The warehousing industry is an integral part of the trade, transportation, and utility sector. It acts as a reserve when the customer demand and supply do not go hand-in-hand. The establishments under the warehouse industry are engaged in providing storage space for consumer goods, refrigerated products, general merchandise, and other warehouse products. They do not have the right to sell the products they store. The only responsibility of the warehousing establishments is to keep the products safe and secure.
Some of the warehousing establishments may engage themselves in providing logistics services apart from storage such as inventory control and management, products labeling, light assembly, order entry and fulfillment, packaging, price marking, and transportation arrangement.
The workforce in the warehousing industry
The warehousing industry is always a galore of opportunities. There is always a demand for a warehouse workforce to help the companies bridge the gap if an imbalance in the supply chain occurs. The pandemic has doubled the opportunities as it saw a huge increase in online trade and e-commerce. The logistics, transportation, and warehousing sector saw a huge spike in job opportunities in 2020 and now.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in May 2021, 1.08M people were employed in the warehousing and storage industry. It represents a 13.5% increase in job growth when compared to May 2020.
Pandemic after-effects on the warehousing industry
The pandemic brought lots of fear, life loss, health loss, financial loss, and many other uncertainties. The E-commerce and online grocery generated huge demand for large warehouses as the consumers’ shopping habit has changed a lot in 2020 and 2021 when compared to 2019. The Healthcare industry’s cold storage experienced a huge demand due to the storage of COVID-19 vaccines for clinical trials and storage of the vaccines which pass clinical trials. There was a demand for many consumer goods in the nation, which led to an imbalance of US imports and exports.
Warehouse jobs that pay well
There are entry-level positions and experienced level positions for every post in the warehousing industry. There are many high-level management and supervision posts, too in the warehousing industry. Following are some of the top-paying jobs in the warehousing industry.
Inspector/packer
The warehouse inspectors/packers are entrusted with measuring/weighing the goods along with marking and labeling them. They ensure every shipment is packed according to the company’s instructions. The national average salary for inspectors is $11.76 per hour. This position is currently available in Sonoco, DART Container, and Honda.
Production worker
The primary duties of production workers include operation and maintenance of warehouse and factory equipment. They check all the product parts and ensure all machinery and equipment of the warehouse is safe and functional. The national average salary for production workers is $11.96 per hour. General Motors, Cummins, and Whirlpool Corporation are the companies with this position vacant now.
Entry-level laborer
The primary duties of a general laborer or an entry-level laborer are general warehouse tasks such as loading and unloading packages, preparing worksites before the shipment process begins, and keeping the work areas clear of hazards and debris. The national average salary for entry-level laborers is $12.14 per hour. ABC Millwork, TruGreen, and In-N-Out are the companies with the position currently available.
Stocker
A Stocker is responsible for scanning and verifying the quality of goods before stocking the shelves. They receive the goods, unpack and label them with tags or codes. The stocker role is currently available with companies, namely Dollar Tree, Michaels, and Meijer. The national average salary that a stocker can earn is $12.01 per hour.
Shift Manager
Warehouse shift managers are responsible for carrying on the warehouse activities smoothly in their assigned shift. Their primary duty is to ensure their shift is staffed, equipment is fully functional, and the organization has adequate supplies to complete the planned activities. Best Buy, PepsiCo, Office Depot, OfficeMax are the companies with this position vacant now.
The sudden jump to E-Commerce worldwide is to stay here in the coming years too. It has been beneficial to many people. With the advent of technology and e-commerce, the pandemic has been a blessing in disguise for the warehousing industry.