Merchandise handler vs warehouseman

The differences between merchandise handlers and warehousemen can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a warehouseman has an average salary of $36,022, which is higher than the $31,855 average annual salary of a merchandise handler.

The top three skills for a merchandise handler include basic math, math and pallets. The most important skills for a warehouseman are pallets, safety regulations, and electric pallet jack.

Merchandise handler vs warehouseman overview

	Merchandise Handler	Warehouseman
Yearly salary	$31,855	$36,022
Hourly rate	$15.31	$17.32
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	47,657	158,488
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 43%	High School Diploma, 46%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	-	-

What does a merchandise handler do?

A merchandise handler deals with inventory and merchandise for shipment to ecommerce customers. This position requires familiarity with all computer technology used in processing the merchandise. The duties of this position are accurately recording the movement of merchandise, operating merchandise handling equipment, confirming the quantity of inventory, and handling the merchandise with care to avoid damage. They also need to ensure the customer has quality experience with every order.

What does a warehouseman do?

A warehouseman or warehouse worker is the person who assists with the inventory, shipping, and receiving of items in warehouses. Warehousemen receive and process incoming materials and stocks, along with picking and filling orders from the store. They manage, organize, and retrieve supplies and others. These workers need to have skills in speed, accuracy, and prioritizing tasks on site. They should also be equipped with skills in forklift, loading, and general labor.

Merchandise handler vs warehouseman salary

Merchandise handlers and warehousemen have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Merchandise Handler	Warehouseman
Average salary	$31,855	$36,022
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $37,000	Between $30,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	Taunton, MA	-
Highest paying state	Hawaii	-
Best paying company	The RealReal	-
Best paying industry	Retail	-

Differences between merchandise handler and warehouseman education

There are a few differences between a merchandise handler and a warehouseman in terms of educational background:

	Merchandise Handler	Warehouseman
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 43%	High School Diploma, 46%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Merchandise handler vs warehouseman demographics

Here are the differences between merchandise handlers' and warehousemen' demographics:

	Merchandise Handler	Warehouseman
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 60.3% Female, 39.7%	Male, 93.8% Female, 6.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.8% Asian, 5.9% White, 54.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 21.0% Asian, 5.5% White, 52.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between merchandise handler and warehouseman duties and responsibilities

Merchandise handler example responsibilities.

Clean and maintain the warehouse in compliance with OSHA standards.
Make visual evaluations and floor moves while maintaining OSHA guidelines.
Process incoming merchandise shipments by unpacking products, moving items in WMS, steaming clothing, and stocking shelves.
Transport pallets to where they need to go in the store to insure products are stocked up properly for customer needs.
Distribute production materials to designate locations on assembly lines observing the first-in-first-out (FIFO) inventory control practice.
Greet customers while bagging their groceries, collect carts in parking lot, put away return items, general sanitation.

Warehouseman example responsibilities.

Load and unload hazardous materials for shipment to/from various states and countries verifying proper HAZMAT documents.
Follow all safety precautions during driving and work with GPS system for mapping.
Conduct all operations to diminish unfavorable environmental impacts for HAZMAT as outlined by OSHA.
Certify to operate different types of forklifts, RF scanner skills, cycle counting, shipping receiving ,
Scan outboard shipments using an RF scanner to calculate product count; assure proper shipment quantity and destination.
Warehouse position/delivery driver with CDL.

Merchandise handler vs warehouseman skills

Common merchandise handler skills

Basic Math, 21%
Math, 17%
Pallets, 11%
Hand Tools, 10%
Purchase Orders, 6%
Hand Trucks, 6%

Common warehouseman skills

Pallets, 11%
Safety Regulations, 9%
Electric Pallet Jack, 9%
Basic Math, 8%
Forklift Operation, 5%
Inventory Control, 5%

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Merchandise Handler
Merchandise Handler vs Warehouseman

Updated January 8, 2025

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