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The differences between warehouse operations managers and warehouse leads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a warehouse operations manager, becoming a warehouse lead takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a warehouse lead has an average salary of $41,281, which is higher than the $34,871 average annual salary of a warehouse operations manager.
The top three skills for a warehouse operations manager include customer orders, pallets and logistics. The most important skills for a warehouse lead are customer service, ladders, and pallets.
| Warehouse Operations Manager | Warehouse Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $34,871 | $41,281 |
| Hourly rate | $16.76 | $19.85 |
| Growth rate | 6% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 115,185 | 123,344 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | High School Diploma, 39% |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
Warehouse Operations Managers oversee the whole operations of a company's warehouse. They are in charge of setting up processes to ensure the efficiency of warehouse operations. They oversee the processes involved in product handling, storage solutions, the shipment of goods, schedule of operations, and delivery of items. Warehouse Operations Managers also handle the layout of the warehouse so that space is properly used. They create forecasts on product volume to ensure that the warehouse is capable of housing the high volume of goods. They continuously review and evaluate warehouse policies, procedures, and systems to ensure that everything is updated and working efficiently.
Warehouse leads are responsible for supply chain management in distribution centers. Their duties and responsibilities include supervising employees and evaluating their performance, meeting safety regulations, and monitoring deliveries and shipments. They are the ones who interact with customers and clients to resolve any delivery issues that may arise. They also help with some administrative tasks such as order and invoice processing and maintenance. This role applies to those with excellent communication skills, leadership capabilities, and strong attention to detail.
Warehouse operations managers and warehouse leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Warehouse Operations Manager | Warehouse Lead | |
| Average salary | $34,871 | $41,281 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $45,000 | Between $27,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fridley, MN | Allentown, PA |
| Highest paying state | Minnesota | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | BD | Silicon Valley Bank |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a warehouse operations manager and a warehouse lead in terms of educational background:
| Warehouse Operations Manager | Warehouse Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | High School Diploma, 39% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | - |
Here are the differences between warehouse operations managers' and warehouse leads' demographics:
| Warehouse Operations Manager | Warehouse Lead | |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.0% Female, 12.0% | Male, 79.0% Female, 21.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 6.1% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 22.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 8% |