Warehouse Associate Hourly Pay, Skills & Requirements (2026)
Advertised pay, starting pay, skills and experience from 92,043 US job postings by 7,832 employers. Data as of October 2026.
What US employers post for warehouse associates: advertised pay, the skills and experience they ask for, and the job titles they use, from 92,043 open job postings (October 2026).
- The median advertised pay for warehouse associates in US job postings is $20.00 an hour (44,880 postings from 2,317 employers, October 2026).
- The middle half of those postings offer $18.00 to $22.50 an hour.
- Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $20.45 an hour (4,305 postings).
- The skills that most set warehouse associate postings apart are forklift, attention to detail.
- Postings that state a minimum ask for a median of 1 year of experience.
Warehouse Associate job postings in the US, October 2026
- $20.00/hr
- Median advertised pay (44,880 postings)
- $18.00–$22.50
- Middle 50% of postings
- $20.45/hr
- Starting pay (postings asking up to 1 year)
- 92,043
- US job postings from 7,832 employers
How much does a warehouse associate make an hour?
The median advertised pay is $20.00 an hour, from 44,880 US job postings by 2,317 employers that state pay. That is about $42,000 a year at 2,080 hours.
Advertised pay in 44,880 US warehouse associate job postings: median $42,000 a year ($20.00 an hour), middle half $38,000 to $48,000.
- Median: $42,000 ($20.00/hr)
- 25th percentile: $38,000
- 75th percentile: $48,000
The figures as a table
| Annual pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| $10K–$20K | 0.1% |
| $20K–$30K | 2.5% |
| $30K–$40K | 34.0% |
| $40K–$50K | 46.6% |
| $50K–$60K | 11.8% |
| $60K–$70K | 2.9% |
| $70K–$80K | 1.0% |
| $80K–$90K | 0.4% |
Midpoint of each posting's pay range, hourly pay × 2,080 hours; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
| Median | Middle 50% | Postings | Most common titles | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Postings that state an hourly rate | $20.00 | $18.00–$22.50 | 6,936 | Warehouse Associate, Material Handler, Forklift Operator |
| Postings that state an annual salary | $55,000 | $46K–$69K | 375 | Warehouse Associate, Material Handler, Inventory Control Supervisor |
| All pay postings, annualised | $42,000 | $38K–$48K | 44,880 | – |
What is the starting salary for a warehouse associate?
Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $20.45 an hour (4,305 postings).
| Experience asked | Median advertised pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1 years | $20.45/hr | 4,305 |
| 2-4 years | $22.04/hr | 1,405 |
| 5+ years | withheld | 103 |
Warehouse associate levels and pay
Levels as they appear in job titles, ordered by the median experience asked.
| Level in title | Share of postings | Median experience asked | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| No level in title | 85.4% | 1 year | $20.50/hr |
| Associate | 9.9% | 1 year | $19.00/hr |
| Level I | 2.3% | 1 year | $20.56/hr |
| Level II | 1.0% | 1 year | $21.50/hr |
| Lead | 1.2% | 2 years | $23.00/hr |
Highest-paying warehouse associate jobs
Specializations with at least 250 postings that state pay.
| Specialization | Median pay | Postings with pay | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shipping Clerk | $21.00/hr | 574 | 284 |
| Inventory Control Specialist | $21.00/hr | 525 | 154 |
| Warehouse Specialist | $21.00/hr | 377 | 126 |
| Forklift Operator | $20.52/hr | 2,379 | 341 |
| Material Handler | $20.50/hr | 5,235 | 449 |
| Warehouse Associate (general) | $20.00/hr | 3,461 | 659 |
| Order Picker | $19.79/hr | 27,682 | 196 |
| Warehouse Assistant | $19.50/hr | 1,151 | 141 |
| Receiving Clerk | $18.24/hr | 514 | 124 |
| Fulfillment Specialist | $18.00/hr | 283 | 84 |
Warehouse associate pay by state
Single-location US postings; states with at least 100 postings that state pay. States with pay-transparency laws (such as California, Colorado, New York and Washington) are over-represented among postings that state pay.
| State | Median pay | Middle 50% | Postings with pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $21.80/hr | $19.10–$23.92 | 973 | 2.0% |
| Oregon | $21.45/hr | $18.00–$24.80 | 683 | 1.6% |
| Colorado | $21.32/hr | $19.45–$24.00 | 933 | 1.8% |
| Illinois | $21.00/hr | $18.50–$23.00 | 2,174 | 4.9% |
| Minnesota | $21.00/hr | $19.00–$23.50 | 890 | 1.9% |
| California | $20.75/hr | $19.00–$23.01 | 3,198 | 7.4% |
| Massachusetts | $20.50/hr | $18.38–$23.00 | 921 | 1.9% |
| Wisconsin | $20.25/hr | $18.00–$22.83 | 874 | 2.3% |
| Ohio | $20.00/hr | $17.69–$21.60 | 1,771 | 4.5% |
| Arizona | $20.00/hr | $18.00–$21.38 | 920 | 2.4% |
| Maryland | $20.00/hr | $18.00–$22.00 | 620 | 1.7% |
| Utah | $20.00/hr | $18.00–$21.00 | 704 | 1.6% |
| Nevada | $20.00/hr | $18.40–$21.52 | 395 | 1.1% |
| Vermont | $20.00/hr | $18.01–$21.25 | 131 | 0.2% |
| Connecticut | $19.82/hr | $18.50–$21.19 | 578 | 1.2% |
| New York | $19.75/hr | $18.00–$22.00 | 2,176 | 4.1% |
| Kentucky | $19.60/hr | $17.50–$22.85 | 656 | 1.9% |
| Pennsylvania | $19.50/hr | $18.00–$21.00 | 1,911 | 4.9% |
| Missouri | $19.40/hr | $17.44–$21.18 | 763 | 2.0% |
| Indiana | $19.10/hr | $17.50–$21.32 | 1,044 | 3.1% |
| Tennessee | $19.05/hr | $17.75–$20.44 | 1,096 | 4.2% |
| Mississippi | $19.02/hr | $17.00–$20.35 | 308 | 1.2% |
| North Carolina | $19.00/hr | $17.00–$21.50 | 1,432 | 3.5% |
| New Jersey | $19.00/hr | $17.55–$21.75 | 1,371 | 2.9% |
| Virginia | $19.00/hr | $16.70–$21.50 | 1,203 | 2.6% |
| Michigan | $19.00/hr | $17.00–$22.54 | 920 | 2.3% |
| South Carolina | $19.00/hr | $16.70–$20.00 | 639 | 1.6% |
| Kansas | $19.00/hr | $17.50–$21.00 | 413 | 1.1% |
| Texas | $18.90/hr | $16.76–$21.00 | 2,650 | 8.1% |
| Rhode Island | $18.88/hr | $18.20–$20.75 | 107 | 0.3% |
| New Hampshire | $18.88/hr | $16.76–$21.00 | 180 | 0.5% |
| Georgia | $18.75/hr | $17.00–$20.70 | 1,294 | 3.3% |
| Arkansas | $18.50/hr | $16.23–$19.68 | 339 | 0.8% |
| Idaho | $18.50/hr | $16.23–$21.00 | 259 | 0.7% |
| Florida | $18.00/hr | $16.00–$21.00 | 2,142 | 5.1% |
| Oklahoma | $18.00/hr | $16.00–$18.50 | 354 | 1.1% |
| Montana | $18.00/hr | $17.00–$20.25 | 413 | 0.7% |
| South Dakota | $18.00/hr | $15.94–$19.00 | 260 | 0.5% |
| Alabama | $17.50/hr | $16.23–$21.06 | 355 | 1.0% |
| Louisiana | $16.50/hr | $16.00–$19.66 | 263 | 0.9% |
Skills employers ask for in warehouse associate job postings
| Skill | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| Attention to detail | 30% |
| Communication | 25% |
| Organizational skills | 16% |
| Forklift | 14% |
| Work independently | 11% |
| Excel | 9% |
| Problem-solving | 8% |
| Customer service | 8% |
| Basic computer skills | 7% |
| Microsoft Office | 7% |
Skills named in the posting text; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026. Methodology.
Skills that set warehouse associates apart
- Forklift26.8× as often as in all postings · 14%
- Forklifts25.9× as often as in all postings · 6%
- Basic math skills6.8× as often as in all postings · 6%
- Basic computer skills4× as often as in all postings · 7%
- Accuracy4.1× as often as in all postings · 6%
Skills named in at least 5% of these postings and at least 3 times as often as in job postings overall.
Have a warehouse associate job posting in front of you? See which of its skills your resume is missing.
What does a warehouse associate do?
Employers post these jobs as Material Handler, Forklift Operator, Warehouse Worker, Warehouse Lead, Warehouse Specialist and other titles. The largest specializations are Material Handler (13%), Shipping Clerk (3%), Forklift Operator (8%), Inventory Control Specialist (2%), Order Picker (41%), Inventory Specialist (1%).
The closest official occupation is Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand (53-7062.00). Its most important tasks:
- Maintain equipment storage areas to ensure that inventory is protected.
- Read work orders or receive oral instructions to determine work assignments or material or equipment needs.
- Move freight, stock, or other materials to and from storage or production areas, loading docks, delivery vehicles, ships, or containers, by hand or using trucks, tractors, or other equipment.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
How much experience do you need to be a warehouse associate?
Among 6,245 postings that state a minimum, the median is 1 year. 5% say 0 years and 61% ask for 1 year or less.
Minimum experience asked in 6,245 US warehouse associate job postings: median 1 year, and 61% ask for 1 year or less.
The figures as a table
| Minimum experience asked | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| 0 yr | 11% |
| 1 yr | 50% |
| 2 yrs | 24% |
| 3-4 yrs | 11% |
| 5-7 yrs | 3% |
| 8-9 yrs | under 1% |
| 10+ yrs | under 1% |
Postings that state a minimum (required or preferred); at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
We do not show a degree figure: in our checks, degree requirements in posting text were found too rarely to publish one. Why.
Full-time 84%, Part-time 16% of the 3,067 postings that state working hours.
Other names for a warehouse associate: job titles employers use
| Job title | Employers using it |
|---|---|
| Warehouse Associate | 1,549 (19.8%) |
| Material Handler | 1,300 (16.6%) |
| Forklift Operator | 793 (10.1%) |
| Warehouse Worker | 326 (4.2%) |
| Warehouse Lead | 271 (3.5%) |
| Warehouse Specialist | 225 (2.9%) |
| Shipping Clerk | 219 (2.8%) |
| Forklift Driver | 192 (2.5%) |
| Warehouse Clerk | 183 (2.3%) |
| Receiver | 183 (2.3%) |
| Warehouse Technician | 163 (2.1%) |
| Receiving Clerk | 160 (2.0%) |
| Shipping & Receiving Clerk | 151 (1.9%) |
| Material Handler I | 145 (1.8%) |
| Warehouse Operator | 143 (1.8%) |
| Inventory Control Specialist | 129 (1.7%) |
| Inventory Clerk | 129 (1.7%) |
| Inventory Coordinator | 124 (1.6%) |
| Shipping/Receiving | 120 (1.5%) |
| Shipping and Receiving Clerk | 119 (1.5%) |
Titles read in our audit and used by at least 3 employers.
Warehouse associate job titles compared
The titles people search for most, from the US job postings that use each exact title (October 2026).
| Job title | Open postings | Employers | Median pay | Median experience | Skills named most |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material Handler | 5,009 | 1,300 | $20.50/hr | 1 year | attention to detail, communication, forklift |
| Warehouse Worker | 2,215 | 326 | $20.22/hr | – | attention to detail, forklift, communication |
| Forklift Operator | 4,621 | 793 | $20.57/hr | 1 year | attention to detail, forklift, communication |
Warehouse Associate compared with similar careers
| Career | Median pay | Median experience | Postings | Shares N of top 25 skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warehouse Associate | $20.00/hr | 1 year | 92,043 | – |
| Machine Operator | $21.38/hr | 1 year | 20,043 | 19 |
| Logistics Manager | $70K | 3 years | 13,004 | 16 |
| Heavy Equipment Operator | $27.00/hr | 2 years | 5,295 | 15 |
| Delivery Driver | $21.00/hr | 1 year | 38,413 | 14 |
Similar careers
| Career | Shares N of the top 25 skills | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Machine Operator | 19 | $21.38/hr |
| Logistics Manager | 16 | $70K |
| Heavy Equipment Operator | 15 | $27.00/hr |
| Delivery Driver | 14 | $21.00/hr |
| Truck Driver | 15 | $27.00/hr |
| Plant Operator | 19 | – |
Applying for warehouse associate jobs?
- Warehouse associate resume examples: one-page examples for these roles
- Match your resume to a job: paste a posting and see the skills your resume is missing
- Check your resume: see how an applicant tracking system reads it
- Find warehouse associate jobs: search open postings
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Material Handler make?
How much does a Warehouse Worker make?
How much does a Forklift Operator make?
Source and method
Open US job postings collected from employers' applicant tracking systems, de-duplicated, counted only when their job title was read in our audit. Shares count at most 20 postings per employer, and franchise locations of one brand count as one employer. Pay uses hourly and annual figures only; a figure is shown when leaving out the largest employer moves it by 10% or less. Every figure states its number of postings. Methodology and measured accuracy.
Accuracy check: we read 20 randomly chosen postings counted on this page in full; 19 of them were this career or a closely related one (October 2026).
Download the figures on this page (CSV): every number above with its count of postings. Aggregate figures are licensed CC BY 4.0; cite the page when you reuse them.