What Does a Warehouse Supervisor Do?
If a lab, kitchen or office needs supplies, a warehouse crew is involved too. In fact, so many departments depend on central receiving that large employers such as universities and hospitals run their own warehouses. Warehouse supervisors lead those crews, keeping stock accurate, docks safe and deliveries on schedule.
Also known as: Materials Facilities Supplies Supervisor, Materials Handler Supervisor, Senior Materials Handling Supervisor, Materials Handling Supervisor
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Floor Supervisor, Packaging Supervisor, Receiving Manager, Receiving Supervisor, Shipping Manager, Shipping Supervisor, Terminal Operations Manager, Warehouse Foreman.
Warehouse Supervisor Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a warehouse supervisor include:
- Assign receivers, material handlers and drivers to docks, aisles and delivery runs each shift.
- Check that inbound shipments match purchase orders, and settle shortages or damage with vendors.
- Plan the day's campus deliveries so labs, kitchens and offices get supplies on time.
- Run cycle counts and investigate inventory gaps in the warehouse management system.
- Enforce forklift certification, dock safety and lifting rules, and investigate every injury or near miss.
- Arrange storage so fast-moving items sit near the dock and hazardous materials are kept apart.
- Manage the surplus property program, from pickups to resale, recycling or disposal.
- Train new staff on scanners, pallet jacks and receiving procedures.
- Track labor hours, overtime and productivity, and adjust staffing for peak periods such as move-in week.
- Coordinate freight pickups and special deliveries with carriers and building managers.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a warehouse supervisor, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Warehouse management or ERP systems such as SAP or Oracle
- Forklift certification and equipment knowledge
- Staff scheduling and supervision
- Inventory control and cycle counting
- OSHA warehouse safety rules
- Excel for counts, labor and delivery reports
- Problem solving when shipments go wrong
- Clear, fair communication with a mixed crew
Education and Training
Forklift certification tends to be the first credential a future supervisor earns, often while working as a material handler after high school, and reliable handlers can rise quickly to shift lead in busy warehouses. Promotion from within rarely depends on a logistics certificate, though one gives you an advantage when a distribution center hires from outside.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $50,070 - $78,160 per year, with a median of $62,890.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors.
Employment of first-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, the group that includes warehouse supervisors, is projected to grow about 3 percent from 2025 to 2035, according to BLS. BLS also expects about 54,900 openings a year across the group, many of them in distribution centers that online shopping keeps busy. New supervisors often start on nights.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors.
Warehouse Supervisor Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $43,360 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $50,070 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $62,890 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $78,160 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $96,150 |
Highest-Paying States for Warehouse Supervisors
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are Washington ($74,250), Maryland ($74,070), Rhode Island ($72,750), Wyoming ($70,590), Minnesota ($68,430). Pay is lowest in Idaho ($56,290), New Mexico ($55,790), West Virginia ($52,420).
Median pay in all 51 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $59,780 |
| Alaska | $64,420 |
| Arizona | $63,360 |
| Arkansas | $56,810 |
| California | $65,550 |
| Colorado | $65,380 |
| Connecticut | $65,440 |
| Delaware | $62,510 |
| District of Columbia | $60,310 |
| Florida | $61,000 |
| Georgia | $63,540 |
| Hawaii | $65,000 |
| Idaho | $56,290 |
| Illinois | $65,420 |
| Indiana | $64,700 |
| Iowa | $60,490 |
| Kansas | $62,940 |
| Kentucky | $60,090 |
| Louisiana | $60,260 |
| Maine | $60,090 |
| Maryland | $74,070 |
| Massachusetts | $65,570 |
| Michigan | $60,280 |
| Minnesota | $68,430 |
| Mississippi | $59,290 |
| Missouri | $60,370 |
| Montana | $60,670 |
| Nebraska | $60,630 |
| Nevada | $60,340 |
| New Hampshire | $63,950 |
| New Jersey | $67,980 |
| New Mexico | $55,790 |
| New York | $67,300 |
| North Carolina | $60,070 |
| North Dakota | $65,070 |
| Ohio | $61,760 |
| Oklahoma | $61,270 |
| Oregon | $61,540 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,460 |
| Rhode Island | $72,750 |
| South Carolina | $63,470 |
| South Dakota | $64,780 |
| Tennessee | $61,160 |
| Texas | $60,000 |
| Utah | $62,600 |
| Vermont | $60,410 |
| Virginia | $62,130 |
| Washington | $74,250 |
| West Virginia | $52,420 |
| Wisconsin | $64,560 |
| Wyoming | $70,590 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as first-line supervisors of helpers, laborers, and material movers, hand about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 100% usually work more than 40 hours a week
- 98% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 97% use email every day
- 94% are on the phone every day
- 94% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 54% work against deadlines every day
- 48% spend more than half the workday on their feet
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or GED | 35% |
| Some college | 31% |
| Bachelor's degree | 9% |
Tools and Software Warehouse Supervisors Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy leading, persuading and making business decisions as well as organized work with data, records and clear procedures.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Coordination, Speaking, Management of Personnel Resources, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Monitoring.
Knowledge areas used most: Customer and Personal Service, Production and Processing, Administration and Management, Mechanical, Computers and Electronics.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 2 of 5, which means some preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 53-1042.00 (First-Line Supervisors of Helpers, Laborers, and Material Movers, Hand). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 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. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.