How To Become A Shipping Associate: What It Is and Career Path

What is a shipping associate and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

The shipping associate is responsible for all the tasks that make sure packages get from point A to point B. They manage ingoing and outgoing flows of goods, organize the warehouse or storage depot, and more.

The shipping associate needs to pay a lot of attention to details. They make sure that all bills, shipping labels, and orders are accurate so that packages go to the right place. They also keep a detailed inventory of all items in the facility and keep track of everything that gets shipped out so the company doesn't get surprised by any shortages.

Most shipping associates don't have bachelor's degrees because the skills to succeed in this position aren't usually taught in a classroom. Practical experience is far more important, as is physical stamina--some of those boxes can get heavy! A shipping associate also needs to be ready to work some strange hours, including early mornings and late nights.

ScoreShipping AssociateUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $33,137

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.3

Growth rate -3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.75%

Asian 7.45%

Black or African American 10.74%

Hispanic or Latino 18.84%

Unknown 4.22%

White 58.00%

Gender

female 24.72%

male 75.28%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

6.3

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.0

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a shipping associate

Explore shipping associate education requirements

Most common shipping associate degrees

High School Diploma

39.7 %

Bachelor's

24.4 %

Associate

21.1 %

Start to develop specific shipping associate skills

Skills	Percentages
Pallets	11.55%
Customer Service	9.31%
Phone Calls	6.88%
Math	6.56%
Safety Procedures	6.16%

Complete relevant shipping associate training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New shipping associates learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a shipping associate based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real shipping associate resumes.

Research shipping associate duties and responsibilities

Pick up mail and packages from USPS facilities.
Pick up & deliver mail to & from USPS processing center.
Create bill of ladings for LTL shipments for both international and domestic.
Develop a working knowledge of WMS systems to research inventory or print bills of lading.

Prepare your shipping associate resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your shipping associate resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a shipping associate resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable shipping associate resume templates

Build a professional shipping associate resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your shipping associate resume.