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Materials associate vs warehouse associate

The differences between materials associates and warehouse associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a materials associate has an average salary of $34,143, which is higher than the $32,863 average annual salary of a warehouse associate.

The top three skills for a materials associate include OSHA, RF and management system. The most important skills for a warehouse associate are pallets, work ethic, and customer service.

Materials associate vs warehouse associate overview

Materials AssociateWarehouse Associate
Yearly salary$34,143$32,863
Hourly rate$16.41$15.80
Growth rate1%1%
Number of jobs56,770215,910
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 34%High School Diploma, 50%
Average age3838
Years of experience--

What does a materials associate do?

A Materials Associate will perform a variety of duties and responsibilities for an organization. These include maintaining the production and distribution of products, documenting materials and supplies, and preparing finished products for shipment. As a Materials Associate, you will perform preventive maintenance of material handling equipment and schedule and monitor delivery pickups. You will also perform other duties that may include maintaining established company procedures, policies, and standards, maintaining a safe and clean work environment, and maintaining building security.

What does a warehouse associate do?

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.

Materials associate vs warehouse associate salary

Materials associates and warehouse associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

Materials AssociateWarehouse Associate
Average salary$34,143$32,863
Salary rangeBetween $21,000 And $55,000Between $26,000 And $40,000
Highest paying CityCoventry, RIPortland, OR
Highest paying stateNew YorkNorth Dakota
Best paying companyEli Lilly and CompanyUline
Best paying industryTechnologyManufacturing

Differences between materials associate and warehouse associate education

There are a few differences between a materials associate and a warehouse associate in terms of educational background:

Materials AssociateWarehouse Associate
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 34%High School Diploma, 50%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Materials associate vs warehouse associate demographics

Here are the differences between materials associates' and warehouse associates' demographics:

Materials AssociateWarehouse Associate
Average age3838
Gender ratioMale, 84.6% Female, 15.4%Male, 73.7% Female, 26.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.4% Asian, 6.7% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%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 Percentage6%6%

Differences between materials associate and warehouse associate duties and responsibilities

Materials associate example responsibilities.

  • Use automate systems and RF units to manage inventory.
  • Update sonic, manual files, and relay all pertinent info to leads, supervisors and AOG.
  • Enter orders into ERP system.
  • Purchase raw materials using MRP planning system.
  • Contact suppliers to request ROHS and ISO certifications.
  • Pick and confirm medical equipment for other technology companies using RF scanners.
  • Show more

Warehouse associate example responsibilities.

  • Rotate stock by code and receiving date - FIFO.
  • Create and ship documents for customs using DHL software.
  • Utilize RF gun for scanning duties include closing out invoices and assigning load plans.
  • Perform all tasks according to OSHA regulations and also attend daily safety tool box meetings.
  • Utilize a hand-held RF unit to select products/quantities for retail orders in a high volume warehouse.
  • Require consistent heavy lifting, math skills (primarily measurements), and fierce attention to detail.
  • Show more

Materials associate vs warehouse associate skills

Common materials associate skills
  • OSHA, 9%
  • RF, 9%
  • Management System, 7%
  • Pallets, 7%
  • Customer Orders, 7%
  • Shipping Receiving, 6%
Common warehouse associate skills
  • Pallets, 15%
  • Work Ethic, 12%
  • Customer Service, 8%
  • Basic Math, 7%
  • Warehouse Environment, 5%
  • Math, 4%

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