Salary guide, May 2025
Warehouse Lead pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks in the United States was $45,260 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $38,200 and $51,570.
Broader occupation · SOC 43-5071 Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks
Warehouse Lead is shown within the broader published occupation. BLS does not separate this plant-specific title, seniority, shift, process or credential. Compare the duties with the SOC definition before using the range.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $34,650 | $38,200 | $45,260 | $51,570 | $62,190 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $16.66 | $18.37 | $21.76 | $24.79 | $29.90 |
BLS estimated 816,870 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 43-5071 Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $40,960 | $36,010 to $48,900 | 14,060 | 0.95 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $40,370 | $36,820 to $48,200 | 6,350 | 0.84 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $39,800 | $35,660 to $48,540 | 5,720 | 0.77 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $43,300 | $36,910 to $49,610 | 2,230 | 0.57 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $46,550 | $41,550 to $56,900 | 38,970 | 0.78 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $46,550 | $41,550 to $56,900 | 38,970 | 0.78 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $44,310 | $37,100 to $49,190 | 29,670 | 1.39 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $47,740 | $40,710 to $57,790 | 26,030 | 1.1 |
Rank every metro for Warehouse Lead
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels. Nested NAICS rows overlap; they are not independent samples and must not be added together. Identical source rows repeated at different publication levels appear once.
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (NAICS 324000)$57,090
- Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing (NAICS 312000)$53,840
- Paper Manufacturing (NAICS 322000)$50,830
- Primary Metal Manufacturing (NAICS 331000)$49,780
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (NAICS 327000)$48,730
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (NAICS 336000)$48,290
- Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333000)$47,690
- Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325000)$47,240
- Wood Product Manufacturing (NAICS 321000)$47,160
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (NAICS 332000)$46,830
- Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (NAICS 326000)$46,690
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (NAICS 334000)$46,680
- Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311000)$46,460
- Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (NAICS 335000)$45,830
- Miscellaneous Manufacturing (NAICS 339000)$45,330
Bars compare up to 15 non-overlapping 3-digit manufacturing subsectors with exact annual medians. More detailed scopes remain in the table, identified by code and publication level.
| NAICS / scope | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 · sector | Manufacturing | 230,110 | $39,890 | $46,910 | $54,590 |
| 332000 · 3-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 34,800 | $40,410 | $46,830 | $52,920 |
| 311000 · 3-digit | Food Manufacturing | 27,420 | $39,300 | $46,460 | $52,680 |
| 333000 · 3-digit | Machinery Manufacturing | 23,410 | $43,920 | $47,690 | $55,150 |
| 336000 · 3-digit | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 23,080 | $43,900 | $48,290 | $59,100 |
| 3330A1 · 4-digit | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 17,370 | $44,670 | $47,900 | $55,400 |
| 325000 · 3-digit | Chemical Manufacturing | 16,770 | $39,450 | $47,240 | $58,270 |
| 326000 · 3-digit | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 15,850 | $40,290 | $46,690 | $51,820 |
| 334000 · 3-digit | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 14,700 | $40,530 | $46,680 | $52,600 |
| 339000 · 3-digit | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 13,780 | $38,350 | $45,330 | $49,070 |
| 326100 · 4-digit | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 13,750 | $40,190 | $46,650 | $51,630 |
| 3320A1 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 12,850 | $40,000 | $46,800 | $51,270 |
| 3320A2 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 10,250 | $41,320 | $47,280 | $55,400 |
| 336300 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 9,830 | $40,140 | $46,050 | $49,360 |
| 335000 · 3-digit | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 9,410 | $38,870 | $45,830 | $51,350 |
| 323000 · 3-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 9,370 | $36,650 | $42,820 | $47,530 |
| 323100 · 4-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 9,370 | $36,650 | $42,820 | $47,530 |
| 336400 · 4-digit | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 8,580 | $47,440 | $58,770 | $93,190 |
| 332700 · 4-digit | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 8,520 | $40,750 | $46,940 | $53,750 |
| 337000 · 3-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 7,940 | $37,190 | $43,650 | $48,390 |
| 322000 · 3-digit | Paper Manufacturing | 7,490 | $46,790 | $50,830 | $59,790 |
| 3370A1 · 4-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 7,270 | $37,240 | $43,870 | $48,640 |
| 339900 · 4-digit | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 7,270 | $38,020 | $44,720 | $48,820 |
| 331000 · 3-digit | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 6,860 | $45,460 | $49,780 | $59,370 |
| 311600 · 4-digit | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 6,670 | $37,340 | $42,530 | $47,640 |
| 3250A1 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 6,530 | $40,600 | $49,290 | $61,510 |
| 339100 · 4-digit | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 6,520 | $38,690 | $46,060 | $49,630 |
| 334500 · 4-digit | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 6,330 | $43,360 | $47,580 | $55,680 |
| 322200 · 4-digit | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 5,980 | $45,970 | $49,580 | $57,430 |
| 332710 · 5-digit | Machine Shops | 5,790 | $43,030 | $47,680 | $55,620 |
| 311900 · 4-digit | Other Food Manufacturing | 5,750 | $38,770 | $46,180 | $54,180 |
| 334400 · 4-digit | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 5,250 | $39,100 | $46,460 | $50,920 |
| 325400 · 4-digit | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 5,140 | $39,180 | $46,180 | $56,870 |
| 3250A2 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 5,110 | $38,960 | $46,290 | $54,260 |
| 321000 · 3-digit | Wood Product Manufacturing | 4,570 | $39,680 | $47,160 | $54,170 |
| 311800 · 4-digit | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 4,180 | $40,410 | $47,910 | $56,600 |
| 327000 · 3-digit | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 3,660 | $41,790 | $48,730 | $59,240 |
| 311500 · 4-digit | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 3,500 | $45,190 | $49,620 | $58,200 |
| 335900 · 4-digit | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 3,370 | $41,450 | $47,490 | $56,330 |
| 332800 · 4-digit | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 3,180 | $38,660 | $45,320 | $50,230 |
| 312000 · 3-digit | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 3,050 | $47,630 | $53,840 | $62,470 |
| 321900 · 4-digit | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 3,020 | $39,050 | $46,730 | $52,240 |
| 311400 · 4-digit | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 2,930 | $42,470 | $47,460 | $51,580 |
| 312100 · 4-digit | Beverage Manufacturing | 2,800 | $47,920 | $53,870 | $63,020 |
| 333500 · 4-digit | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 2,790 | $40,320 | $46,520 | $51,960 |
| 332720 · 5-digit | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 2,730 | $39,120 | $45,300 | $49,080 |
| 336200 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 2,600 | $38,870 | $46,850 | $51,650 |
| 335300 · 4-digit | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 2,560 | $43,410 | $47,310 | $53,940 |
| 314000 · 3-digit | Textile Product Mills | 2,440 | $35,530 | $40,690 | $46,910 |
| 315000 · 3-digit | Apparel Manufacturing | 2,300 | $36,900 | $38,880 | $45,410 |
| 335200 · 4-digit | Household Appliance Manufacturing | 2,240 | $38,830 | $38,870 | $46,300 |
| 326200 · 4-digit | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 2,100 | $41,130 | $47,280 | $52,610 |
| 333300 · 4-digit | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 1,850 | $41,350 | $46,930 | $54,550 |
| 315200 · 4-digit | Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing | 1,830 | $37,100 | $39,620 | $45,680 |
| 313000 · 3-digit | Textile Mills | 1,600 | $36,980 | $40,910 | $48,310 |
| 331200 · 4-digit | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 1,560 | $43,920 | $48,590 | $57,840 |
| 331500 · 4-digit | Foundries | 1,540 | $44,980 | $48,970 | $57,190 |
| 322100 · 4-digit | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 1,520 | $51,500 | $62,160 | $65,530 |
| 311100 · 4-digit | Animal Food Manufacturing | 1,510 | $40,390 | $48,100 | $55,410 |
| 314900 · 4-digit | Other Textile Product Mills | 1,510 | $35,880 | $42,840 | $48,150 |
| 331100 · 4-digit | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 1,410 | $47,110 | $54,810 | $69,680 |
| 331400 · 4-digit | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 1,410 | $46,240 | $50,920 | $60,470 |
| 333600 · 4-digit | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 1,400 | $44,310 | $47,840 | $58,440 |
| 311300 · 4-digit | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 1,360 | $37,870 | $47,450 | $53,480 |
| 334200 · 4-digit | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 1,360 | $40,700 | $46,460 | $49,900 |
| 334100 · 4-digit | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 1,280 | $36,940 | $44,630 | $49,550 |
| 335100 · 4-digit | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 1,240 | $37,990 | $44,400 | $49,520 |
| 311200 · 4-digit | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 1,100 | $44,190 | $47,960 | $58,360 |
| 324000 · 3-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 1,020 | $47,880 | $57,090 | $71,080 |
| 324100 · 4-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 1,020 | $47,880 | $57,090 | $71,080 |
| 314100 · 4-digit | Textile Furnishings Mills | 940 | $33,860 | $38,940 | $44,480 |
| 331300 · 4-digit | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 930 | $45,980 | $49,100 | $58,900 |
| 321200 · 4-digit | Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing | 900 | $44,240 | $49,140 | $58,480 |
| 313200 · 4-digit | Fabric Mills | 810 | $37,070 | $41,830 | $50,610 |
| 336900 · 4-digit | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 710 | $44,190 | $46,380 | $51,410 |
| 336600 · 4-digit | Ship and Boat Building | 690 | $42,340 | $48,530 | $56,820 |
| 337900 · 4-digit | Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing | 670 | $36,500 | $39,910 | $45,650 |
| 321100 · 4-digit | Sawmills and Wood Preservation | 650 | $38,640 | $46,860 | $53,860 |
| 316000 · 3-digit | Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 580 | $29,810 | $36,320 | $42,240 |
| 336100 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 540 | $48,760 | $56,580 | $63,460 |
| 313300 · 4-digit | Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills | 520 | $36,930 | $40,860 | $47,480 |
| 339910 · 5-digit | Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing | 470 | $38,940 | $45,100 | $50,070 |
| 311700 · 4-digit | Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging | 420 | $37,430 | $40,360 | $46,120 |
| 334300 · 4-digit | Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing | 400 | $39,610 | $46,300 | $48,910 |
| 316900 · 4-digit | Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 340 | $25,340 | $35,570 | $37,990 |
| 315900 · 4-digit | Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing | 320 | $32,220 | $37,130 | $40,550 |
| 313100 · 4-digit | Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills | 270 | $36,990 | $40,580 | $43,870 |
| 312200 · 4-digit | Tobacco Manufacturing | 250 | $38,110 | $52,910 | $59,550 |
| 316200 · 4-digit | Footwear Manufacturing | 190 | $31,910 | $37,310 | $47,710 |
| 315100 · 4-digit | Apparel Knitting Mills | 140 | $29,720 | $35,750 | $38,080 |
| 336500 · 4-digit | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | 120 | $49,270 | $56,700 | $63,200 |
| 334600 · 4-digit | Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media | 80 | $37,270 | $40,750 | $50,090 |
| 316100 · 4-digit | Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing | 50 | $31,420 | $38,880 | $45,760 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Warehouse Lead, write the straight-time rate separately from shift coverage and extra hours. OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. It includes base rate, guaranteed pay, commissions and production bonuses. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits.
An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure. Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $37,040 | $43,190 | $49,390 |
| May 2025 | $38,200 | $45,260 | $51,570 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about an interview based on the work?
Build the interview around hands-on warehouse work and daily coordination of other workers. A practical discussion of a receiving or picking problem resolved without hiding an inventory discrepancy can test judgment without using confidential drawings or customer information. Those limits help establish working leadership versus the supervisor's formal people-management duties; they are part of competence, not a weakness to talk around.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a Warehouse Lead?
The median annual wage for Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks in the United States was $45,260 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $38,200 and $51,570. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $34,650. 90% earned less than $62,190.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a Warehouse Lead at a plant?
Warehouse Lead is shown within the broader published occupation. BLS does not separate this plant-specific title, seniority, shift, process or credential. Compare the duties with the SOC definition before using the range. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 816,870 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
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What does this data mean for your opening?
The Warehouse Lead position functions as a working leadership role, focused on resolving receiving or picking issues without systemic loss of inventory. It is mapped to the broader occupation of Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks (SOC 43-5071). Unlike a formal department supervisor, the lead role here entails task-level coordination.
Because BLS OEWS data does not account for seniority or specific inventory control software, these figures represent the standard clerical occupation.
For Warehouse Lead in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $45,260; the May 2024 median is $43,190. Their arithmetic difference is $2,070. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. The middle band width for this occupation is $13,370, calculated from the P25 at $38,200 and the P75 at $51,570. National industry-specific medians show variation by sector: Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills report $62,160, Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing is at $58,770, and Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing is at $57,090. These reflect higher industry-specific pay for the underlying occupation.
The highest employment for this occupation is concentrated in the New York City and Los Angeles metros. For Warehouse Lead in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $45,260; the May 2024 median is $43,190. Their arithmetic difference is $2,070. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. Manufacturing Headhunters notes that location quotients reflect employment density rather than local wage rates or candidate availability. Both metros track close to the national median of $45,260.
This analysis relies strictly on May 2025 OEWS reporting. For Warehouse Lead in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded. For Warehouse Lead in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $45,260; the May 2024 median is $43,190. Their arithmetic difference is $2,070. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. We make no estimates for missing specific plant-level data and provide no projections for hiring based on these historical benchmarks.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
The New York and Los Angeles figures show that local pay follows the broader national trajectory closely for this clerk classification. For Warehouse Lead in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $45,260; the May 2024 median is $43,190.
Do the national industry medians represent warehouse lead roles?
No, they represent the national median pay for the broad SOC 43-5071 occupation within those specific industries. They provide a high-end reference point for how much these industries pay for clerk-level talent.
Why is the middle band width only $13,370?
The band width reflects the compression in the middle 50% of the pay distribution for this broad occupation. It is a mathematical reflection of existing market data and not an indicator of limited room for individual merit pay.
How should I handle regional differences for this role?
The New York and Los Angeles figures show that local pay follows the broader national trajectory closely for this clerk classification. For Warehouse Lead in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $45,260; the May 2024 median is $43,190. Their arithmetic difference is $2,070. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.
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