jobfacts

Warehouse operatives

SOC 2020 9252

Warehouse operatives load, unload and convey a variety of goods, equipment or other items in warehouses and depots, prepare requisitions or despatch documents of stocks held, and perform other elementary goods handling and storage related tasks.

Also calledWarehouse workerWarehouse operativeWarehouse pickerYard workerStoremanIssuerand 182 more titles
Typical full-time pay£27,8002025 Provisional
People in the job383,000across the UK
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month8,300↑ 0.1%on last year · 15th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time warehouse operatives earn between £24,400 and £33,200 a year.

What full-time warehouse operatives earn, 2025
£27,800 typical£21,000lowest 10%£24,40025%£33,20075%£39,600top 10%
Middle half (£24,400–£33,200)
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£21,000
Lowest 20% earn less than£23,800
25%£24,400
Median£27,800
75%£33,200
Top 20% earn more than£34,900
Top 10% earn more than£39,600
Typical pay by regionUK median £27,800
London£30,100
East of England£29,100
South East£28,700
South West£28,500
Scotland£28,100
Yorkshire and The Humber£27,900
Wales£27,400
North East£27,400
West Midlands£27,400
East Midlands£27,200
North West£27,000
Show as table
UK median, £27,800
London£30,100
East of England£29,100
South East£28,700
South West£28,500
Scotland£28,100
Yorkshire and The Humber£27,900
Wales£27,400
North East£27,400
West Midlands£27,400
East Midlands£27,200
North West£27,000
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £24,900
  • 2024 £26,400
  • 2025 Provisional£27,800
↑ 12% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 8,300 jobs for warehouse operatives are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (1 in all)
Show as table
Aug 20268,610
Jul 20269,469
Jun 20267,948
May 20268,456
Apr 20267,787
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 20266,572
Jan 20267,866
Dec 20253,547
Nov 20259,695
Oct 202510,672
Sept 202510,648
Aug 20259,511
Jul 20259,539
Jun 20258,758
May 20259,023
Apr 20257,376
Mar 20258,273
Feb 20257,317
Jan 20256,861
Dec 20243,779
Nov 20247,953
Oct 202410,533
Sept 202410,495
Aug 20249,844
Jul 202410,176
Jun 20249,226
May 202410,079
Apr 20249,148
Mar 20247,240
Feb 20246,888
Jan 20248,027
Dec 20235,350
Nov 20238,458
Oct 20239,222
Sept 20239,298
Aug 20239,404
Jul 20239,196
Jun 202313,781
May 202312,092
Apr 202310,426
Mar 202312,148
Feb 202311,241
Jan 202312,950
Dec 202212,677
Nov 202220,534
Oct 202224,800
Sept 202221,070
Aug 202218,775
Jul 202218,086
Jun 202217,686
May 202219,101
Apr 202215,343
Mar 202218,362
Feb 202216,369
Jan 202219,942
Dec 202115,531
Nov 202122,688
Oct 202124,471
Sept 202122,572
Aug 202118,783
Jul 202119,258
Jun 202116,496
May 202114,461
Apr 202111,411
Mar 202113,691
Feb 20217,435
Jan 20218,133
Dec 20207,749
Nov 202012,187
Oct 202015,884
Sept 202012,177
Aug 20209,366
Jul 20207,908
Jun 20206,203
May 20204,551
Apr 20205,585
Mar 20208,763
Feb 20209,100
Jan 20208,438
Dec 20197,886
Nov 201911,219
Oct 201913,505
Sept 201910,827
Aug 201910,281
Jul 201910,561
Jun 201910,387
May 201911,074
Apr 20197,602
Mar 20198,191
Feb 20196,933
Jan 20199,272
Dec 20186,083
Nov 201811,166
Oct 201813,106
Sept 201813,159
Aug 201810,108
Jul 20189,078
Jun 20189,669
May 20188,806
Apr 20187,561
Mar 20187,841
Feb 20186,630
Jan 20188,526
Dec 20175,983
Nov 201710,741
Oct 201713,000
Sept 201710,796
Aug 201710,388
Jul 201713,949
Jun 201731,583
May 201710,074
Apr 20178,246
Mar 20178,923
Feb 20177,028
Jan 20177,679
Is there a shortage of warehouse operatives?
Not high

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment; in 2024 it was critical.

  • Visas grantedUsual
  • Online job advertsAbove usual
  • Wage growthAbove usual
  • Pay against similar jobsAbove usual
  • Hours workedUsual
Note: uncertain in multiple indicators: change in hourly wage, visa density.
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
22%against 27% for all jobs
DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London1,549
West Northamptonshire409
North Northamptonshire375
Bristol, City of367
Leeds339
North Yorkshire291
Somerset276
Wakefield266
Birmingham254
Manchester249
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where warehouse operatives are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. Fewer than 10 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of warehouse operatives
18%
22%
20%
22%
16%
3.2%!
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
16–2418%
25–3422%
35–4420%
45–5422%
55–6416%
65+3.2% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent17%
Higher education below degree5.2%
A levels or equivalent16%
GCSEs or equivalent26%
Other qualifications21%
No qualifications11%
Show as table
Degree or equivalent17%
Higher education below degree5.2%
A levels or equivalent16%
GCSEs or equivalent26%
Other qualifications21%
No qualifications11%

Main employers: warehousing and storage (23%), retail sale in non-specialised stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating (9.1%), retail sale via mail order houses or via internet (4.5%), other postal and courier activities (4%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
17%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
GCSEs or equivalent
held by 26%
Registration
Department for Transport
required for some roles: Department for Transport
Apprenticeships
3
from level 2
Apprenticeships take
1 to 2½ years
typically

Routes in

You can get into this job through an apprenticeship or by applying directly.

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do an apprenticeship with a warehouse or depot. These include:

  • Supply Chain Warehouse Operative Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
  • Express Delivery Sortation Hub Operative Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship

Apprenticeships take about one year to complete and combine on-the-job training with off-site learning.

Entry requirements

Employers will set their own entry requirements.

Apply directly

You can apply directly to be a warehouse worker.

Experience in warehouse, storage or delivery work can be useful.

You might not need qualifications, but some employers may want you to have GCSEs at grade 4 (C) in English and maths, or equivalent qualifications. Some IT skills can also be helpful.

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

It may help when looking for work if you've done forklift training, though employers will often put you through this once you've completed your probation period with them.

Some warehouse worker jobs are temporary or seasonal.

Further information

You can find out more about careers and training in warehouse work from Generation Logistics.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for warehouse worker. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Apprenticeships

3 for this job
Level 3About 1 year

Transport and warehouse operations supervisor

You gain
Transport Manager Certificate of Professional Competence; Ministry of Defence: Junior Transport Operator L3
Registration
Department for Transport
Details on Skills England
Level 3About 2½ years

Bulk storage terminal technician

Leads to
Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE)
Employers may ask for
Employers will set their own entry requirements, which may include GCSEs. Some employers may require candidates to have a health screening to confirm they are…
Details on Skills England

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • undertakes the loading and unloading of goods and conveys goods about storage area
  • packs furniture and household goods into crates and cartons for storage
  • retrieves stored items as listed on order sheets, makes up orders against requisitions and prepares goods for despatch
  • checks goods for damage or missing stock and maintains an inventory of stock
  • cleans and maintains warehouse

Skills

  • lift heavy weights
  • use different communication channels
  • apply techniques for stacking goods into containers
  • implement efficiency plans for logistics operations
  • operate forklift
  • dispatch order processing
  • stack goods
  • tolerate stress
  • accommodate cargo in freight transport vehicle
  • adapt to changing situations
  • analyse supply chain strategies
  • climb on railcars
  • ensure public safety and security
  • follow stock control instructions

Knowledge

  • freight transport methods
  • safety regulations for warehouses
  • health and safety measures in transportation
  • international regulations for cargo handling
  • national regulations on handling cargo
  • products coding system

Suits people who like

  • Practical, hands-on work
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for elementary administration and service occupations, a group of 26 jobs that includes warehouse operatives.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↓ 1.5%about 48,000 fewer jobs
Workers needed by 20351.5 millionincluding people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service 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. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.