General Warehousing and Storage — Average Employee Salary
The average employee in the general warehousing and storage industry earns $50,926 per year ($24.48/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.
What Do General Warehousing and Storage Workers Earn?
At $50,926/year (equivalent to $24.48/hour for a full-time worker), general warehousing and storage wages are below the national average of ~$65,000.
Lower wages in this industry are common in service-oriented or retail-adjacent sectors where entry barriers are lower. This can be an advantage for business owners managing payroll costs, but may contribute to higher turnover.
The typical general warehousing and storage business employs 103 people. These are larger operations where staffing represents a major cost center and management complexity.
Wages as a Percentage of Revenue
For the average general warehousing and storage business generating $22.6M/year with 103 employees at $50,926 each, total payroll represents roughly 23.2% of revenue. Labor costs are relatively low compared to revenue — other costs (materials, equipment, overhead) dominate.
What This Means for Business Owners
If you're starting or running a general warehousing and storagebusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:
- Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $66,204/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
- Typical team size: 103 employees = ~$5,245,378/year in base payroll.
- Hourly equivalent: $24.48/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
- Revenue needed: With average revenue of $22.6M/business, you need strong utilization rates to maintain healthy margins after payroll.
See how these wages compare to total revenue and profit margins.
View full General Warehousing and Storage revenue benchmarks →Frequently Asked Questions
- How much do general warehousing and storage employees make?
- The average general warehousing and storage employee earns $50,926 per year, which is equivalent to $24.48/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is below the national average of approximately $65,000.
- How many people work in the general warehousing and storage industry?
- The general warehousing and storage industry employs 1,725,148 workers across 16,755 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 103 employees.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).