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The differences between material handler/warehouses and warehouse associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a warehouse associate has an average salary of $32,863, which is higher than the $32,384 average annual salary of a material handler/warehouse.
The top three skills for a material handler/warehouse include pallets, work ethic and warehouse environment. The most important skills for a warehouse associate are pallets, work ethic, and customer service.
| Material Handler/Warehouse | Warehouse Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $32,384 | $32,863 |
| Hourly rate | $15.57 | $15.80 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 154,227 | 215,910 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 48% | High School Diploma, 50% |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A warehouse material handler is responsible for assisting warehouse operations, moving merchandise from one place to another, labeling products, performing quality check procedures, packaging goods, and loading and unloading items from distribution vehicles. Warehouse material handlers operate warehouse tools and equipment for production, as well as ensuring the adequacy of stock inventory needed for orders and deliveries. A warehouse material handler also updates product information on the database and do administrative tasks, such as writing reports and responding to customers' inquiries and concerns.
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.
Material handler/warehouses and warehouse associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Material Handler/Warehouse | Warehouse Associate | |
| Average salary | $32,384 | $32,863 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $38,000 | Between $26,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | Tacoma, WA | Portland, OR |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | PPG | Uline |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a material handler/warehouse and a warehouse associate in terms of educational background:
| Material Handler/Warehouse | Warehouse Associate | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 48% | High School Diploma, 50% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between material handler/warehouses' and warehouse associates' demographics:
| Material Handler/Warehouse | Warehouse Associate | |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.0% Female, 15.0% | Male, 73.7% Female, 26.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.6% Asian, 5.4% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | 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 Percentage | 5% | 6% |