What does a Warehouse Picker do?

Warehouse pickers are skilled employees who are responsible for pulling selected items from storage or warehouses and prepare them for shipment. These pickers must prepare the orders of customers on a pallet neatly and safely wrapped them with plastic wrap while processing their invoices. They must receive and sort out large orders of inventory delivered daily as well as perform the necessary manual labor such as sweeping, refuse removal, and general janitorial. Warehouse pickers must also follow safety standards according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to clean and maintain the warehouse.
Warehouse picker responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real warehouse picker resumes:
- Used WMS and RF systems to pick and stage customer specify orders and lead a team of employees.
- Train for safe operation of PIVs and warehouse logistics.
- Work the night shift as a picker/packer using a pallet jack, stacking, wrapping, and loading pallets onto trucks.
- 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 picker skills and personality traits
We calculated that 27% of Warehouse Pickers are proficient in Pallets, Electric Pallet Jack, and Customer Orders. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Detail oriented, and Math skills.
We break down the percentage of Warehouse Pickers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Pallets, 27%
Assisted stockroom associates with moving freight to designated areas with pallet jack to be unpacked and placed in warehouse racks.
- Electric Pallet Jack, 19%
Use equipment such as electric pallet jack safely, with 0% (percent) incident rate.
- Customer Orders, 16%
Process customer orders for shipment according to company guidelines and quality measures.
- Basic Math, 5%
Warehouse maintenance as needed Skills Used *Determination *Consistency *Literary skills *Basic Mathematics
- Work Ethic, 5%
Completed warehouse transfers with ease and maintained a steady work ethic.
- Warehouse Environment, 5%
Engaged in a very fast paced warehouse environment that required accurately selecting and processing client orders through Amazon.com.
Most warehouse pickers use their skills in "pallets," "electric pallet jack," and "customer orders" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential warehouse picker responsibilities here:
Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a warehouse picker to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "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." Warehouse pickers often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "provide full operation support including warehouse inventory, shipping, accurate order filling and communication of information. "
Detail oriented. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling warehouse picker 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 picker resume, here's how warehouse pickers can utilize detail oriented in their job responsibilities: "picked and packed customer orders received hazmat training and certification worked in a fast pace and team oriented environment"
Math skills. This is an important skill for warehouse pickers to perform their duties. For an example of how warehouse picker responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "some material recording clerks use math to calculate shipping costs or take measurements." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a warehouse picker: "general math skills and comprehension of work orders were demanded of me. ".
Customer-service skills. For certain warehouse picker responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "customer-service skills." The day-to-day duties of a warehouse picker rely on this skill, as "stock clerks sometimes interact with customers in retail stores and may have to get the item the customer is looking for from the storeroom." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what warehouse pickers do: "use the rf scanner to pull customers order scanning proper bin location and the proper item. "
The three companies that hire the most warehouse pickers are:
- Chewy77 warehouse pickers jobs
- Keurig Dr Pepper32 warehouse pickers jobs
- Gopuff14 warehouse pickers jobs
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Warehouse picker 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.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, warehouse picker responsibilities require skills like "filling orders," "scan gun," "production standards," and "package processing equipment." Meanwhile a typical material handler/warehouse has skills in areas such as "supply support," "ladders," "customer service," and "safety procedures." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Material handler/warehouses earn the highest salaries when working in the manufacturing industry, with an average yearly salary of $34,722. On the other hand, warehouse pickers are paid more in the transportation industry with an average salary of $33,732.The education levels that material handler/warehouses earn slightly differ from warehouse pickers. In particular, material handler/warehouses are 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a warehouse picker. Additionally, they're 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Warehouse picker vs. Picker
Pickers are responsible for choosing the correct range of merchandise on the shelves based on the clients' orders. Pickers carefully prepare the items from the stock, ensuring that everything is free of any damage before shipping. They check the order sheets and confirm that the quality and quantity of the products are correct. Pickers' duties also include monitoring inventories, creating supply reports and shortages, returning defective items, operating warehouse equipment, and releasing orders on time.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real warehouse picker resumes. While warehouse picker responsibilities can utilize skills like "basic math," "work ethic," "math," and "warehouse equipment," pickers use skills like "powered industrial trucks," "safety procedures," "rf gun," and "hand scanner."
Pickers may earn a lower salary than warehouse pickers, but pickers earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $32,780. On the other hand, warehouse pickers receive higher pay in the transportation industry, where they earn an average salary of $33,732.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Pickers tend to reach similar levels of education than warehouse pickers. In fact, they're 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Warehouse picker 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.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, warehouse pickers are more likely to have skills like "basic math," "work ethic," "warehouse environment," and "math." But a general warehouse associate is more likely to have skills like "unload trailers," "osha," "forklift equipment," and "trolleys."
General warehouse associates earn the highest salary when working in the technology industry, where they receive an average salary of $33,144. Comparatively, warehouse pickers have the highest earning potential in the transportation industry, with an average salary of $33,732.Most general warehouse associates achieve a similar degree level compared to warehouse pickers. For example, they're 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Warehouse picker vs. Warehouse specialist
A warehouse specialist is someone who manages the daily procedures and functions of the warehouse efficiently and effectively. Their services are often needed in shipping docks, airports, and other industry warehouses. The specialist's primary responsibilities include supervising the shipping and receiving of materials and products, organizing the storage area, and monitoring the inventory. Candidates for the job must have strong knowledge in inventory control systems, able to multi-task, be physically fit, and able to safely operate warehouse machinery.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between warehouse pickers and warehouse specialists, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a warehouse picker might have more use for skills like "warehouse environment," "rf scanner," "strong work ethic," and "cherry pickers." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of warehouse specialists require skills like "customer service," "logistics," "storage locations," and "safety rules. "
In general, warehouse specialists earn the most working in the transportation industry, with an average salary of $36,575. The highest-paying industry for a warehouse picker is the transportation industry.The average resume of warehouse specialists showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to warehouse pickers. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 0.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.0%.Types of warehouse picker
Updated January 8, 2025