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Material Handler Job Description: Top Duties and Qualifications

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Indeed’s Employer Guide helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

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A material handler supports production and distribution processes by moving various materials within a facility. Duties for your material handler job description may include delivering supplies, recording item locations and organizing inventory to maintain orderly work environments.

In Indeed’s guide to material handlers, you can explore the duties, responsibilities and skills needed to help you write an accurate job description.

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Material handler duties and responsibilities

Material handlers relocate products and raw materials, such as timber or iron, within a facility using forklifts or pallet jacks. They also may handle recordkeeping responsibilities related to inventory, product locations or labeling to help the company remain organized.

Common duties include:

  • Accepting and inspecting products, materials and other items delivered to the business
  • Placing received items in the warehouse, storage spaces and other designated locations for safe storage
  • Referring to ID tags or labels to locate items
  • Completing documentation, including work and shipping orders
  • Performing inventory control activities, such as regular counts and order fulfillment
  • Packaging, crating and loading finished products for shipping
  • Resolving conflicts in item locations, damaged goods or missing packages

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Material Handler Job Description Examples

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Indeed’s Employer Guide helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines
Job Description Best Practices
Optimize your new and existing job descriptions to reach more candidates
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What does a material handler do?

Material handlers help ensure products, materials and supplies are properly stored at their workplace, which often includes warehouses and production facilities. They often use logistics and supply chain management, handling raw materials and finished products used by the production department.

Material handlers can help keep your production activities moving smoothly by documenting, receiving, loading and unloading shipments. They often also label materials, maintain records and pull materials for production orders.

Material handler skills and qualifications

Material handlers typically interact with workers from different departments and handle a mix of administrative tasks and manual labor. The job often involves hard and soft skills, such as attention to detail, data entry and machine operation.

Consider these skills for your material handler job description:

  • Skilled with inventory management software and product labeling systems
  • Familiarity with process improvement related to handling materials and managing inventory
  • Ability to operate pallet jacks and other warehouse equipment
  • Willingness to become forklift operator certified, if needed
  • Knowledge of warehouse safety protocols regarding personal protective equipment (PPE)
  • Quality control (QC) knowledge, such as how to conduct product inspections during order fulfillment
  • Knowledge of handling fragile or hazardous materials (HAZMAT), such as flammable or toxic substances

Material handler experience requirements

A skills-based hiring approach can be effective for material handler positions since workers can often learn on the job. Assessing candidates based on skills instead of education or experience can help you find candidates with attention to detail, problem-solving abilities and other soft skills.

If applicants don’t have previous material handler experience, they may have transferable skills, such as pallet jack operation, shipment receiving or inventory management. You might seek experience in similar roles, such as warehouse worker or receiving clerk.

Material handler education and training requirements

Degrees or formal education requirements aren’t typically needed for a material handler. Instead, skills-first hiring lets you focus on technical skills based on your company’s software and warehouse machinery.

You might prefer candidates with training or certifications on your equipment or the workplace environment. For example, a candidate with warehouse skills and safety knowledge might be a quality hire if they will primarily work in that environment. A material handler working with toxic substances may need a HAZMAT certification.

Material handler salary expectations

According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a material handler is $40,437 per year. However, you might adjust your compensation based on the company’s location or size and your new hire’s qualifications.

Job description samples for similar positions

If this material handler job description doesn’t suit your needs, explore these similar job descriptions:

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FAQs about material handlers

Three individuals are sitting at a table with a laptop, a disposable coffee cup, notebooks, and a phone visible. Two are facing each other, while the third’s back is to the camera. The setting appears to be a bright room with large windows.

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Job Description Examples

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