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Warehouse employee hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring warehouse employees in the United States:
Here's a step-by-step warehouse employee hiring guide:
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. They assist in loading and unloading items from delivery vehicles to different areas of the warehouse. A warehouse employee may also perform administrative duties, such as responding to customers' inquiries and concerns through calls and e-mails, resolving complaints, and writing reports.
Before you start hiring a warehouse employee, 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.
You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a warehouse employee to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a warehouse employee that fits the bill.
The following list breaks down different types of warehouse employees and their corresponding salaries.
| Type of Warehouse Employee | Description | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Warehouse Employee | Material recording clerks track product information in order to keep businesses and supply chains on schedule. They ensure proper scheduling, recordkeeping, and inventory control. | $12-19 |
| Material Handler/Warehouse | A warehouse material handler is responsible for assisting warehouse operations, moving merchandise from one place to another, labeling products, performing quality check procedures, packaging goods, and loading and unloading items from distribution vehicles. Warehouse material handlers operate warehouse tools and equipment for production, as well as ensuring the adequacy of stock inventory needed for orders and deliveries... Show more | $12-18 |
| Warehouse Machine Operator | Warehouse machine operators perform various tasks for their employers. These include setting up, operating, monitoring, and troubleshooting machinery, inspecting parts for specifications and any potential damage, and reading and interpreting diagrams and blueprints to position and secure the machines... Show more | $12-19 |
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $37,481 | $18 |
| 2 | Oregon | $36,625 | $18 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $36,477 | $18 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $35,581 | $17 |
| 5 | Minnesota | $35,258 | $17 |
| 6 | Utah | $34,870 | $17 |
| 7 | Michigan | $34,073 | $16 |
| 8 | Illinois | $34,011 | $16 |
| 9 | Delaware | $33,979 | $16 |
| 10 | Colorado | $32,625 | $16 |
| 11 | Texas | $32,447 | $16 |
| 12 | Virginia | $32,072 | $15 |
| 13 | Indiana | $31,685 | $15 |
| 14 | Florida | $30,546 | $15 |
| 15 | Missouri | $29,894 | $14 |
| 16 | Iowa | $29,795 | $14 |
| 17 | Tennessee | $29,759 | $14 |
| 18 | Ohio | $28,617 | $14 |
| 19 | Mississippi | $28,558 | $14 |
| 20 | Arkansas | $28,434 | $14 |
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ALDI USA | $39,244 | $18.87 | 70 |
| 2 | Thermo Fisher Scientific | $38,423 | $18.47 | 12 |
| 3 | Daimler Trucks North America | $36,958 | $17.77 | 4 |
| 4 | US Foods | $35,206 | $16.93 | 232 |
| 5 | Cardinal Health | $34,521 | $16.60 | 235 |
| 6 | The Kraft Heinz Company | $33,990 | $16.34 | 5 |
| 7 | ASM Intl | $33,392 | $16.05 | |
| 8 | Mygrant Glass | $33,264 | $15.99 | 85 |
| 9 | Santa Rosa City Schools | $33,182 | $15.95 | |
| 10 | Lewis Drug | $32,912 | $15.82 | 3 |
| 11 | Hajoca | $32,625 | $15.69 | 29 |
| 12 | TransForce | $32,258 | $15.51 | |
| 13 | SPS Corp | $31,608 | $15.20 | 3 |
| 14 | SIMOS Insourcing Solutions | $31,562 | $15.17 | 25 |
| 15 | AmeriPride Services | $31,441 | $15.12 | |
| 16 | Fern Exposition Services | $31,316 | $15.06 | |
| 17 | Brenntag North America, Inc. | $31,281 | $15.04 | 16 |
| 18 | 7-Eleven | $31,177 | $14.99 | 9 |
| 19 | Red Ball Oxygen Co. | $31,064 | $14.93 | 1 |
| 20 | Aerotek | $30,993 | $14.90 | 362 |
A warehouse employee job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a warehouse employee job description:
There are various strategies that you can use to find the right warehouse employee for your business:
Recruiting warehouse employees 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.
Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.
The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.
Once you have selected a candidate for the warehouse employee position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.
It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.
After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new warehouse employee. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.
Recruiting warehouse employees involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.
You can expect to pay around $32,510 per year for a warehouse employee, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for warehouse employees in the US typically range between $12 and $19 an hour.