How to hire an order picker

How to hire an order picker, step by step

Here's a step-by-step order picker hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an order picker job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new order picker
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an order picker do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an order picker, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect order picker also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of order pickers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Order Picker	Description	Hourly rate
   Order Picker	Material recording clerks track product information in order to keep businesses and supply chains on schedule. They ensure proper scheduling, recordkeeping, and inventory control.	$12-18
   Shipping	When it comes to shipping, a worker is primarily in charge of processing deliveries while ensuring accuracy and timeliness. One of their responsibilities revolves around processing information, maintaining an accurate record of all transactions, inspecting goods, and organizing an efficient transport of goods... Show more	$12-18
   Warehouse Employee	A warehouse employee is responsible for assisting high-level operations of the warehouse or distribution centers, organizing merchandise inventory, packing and labeling products, operating warehouse tools and equipment, and processing shipment orders efficiently and accurately. Warehouse employees maintain the cleanliness and orderliness of the facilities to avoid potential hazards and delay during operations... Show more	$12-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Orders
   • Basic Math
   • Pallets
   • Warehouse Environment
   • Electric Pallet Jack
   • Safety Procedures
   • RF Scanner
   • Math
   • Safety Rules
   • Pick Orders
   • Warehouse Equipment
   • Quality Standards
   • Sit-Down Forklift
   • Load Trucks

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Used WMS and RF systems to pick and stage customer specify orders and lead a team of employees.
   • Used a stand up reach truck and RF scanner to replenish empty product in pick locations.
   • Obtain merchandise from bin locations using headset programming or RF hand hold device building correct orders for customers.
   • Prepare pallets by following prescribe stacking arrangements and properly tagging pallets.
   • Job responsibilities include picking orders using battery power pallet jack as well as doing inventory work
   • Pick cases from shelves for orders that are to be ship to different Kroger stores

   More order picker duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the order picker job description is a good way to get more applicants. An order picker salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an order picker in Georgia may be lower than in Vermont, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level order picker. Additionally, an order picker with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average order picker salary

   $15.36hourly

   $31,950 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level order picker salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average order picker salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Oregon	$36,831	$18
   2	Washington	$36,780	$18
   3	California	$35,417	$17
   4	Minnesota	$33,818	$16
   5	Wisconsin	$33,099	$16
   6	Iowa	$33,017	$16
   7	New York	$32,888	$16
   8	Colorado	$32,688	$16
   9	Pennsylvania	$32,589	$16
   10	Arizona	$32,359	$16
   11	Illinois	$31,869	$15
   12	Indiana	$31,189	$15
   13	Ohio	$30,454	$15
   14	Nebraska	$30,367	$15
   15	Missouri	$30,032	$14
   16	Kansas	$29,792	$14
   17	Texas	$29,125	$14
   18	North Carolina	$28,880	$14
   19	South Carolina	$27,985	$13
   20	Georgia	$27,778	$13

   Average order picker salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	United Natural Foods	$43,801	$21.06	30
   2	Uline	$43,010	$20.68	54
   3	Dairy Farmers of America	$42,421	$20.39	59
   4	Kemps	$40,679	$19.56	4
   5	Costco Wholesale	$39,843	$19.16	435
   6	US Foods	$39,731	$19.10	83
   7	PepsiCo	$39,272	$18.88	31
   8	WeatherTech	$38,480	$18.50	2
   9	Target	$38,061	$18.30	685
   10	U.S. Venture	$37,807	$18.18
   11	Tenneco	$37,489	$18.02
   12	Stanley Black & Decker	$37,252	$17.91	14
   13	Oriental Trading	$37,177	$17.87
   14	WEC Energy Group	$37,146	$17.86
   15	Essendant	$37,121	$17.85	21
   16	Eaton	$37,057	$17.82	16
   17	Campbell Soup	$36,697	$17.64	13
   18	UPS	$36,641	$17.62	64
   19	Rite Aid	$36,393	$17.50
   20	MSC Industrial Direct Co	$36,368	$17.48	20

4. Writing an order picker job description

   A good order picker job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an order picker job description:

   Order picker job description example

   Shift : 2:00pm-10:00pm/Monday-Friday

   Pay Rate : Up to $19.95/hour

   Pay Rate: $18.70/hour + $1.25/hour Shift Differential

   Staples is business to business. You're what binds us together.

   Join our Staples World Class Supply Chain Team and deliver essential products to our customers.

   What you'll be doing: As a Warehouse Order Picker (Breakpack), you will prepare customer orders accurately and timely to meet daily production goals while adhering to safety procedures.

   In this role, you will utilize warehouse equipment including RF Scanners, Pick to Voice technology, Pick to Cart technology or other methods, depending on specific facility.

   Safety is our utmost priority so, in this role, we will look to you to ensure safe work practices and embrace our safety culture.

   You will be essential to the success of Staples Supply Chain as we deliver to our customers.

   What you bring to the table:

   • An ability to count and use basic arithmetic skills
   • An inclusive approach with your colleagues and customers to forge strong relationships and foster collaboration to resolve issues
   • An ability to adopt our safety procedures quickly and ensure safe work practices
   • An ability to work in a warehouse environment with seasonal temperature variations

   Qualifications :

   What's needed- Basic Qualifications:

   • 3 months warehouse or applicable experience to include, but not limited to: fast-food (utilizing headset a plus), stockroom, working with racking systems, customer service, package handling, etc.
   • Basic English language skills (both verbal and written communications)
   • As a Full-Time associate, you must have the ability to work additional hours beyond scheduled shift; additional overtime hours will be required based on business need
   • An ability to lift, lower, push, pull or carry product up to a maximum of 70 pounds by hand
   • Must be at least 18 years old

   What's needed- Preferred Qualifications:

   • High School Diploma/GED or equivalent work experience

   The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

   We Offer:

   • Competitive Pay
   • Inclusive culture with associate-led Business Resource Groups and resources such as the Social Justice Resource Center
   • Full-Time Paid Time Off: 112 Hours and Holiday Schedule (7 observed paid holidays + 1 floating holiday), Online and Retail Discounts, Company Match 401(k), Physical and Mental Health Wellness programs, and more perks and benefits

   Interested in joining the team? Check out our perks and benefits !

   
   Staples believes Inclusion is a verb and we encourage diversity of thinking and ideas as well as backgrounds and experiences. Staples is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find order pickers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any order pickers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level order pickers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your order picker job on Zippia to find and recruit order picker candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting order pickers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new order picker

   Once you've found the order picker candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new order picker first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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