a regular material handler. After a few months I became what I would call material handler level two.
What many people don’t realize is being a material handler is important. Because in our case we were the middle man between the manufacturer and the customer. Part of the process was making sure that the SKUs matched. Some items had similar SKUs but subtle differences like colors . Each items SKU was a specific to a particular item. I very much enjoyed it . It was always interesting seeing how many items would go into a particular order. It may have been tedious at times but once you get used to it will be a piece of cake. Every now and then we would have a manufacturer error. Which basically implies that the manufacturer messed up. The manufacturer error we had was the SKU on the product not match what was on the box. Hence why matching the SKUs is the most important part of being a material handler. Also SKU stands for stock keeping unit .
If you need to know more information about being a material handler let me know I will gladly provide more information. Have a good day and a safe weekend.

How do material handlers rate their job?

5/5

Based on 1 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Material handler reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2022

Pros

It saves time and makes work easier and enhance greater output

Cons

To be surcharge when there's a damage on goods through accident

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020

Cons

I like it all whats not to like I like it so much that I owned and operated qualified material handlers inc denver colorado for 10 yrs

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020

Cons

Whirlwind or fire working and overlapping responsibilities

What is a material handler and how to become one

What are the pros and cons of being a material handler?

Material handler career paths

Key steps to become a material handler

Explore material handler education requirements

Most common material handler degrees

Start to develop specific material handler skills

Complete relevant material handler training and internships

Research material handler duties and responsibilities

Prepare your material handler resume

Choose from 10+ customizable material handler resume templates

Apply for material handler jobs

How did you land your first material handler job

Average material handler salary

How do material handlers rate their job?

Material handler reviews

Material handler FAQs

How long does it take to become a Material Handler?

How much money does a material handler make?

What is material handling experience?

What's another word for material handler?

Search for material handler jobs

Material handler jobs by state