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What does a warehouse employee do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
What does a warehouse employee do

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.

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Warehouse employee responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real warehouse employee resumes:

  • Manage all FEDEX shipments and advise solutions to shipment issues.
  • Work in direct pack department, utilizing RF scanner to select and pack items for shipping to various stores.
  • Unpack shipment using RF scanner to check in parts, verifying condition and quantity before sending to staging area.
  • Assemble pallets of product according to company standards and specifications.
  • Assemble medical equipment-Deliver medical supplies to patients homes and medical facilities-Prepare supplies and packaging for delivery-Load packages according to borough
  • Operate power equipment including: order pickers, tuggers, reach trucks, and counterbalance forklifts.

Warehouse employee skills and personality traits

We calculated that 21% of Warehouse Employees are proficient in Pallets, Customer Service, and Cleanliness. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Detail oriented, and Math skills.

We break down the percentage of Warehouse Employees that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Pallets, 21%

    Assembled pallets of product according to company standards and specifications.

  • Customer Service, 18%

    Provided extensive customer service and pulling orders ensuring customer satisfaction for construction a supply company.

  • Cleanliness, 11%

    Assisted customers during store pick-up hours and maintained warehouse inventory and cleanliness.

  • Customer Orders, 10%

    Handled and maintained customer orders including hand loading and unloading delivery trucks.

  • Plumbing, 9%

    Loaded and unloaded metal plumbing, heating and HVAC inventory from semi-trucks.

  • Inventory Management, 5%

    Created inventory management system that resulted in approximately 15% increase in employee productivity.

Common skills that a warehouse employee uses to do their job include "pallets," "customer service," and "cleanliness." You can find details on the most important warehouse employee responsibilities below.

Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for a warehouse employee to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what warehouse employees do because "production, planning, and expediting clerks are frequently in contact with suppliers, vendors, and production managers and need to communicate the firm’s scheduling needs effectively." Additionally, a warehouse employee resume shows how warehouse employees use communication skills: "direct communication with management multi-task from start to finish making perfect pallets labeling products in a timely manner"

Detail oriented. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling warehouse employee duties is detail oriented. The role rewards competence in this skill because "material and product inspecting clerks check items for defects, some of which are small and difficult to spot." According to a warehouse employee resume, here's how warehouse employees can utilize detail oriented in their job responsibilities: "processed and shipped detailed customer orders while working independently within time schedules. "

Math skills. warehouse employees are also known for math skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to warehouse employee responsibilities, because "some material recording clerks use math to calculate shipping costs or take measurements." A warehouse employee resume example shows how math skills is used in the workplace: "demonstrated good math skills as well. "

Customer-service skills. A big part of what warehouse employees do relies on "customer-service skills." You can see how essential it is to warehouse employee responsibilities because "stock clerks sometimes interact with customers in retail stores and may have to get the item the customer is looking for from the storeroom." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical warehouse employee tasks: "loved working in the warehouse stocking shelves, and running product to the floor for customers. "

Most common warehouse employee skills

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Compare different warehouse employees

Warehouse employee vs. 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. A warehouse material handler also updates product information on the database and do administrative tasks, such as writing reports and responding to customers' inquiries and concerns.

If we compare the average warehouse employee annual salary with that of a material handler/warehouse, we find that material handler/warehouses typically earn a $126 lower salary than warehouse employees make annually.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between warehouse employees and material handler/warehouses are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like pallets, customer service, and customer orders.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a warehouse employee are more likely to require skills like "cleanliness," "plumbing," "eclipse," and "rf." On the other hand, a job as a material handler/warehouse requires skills like "work ethic," "supply support," "ladders," and "safety procedures." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Material handler/warehouses tend to make the most money working in the manufacturing industry, where they earn an average salary of $34,722. In contrast, warehouse employees make the biggest average salary, $33,435, in the transportation industry.The education levels that material handler/warehouses earn slightly differ from warehouse employees. In particular, material handler/warehouses are 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a warehouse employee. Additionally, they're 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Warehouse employee vs. General warehouse associate

A General Warehouse Associate performs a variety of tasks at warehouses on a day-to-day basis. They typically receive and process shipments, organize stocks, inspect packages to ensure quantity and quality, maintain inventory and other records, operate tools and equipment such as forklifts and scanners, utilize warehouse spaces, and prepare products subjected for deliveries. Moreover, a General Warehouse Associate must maintain an active communication line with staff for a smooth and efficient workflow.

A career as a general warehouse associate brings a lower average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a warehouse employee. In fact, general warehouse associates salary is $171 lower than the salary of warehouse employees per year.A few skills overlap for warehouse employees and general warehouse associates. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "pallets," "customer orders," and "inventory management. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, warehouse employee responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "customer service," "cleanliness," "plumbing," and "eclipse." Meanwhile, a general warehouse associate has duties that require skills in areas such as "manual pallet jack," "rf scanner," "unload trailers," and "osha." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

General warehouse associates may earn a lower salary than warehouse employees, but general warehouse associates earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $33,144. On the other hand, warehouse employees receive higher pay in the transportation industry, where they earn an average salary of $33,435.general warehouse associates earn similar levels of education than warehouse employees in general. They're 0.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Warehouse employee vs. 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. They are expected to communicate with other team members and provide support for continuous production. Most employers are looking to hire someone with knowledge of production and safety procedures, previous experience as a machine operator, and analytical skills.

On average, warehouse machine operators earn higher salaries than warehouse employees, with a $1,286 difference per year.Using the responsibilities included on warehouse employees and warehouse machine operators resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "customer orders," "inventory management," and "hand trucks.rdquo;

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a warehouse employee is likely to be skilled in "pallets," "customer service," "cleanliness," and "plumbing," while a typical warehouse machine operator is skilled in "basic math," "shipping receiving," "rf scanner," and "forklift operation."

Warehouse machine operators make a very good living in the manufacturing industry with an average annual salary of $36,642. On the other hand, warehouse employees are paid the highest salary in the transportation industry, with average annual pay of $33,435.When it comes to education, warehouse machine operators tend to earn similar degree levels compared to warehouse employees. In fact, they're 0.9% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Warehouse employee vs. Warehouse coordinator

A warehouse coordinator is responsible for monitoring the supply and distribution operations of a warehouse, loading and unloading merchandise from the delivery trucks, and storing items appropriately on the facility. Warehouse coordinators assist in packing and labeling items, pulling out products from delivery, and ensuring the correct quantity and quality of the items before release. They also inspect the efficiency and performance of warehouse tools and equipment, especially on schedule for regular maintenance, and call for repairs as needed.

Warehouse coordinators typically earn higher pay than warehouse employees. On average, warehouse coordinators earn a $1,585 higher salary per year.While both warehouse employees and warehouse coordinators complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like pallets, customer service, and customer orders, the two careers vary in some skills.Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A warehouse employee uses "cleanliness," "plumbing," "eclipse," and "hand trucks." Warehouse coordinators are more likely to have duties that require skills in "shipping receiving," "math," "warehouse functions," and "wms. "warehouse coordinators enjoy the best pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $36,509. For comparison, warehouse employees earn the highest salary in the transportation industry.warehouse coordinators reach similar levels of education compared to warehouse employees, in general. The difference is that they're 1.5% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of warehouse employee

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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