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Warehouse associate vs warehouse packer

The differences between warehouse associates and warehouse packers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a warehouse associate has an average salary of $32,863, which is higher than the $30,384 average annual salary of a warehouse packer.

The top three skills for a warehouse associate include pallets, work ethic and customer service. The most important skills for a warehouse packer are pallets, pallet jack, and customer orders.

Warehouse associate vs warehouse packer overview

Warehouse AssociateWarehouse Packer
Yearly salary$32,863$30,384
Hourly rate$15.80$14.61
Growth rate1%6%
Number of jobs215,910154,284
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 50%High School Diploma, 53%
Average age3840
Years of experience--

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.

What does a warehouse packer do?

A warehouse packer places items in designated boxes with the right packing materials and documentation before they are then labeled and shipped to the customer. Their job is to prepare products for packaging and shipping. They take needed items on the invoice from the inventory, ensure they are in good condition, and wrap and package them appropriately for shipping. They are expected to update the inventory, noting down items that have been removed.

Warehouse associate vs warehouse packer salary

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

Warehouse AssociateWarehouse Packer
Average salary$32,863$30,384
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $40,000Between $25,000 And $36,000
Highest paying CityPortland, ORSaint Paul, MN
Highest paying stateNorth DakotaWashington
Best paying companyUlineUnited Natural Foods
Best paying industryManufacturingTechnology

Differences between warehouse associate and warehouse packer education

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

Warehouse AssociateWarehouse Packer
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 50%High School Diploma, 53%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Warehouse associate vs warehouse packer demographics

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

Warehouse AssociateWarehouse Packer
Average age3840
Gender ratioMale, 73.7% Female, 26.3%Male, 53.3% Female, 46.7%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 13.0% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 7.8% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage6%7%

Differences between warehouse associate and warehouse packer duties and responsibilities

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

Warehouse packer example responsibilities.

  • Pack shipments for customers and send out through FedEx.
  • Utilize FedEx shipping software by creating and editing shipping labels for each customer.
  • Work as a team player with fellow employees to ensure the operation run smoothly.
  • Pile boxes onto pallets and have the pallets send off to the workers with forklift to arrange for shipping
  • Downstock products from upper-level storage when customer-accessible items run low.
  • Maximize efficiency by critically evaluating resources by utilizing on-the-spot math and visualizing complete orders to minimize error before building a pallet.
  • Show more

Warehouse associate vs warehouse packer skills

Common warehouse associate skills
  • Pallets, 15%
  • Work Ethic, 12%
  • Customer Service, 8%
  • Basic Math, 7%
  • Warehouse Environment, 5%
  • Math, 4%
Common warehouse packer skills
  • Pallets, 54%
  • Pallet Jack, 9%
  • Customer Orders, 7%
  • Dollies, 5%
  • Assembly Line, 3%
  • Safety Rules, 3%

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