Short answer
Yes. Warehouses hire people with no experience for jobs like Warehouse associate, picker and packer, Material handler and Loader / unloader. The BLS lists no formal education credential and no related experience for these jobs, and training on the job lasts about a month or less. Advertised pay in our listings runs from about $18.50 to $20 an hour. The work is physical, and shifts may include nights and weekends. Forklift operator jobs are open to beginners too, but the employer must train and evaluate you before you drive a truck.
What warehouse jobs pay
The pay figures below come from Jobs2Careers listings. For each role we took the median pay of each employer, then the median across employers, so one company that posts thousands of jobs cannot set the number. We checked each figure against national pay data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS, May 2025). The BLS median for hand laborers and material movers is $40,240 a year, or $19.35 an hour (BLS). Stockers and order fillers have a median of $37,330 a year and hand packers $36,280. Shipping, receiving and inventory clerks have a median of $45,260 (BLS), and forklift drivers $46,420 (BLS). A median includes experienced workers, so a new hire can start below it. Pay also varies by city and employer, and some listings mention extra pay for certain shifts.
$18.00 to $23.00, median $20.00
$18.00 to $21.50, median $20.00
$17.50 to $21.75, median $19.75
$18.00 to $21.50, median $19.50
$17.00 to $21.00, median $19.00
$18.00 to $21.00, median $19.00
$17.00 to $20.00, median $18.50
Hourly pay in Jobs2Careers listings. Each bar spans the middle half of employers, from the 25th to the 75th percentile of the pay they advertise. The white line marks the median. The scale runs from $15 to $24.
7 warehouse jobs you can start with little or no experience
Warehouse job titles overlap. A listing for a warehouse associate may include picking, packing and loading in one job. Search by several titles, because the same work often goes by a different name at each company.
| Role | What you do | What you need to start |
|---|---|---|
| Warehouse associate | A general job: move, sort, pick, pack and load goods as the shift needs. | No formal education credential or related experience (BLS, for hand laborers and material movers) |
| Picker / packer | Collect items for customer orders, check them and pack them for shipping. | No formal education credential or related experience (BLS). Many listings use a handheld scanner. |
| Material handler | Move freight, stock and materials by hand or with equipment, and keep the work area orderly. | No formal education credential or related experience (BLS). Many listings ask for a high school diploma or equivalent. |
| Loader / unloader | Load and unload trucks and trailers, often by hand. | No formal education credential or related experience (BLS). The work is physically demanding. |
| Inventory associate | Count stock, scan barcodes and keep inventory records correct. | A high school diploma or equivalent, no experience (BLS, for material recording clerks). Training lasts up to a month. |
| Shipping and receiving clerk | Check incoming and outgoing shipments against orders and record them. | A high school diploma or equivalent, no experience (BLS). Training lasts up to a month. |
| Forklift operator | Drive a forklift to move pallets, and keep records of what you move. | No formal education credential (BLS). The employer must train and evaluate you first (OSHA). |
What warehouse employers look for
A listing tells you more than the job title does. Here is what we see most often, and what the official sources say.
- Lifting. Many listings give a lifting weight, and 50 pounds is the one that appears most often. The BLS describes the work as repetitive and physically demanding, with lifting, bending, kneeling and crouching. Ask how often you lift and whether the site has carts, lift tables or team lifts.
- Safety. The BLS says hand laborers and material movers have some of the highest rates of injury and illness of all occupations, mostly sprains, strains and overexertion. Some listings ask for steel-toe or other safety footwear. Ask who provides it, and whether paid safety training comes first.
- Scanner use. Many listings mention handheld scanners. The BLS says clerks may scan barcodes with handheld devices or use RFID scanners. You learn the device on the job, so you can say you are comfortable learning new technology.
- A diploma or equivalent. Many listings ask for a high school diploma or equivalent. The BLS lists no formal credential for the hand labor roles, so apply anyway if a listing is not clear.
- Screening. Some listings mention a background check or a drug screen. Ask the recruiter early which ones apply, so nothing stalls your start date.
- Forklift skills. Some listings ask for a forklift certification, and some say they will train you. The next section explains how that works.
Shifts, weekends and overtime
The BLS says hand laborers and material movers work schedules that vary and may include nights and weekends. Full-time work is typical, and part-time work is common. For forklift operators the BLS notes that materials ship around the clock, so some work overnight shifts. Clerks may also work nights, weekends or holidays.
Federal law sets few rules about when you work. The Fair Labor Standards Act does not require extra pay for work on weekends or holidays. It does require time and a half for hours over 40 in a workweek for covered employees who are not exempt (DOL). A peak-season week of 50 hours can therefore pay overtime on the last 10. Some listings mention a shift differential, which is extra pay for certain hours. Ask what it is. To see what a long week pays, use our holiday and overtime pay calculator.
Many warehouses add workers for the holiday rush, and some listings are seasonal or temporary. Read our guide to holiday seasonal jobs to see who is hiring and how to stay on after January.
Start this week: six warehouse jobs that train you on the job
None of these needs a certificate. Each one shows you how a warehouse runs, and each one can lead to more.
What you need to start: no formal education credential or related experience, according to the BLS. The BLS lists sorting goods, packing by hand and keeping records among the tasks. Ask which tasks come first, because the title covers a lot.
What you need to start: no formal education credential or related experience, according to the BLS. You pick items for orders and pack them by hand. Many listings mention a handheld scanner.
What you need to start: no formal education credential or related experience, according to the BLS. You manually move freight, stock and materials, and you may keep records of what you move.
What you need to start: no formal education credential or related experience, according to the BLS. You load and unload trucks and trailers. The BLS calls this work physically demanding, so ask about the weight you will lift.
What you need to start: a high school diploma or equivalent. You track incoming and outgoing stock, scan barcodes with handheld devices and write inventory reports, according to the BLS.
What you need to start: a high school diploma or equivalent. You check shipments against orders and record what comes in and goes out. Titles vary, and a listing may call it shipping associate or receiving clerk.
Forklift operator: how certification works
There is no government forklift license. The rule is OSHA standard 1910.178(l) (OSHA). It says the employer must make sure each operator is competent, shown by training and an evaluation. The training must combine formal instruction, such as a lecture or interactive computer learning, with practical training, and the employer must evaluate your performance in the workplace. The employer must then certify that you were trained and evaluated. The BLS says forklifts may take only a few days to learn, and that employers may require or prefer that workers become certified (BLS).
You can reach that point in three ways.
Certification does not last forever. OSHA requires an evaluation of each operator at least once every three years. You also need refresher training after an accident or near miss, or if the employer assigns you a different type of truck.
What you need to start: no formal education credential, according to the BLS. Some listings ask for a forklift certification and some say they will train you, so read each one. The employer must evaluate you and certify your training before you drive on your own.
How to get hired at a warehouse with no experience
Need a paycheck this week? See our guide to jobs hiring immediately with no experience. If a warehouse is not for you, the same on-the-job path exists in healthcare. Read our guide to hospital jobs with no experience.
Watch out for warehouse job scams
Scam warning
The Federal Trade Commission says honest employers, including the federal government, will never ask you to pay to get a job. Be careful with anyone who asks for money before an offer, such as a fee for a "certified" forklift card or a background check.
Warehouse and package scams are common. The FTC says reshipping goods is never a real job. In that scam your "job" is to receive packages at home and send them on. The FTC also warns that no honest employer will send you a check to deposit and then tell you to send part of the money on. The check is fake and will bounce.
Frequently asked questions
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