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What does a picker and packer do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
What does a picker and packer do

Pickers and packers are warehouse employees, usually in the retail or manufacturing industry. They are primarily responsible for fulfilling orders for delivery. They get the customers' order forms, ensure that the items are in stock, take the items from their storage areas, assemble the order, ensure that the order is accurate and complete, and pack them securely before handing the package over for release to the delivery workers. Pickers and packers are also responsible for updating company inventory. They may also be assigned to check whether the records are updated regularly and to ensure that items are stored properly.

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Picker and packer responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real picker and packer resumes:

  • Pick groceries, put items on pallets, clean warehouse
  • reach truck, stand up, dock truck, and clamp truck.
  • Print correct and accurate UPC labels.
  • complete usps and ups orders and do labels
  • Pull orders and run forklift pack on skids and wrapped
  • Scan UPC barcode and then forward packages to shipping.
  • Perform computerized RF tuning test to ensure quality of units.
  • Labele and price items such as clothing, groceries, etc.
  • Pack and ship out large and small car parts through fed ex.
  • Perform QA on bags and codes prior to warehouse pickup and shipping.
  • Fill orders by hand picking, shipping through FedEx ups and usps.
  • Order picking, putaway, checking in inbound & loading out bound trucks.
  • Prepare pallets by following prescribe stacking arrangement and properly tagging pallet.
  • Operate cherry-picker to retrieve items from various locations.
  • Warehouse packer, warehouse picker shipping and receiving forklift driver palatalizing pallets web orders and sorter

Picker and packer skills and personality traits

We calculated that 18% of Picker And Packers are proficient in Pallets, Defective Products, and Customer Orders. They’re also known for soft skills such as Listening skills, Physical strength, and Customer-service skills.

We break down the percentage of Picker And Packers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Pallets, 18%

    Prepared pallets by following prescribed stacking arrangement and properly tagging pallet.

  • Defective Products, 16%

    Monitored completed or defective products or materials and removed as required.

  • Customer Orders, 16%

    Picked online customer orders while adhering to company quality and accuracy metrics.

  • Electric Pallet Jack, 10%

    Operated electric pallet jack and cherry picker picked orders

  • Warehouse Environment, 7%

    Operated forklift and motorized pallet jack in warehouse environment.

  • Safety Rules, 6%

    Maintained all safety rules and regulations regarding equipment and merchandise.

Common skills that a picker and packer uses to do their job include "pallets," "defective products," and "customer orders." You can find details on the most important picker and packer responsibilities below.

Listening skills. One of the key soft skills for a picker and packer to have is listening skills. You can see how this relates to what picker and packers do because "hand laborers and material movers follow instructions that a supervisor gives them." Additionally, a picker and packer resume shows how picker and packers use listening skills: "communicated with co-packers and others from different departments about goals and safety rules. "

Physical strength. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling picker and packer duties is physical strength. The role rewards competence in this skill because "some hand laborers and material movers must be able to lift and carry heavy objects." According to a picker and packer resume, here's how picker and packers can utilize physical strength in their job responsibilities: "participate in physical inventories and cycle counts on an as needed basis. "

Customer-service skills. This is an important skill for picker and packers to perform their duties. For an example of how picker and packer responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "hand laborers and material movers who work with the public, such as grocery baggers or carwash attendants, must be pleasant and courteous to customers." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a picker and packer: "reviewed new customer orders and requests and manually entered data into a centralized database. ".

See the full list of picker and packer skills

The three companies that hire the most picker and packers are:

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Compare different picker and packers

Picker and packer vs. Puller

A Shipping and Receiving Coordinator oversees the shipment and deliveries of products in a warehouse or organization. One must have an efficient organization, and communication skills as most of the duties include shipping and receiving merchandise and maintain accurate and proactive control of inventory. Additionally, a Shipping and Receiving Coordinator can have different tasks such as loading and unloading products, stacking up shelves and keeping it up to the standards of company policies, inspect the merchandise, and communicate with customers.

If we compare the average picker and packer annual salary with that of a puller, we find that pullers typically earn a $330 higher salary than picker and packers make annually.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both picker and packer and puller positions are skilled in customer orders, electric pallet jack, and safety rules.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, picker and packer responsibilities require skills like "pallets," "defective products," "warehouse environment," and "quality standards." Meanwhile a typical puller has skills in areas such as "rf scanner," "delivery orders," "cherry pickers," and "safety guidelines." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Pullers tend to make the most money working in the finance industry, where they earn an average salary of $41,123. In contrast, picker and packers make the biggest average salary, $34,201, in the technology industry.The education levels that pullers earn slightly differ from picker and packers. In particular, pullers are 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a picker and packer. Additionally, they're 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Picker and packer vs. Packing associate

Warehouse pickers are skilled employees who are responsible for pulling selected items from storage or warehouses and prepare them for shipment. These pickers must prepare the orders of customers on a pallet neatly and safely wrapped them with plastic wrap while processing their invoices. They must receive and sort out large orders of inventory delivered daily as well as perform the necessary manual labor such as sweeping, refuse removal, and general janitorial. Warehouse pickers must also follow safety standards according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to clean and maintain the warehouse.

A career as a packing associate brings a higher average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a picker and packer. In fact, packing associates salary is $1,299 higher than the salary of picker and packers per year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both picker and packers and packing associates have skills such as "pallets," "defective products," and "customer orders. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that picker and packer responsibilities requires skills like "electric pallet jack," "warehouse environment," "rf scan gun," and "delivery truck." But a packing associate might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "basic math," "pallet jack," "rf scanner," and "label packages."

On average, packing associates earn a higher salary than picker and packers. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, packing associates earn the most pay in the transportation industry with an average salary of $35,553. Whereas picker and packers have higher pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $34,201.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Packing associates tend to reach similar levels of education than picker and packers. In fact, they're 0.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Picker and packer vs. Shipping and receiving coordinator

An average shipping and receiving coordinator eans a higher salary compared to the average salary of picker and packers. The difference in salaries amounts to shipping and receiving coordinators earning a $1,541 higher average salary than picker and packers.By looking over several picker and packers and shipping and receiving coordinators resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "pallets," "customer orders," and "electric pallet jack." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from picker and packer resumes include skills like "defective products," "warehouse environment," "safety rules," and "quality standards," whereas a shipping and receiving coordinator is more likely to list skills in "shipping receiving," "part numbers," "logistics," and "purchase orders. "

Shipping and receiving coordinators make a very good living in the manufacturing industry with an average annual salary of $34,535. On the other hand, picker and packers are paid the highest salary in the technology industry, with average annual pay of $34,201.Most shipping and receiving coordinators achieve a similar degree level compared to picker and packers. For example, they're 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Picker and packer vs. Warehouse picker

Warehouse pickers tend to earn a higher pay than picker and packers by an average of $1,422 per year.While both picker and packers and warehouse pickers complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like pallets, customer orders, and electric pallet jack, the two careers vary in some skills.While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "defective products," "safety rules," "quality standards," and "safety procedures" are skills that commonly show up on picker and packer resumes. On the other hand, warehouse pickers use skills like basic math, work ethic, math, and rf scanner on their resumes.In general, warehouse pickers earn the most working in the transportation industry, with an average salary of $33,732. The highest-paying industry for a picker and packer is the technology industry.warehouse pickers reach similar levels of education compared to picker and packers, in general. The difference is that they're 0.4% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of picker and packer

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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