Warehouse order picker

About this occupation

Warehouse order pickers prepare orders manually. They pick up orders and bring them to the delivery platform for processing, or in the trade sector to allow customers to pick them up. They are expected to complete orders for shipment, keeping in mind the quantity and type of goods specified and meeting quality criteria established by the company. They also assemble various types of merchandise for shipment and transport orders to shipping locations as specified by a supervisor. They typically stack bundled articles on pallet by hand, are responsible for wrapping articles on the pallet to secure them while moving, and for ensuring the integrity of the pallet.

A specialisation of warehouse worker.

• Review orders for completeness according to reporting procedures and forward incomplete orders for further processing.
• Obtain customers' names, addresses, and billing information, product numbers, and specifications of items to be purchased, and enter this information on order forms.
• Recommend merchandise or services that will meet customers' needs.
• Inspect outgoing work for compliance with customers' specifications.
• Receive and respond to customer complaints.
• Check inventory records to determine availability of requested merchandise.

Typical education (US)

High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)

Preparation

Job Zone 2 of 5

Interests

Conventional, Enterprising, Realistic

Top skills: Active Listening, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Service Orientation, Writing, Critical Thinking

US median pay: US$46,170 a year (2025), 75,200 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.

Subjects this work relies on

How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).

• Computer StudiesO*NET: Computers and ElectronicsVery important (4.0)
• English or Literature in EnglishO*NET: English LanguageVery important (3.8)
• Mathematics or StatisticsO*NET: MathematicsVery important (3.7)
• Business Studies or EntrepreneurshipO*NET: Administration and ManagementImportant (3.2)

O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

Preparation needed

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Most common education (US)

High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)

Education

Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Experience

Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Training

Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.