jobfacts

Warehouse manager

Managers in storage and warehousing — SOC 2020 1242

Managers in storage and warehousing plan, organise, and co-ordinate the activities and resources necessary for the safe and efficient receipt, storage and warehousing of goods and for the maintenance of stocks at an optimal level.

Also calledManagerStock managerWarehouse shift managerMaterial control managerMaterials control managerMaterials managerand 30 more titles
Typical full-time pay£37,5002025 Provisional
People in the job71,000across the UK
Demand for workersCritical
New adverts a month2,700↓ 5.9%on last year · 67th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time warehouse managers earn between £30,000 and £45,300 a year.

What full-time warehouse managers earn, 2025
£37,500 typical£25,300lowest 10%£30,00025%£47,100top 20%n/ptop 10%
Middle half (£30,000–£45,300)n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£25,300
Lowest 20% earn less than£28,700
25%£30,000
Median£37,500
75%£45,300
Top 20% earn more than£47,100
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £37,500
London£39,400
South East£38,800
West Midlands!£38,400
East Midlands£37,500
South West!£36,600
North West!£36,300
East of England!£35,800
North East!£35,700
Yorkshire and The Humber£35,200
Scotland!£34,900
Wales!£33,200
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £37,500
London£39,400
South East£38,800
West Midlands£38,400 (small sample)
East Midlands£37,500
South West£36,600 (small sample)
North West£36,300 (small sample)
East of England£35,800 (small sample)
North East£35,700 (small sample)
Yorkshire and The Humber£35,200
Scotland£34,900 (small sample)
Wales£33,200 (small sample)
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £32,200
  • 2024 £35,100
  • 2025 Provisional£37,500
↑ 16% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 2,700 jobs for warehouse managers are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as critical.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (1 in all)
Show as table
Aug 20262,895
Jul 20262,964
Jun 20262,850
May 20262,741
Apr 20262,682
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 20262,343
Jan 20262,744
Dec 20251,420
Nov 20252,774
Oct 20253,020
Sept 20253,147
Aug 20252,984
Jul 20253,110
Jun 20252,994
May 20253,130
Apr 20252,858
Mar 20253,630
Feb 20252,714
Jan 20253,024
Dec 20241,802
Nov 20242,518
Oct 20243,074
Sept 20243,227
Aug 20243,268
Jul 20243,598
Jun 20243,191
May 20243,363
Apr 20243,325
Mar 20242,580
Feb 20242,675
Jan 20243,344
Dec 20232,149
Nov 20232,855
Oct 20232,706
Sept 20232,621
Aug 20233,105
Jul 20233,191
Jun 20234,088
May 20234,088
Apr 20233,235
Mar 20233,975
Feb 20234,168
Jan 20234,695
Dec 20223,685
Nov 20224,578
Oct 20225,004
Sept 20224,494
Aug 20224,611
Jul 20224,729
Jun 20224,363
May 20224,538
Apr 20223,980
Mar 20224,521
Feb 20224,260
Jan 20224,782
Dec 20213,745
Nov 20213,976
Oct 20214,277
Sept 20214,118
Aug 20214,142
Jul 20213,999
Jun 20213,256
May 20213,185
Apr 20212,629
Mar 20213,410
Feb 20211,789
Jan 20211,962
Dec 20202,062
Nov 20201,904
Oct 20202,481
Sept 20202,264
Aug 20202,121
Jul 20202,017
Jun 20201,736
May 20201,375
Apr 20201,568
Mar 20203,475
Feb 20204,075
Jan 20203,807
Dec 20192,611
Nov 20193,323
Oct 20193,667
Sept 20193,577
Aug 20194,245
Jul 20195,547
Jun 20195,299
May 20195,164
Apr 20193,015
Mar 20193,772
Feb 20193,530
Jan 20193,895
Dec 20182,829
Nov 20183,595
Oct 20184,312
Sept 20184,536
Aug 20184,664
Jul 20184,091
Jun 20183,804
May 20183,929
Apr 20183,571
Mar 20184,067
Feb 20184,129
Jan 20185,502
Dec 20173,414
Nov 20174,916
Oct 20175,131
Sept 20174,050
Aug 20174,736
Jul 20174,445
Jun 20176,040
May 20174,650
Apr 20174,096
Mar 20174,678
Feb 20173,918
Jan 20175,973
Is there a shortage of warehouse managers?
Critical

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

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsWell above usual
  • Wage growthAbove usual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedAbove usual
Note: uncertainty in change in hours worked.
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
24%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for other managers and proprietors, which includes warehouse managers. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London1,168
Manchester161
Birmingham145
Leeds116
Bristol, City of114
North Yorkshire109
Glasgow City98
Somerset89
Belfast81
City of Edinburgh77
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where warehouse managers are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 25 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from Pakistan, India, China, ranking it 170th of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
WomenToo few in the survey to give a reliable figure
Age of warehouse managers
2%!
14%!
31%!
28%!
23%!
n/p
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–242% (small sample)
25–3414% (small sample)
35–4431% (small sample)
45–5428% (small sample)
55–6423% (small sample)
65+Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent15%
Higher education below degree!5.5%
A levels or equivalent25%
GCSEs or equivalent34%
Other qualifications!7%
No qualifications!10%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent15%
Higher education below degree5.5% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent25%
GCSEs or equivalent34%
Other qualifications7% (small sample)
No qualifications10% (small sample)

Main employers: warehousing and storage (16%), retail sale in non-specialised stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating (9.6%), retail sale of clothing in specialised stores (3.2%), engineering activities and related technical consultancy (2.3%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
15%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
GCSEs or equivalent
held by 34%
Apprenticeships
None
none leads directly into this work

Routes in

You can get into this job through:

University

You could do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in a subject like:

  • logistics
  • supply chain management
  • transport management
Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • at least 1 A level, or equivalent, for a foundation degree
  • 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a higher national diploma
  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

College

You could take a college course to get the skills and knowledge you'll need to work as an assistant or trainee warehouse manager.

Courses include:

  • planning and supervision of warehouse operations
  • supply chain management
Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You can apply to do a Transport and Warehouse Operations Supervisor Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship, with a warehousing, retailing or logistics company.

As your career progresses, you could do an Operations Manager Level 5 Higher Apprenticeship.

These can take between 1 and 2 years to complete and combine workplace training with study off site.

Entry requirements

To do this apprenticeship, you'll need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Other ways in

Work your way up

If you're working in a warehouse, you could apply for a team leader or assistant manager job.

With further training and promotion, you could then move into a warehouse manager role.

Apply directly

You can apply directly for jobs if you've got management experience in warehousing, transport distribution or retailing.

A qualification in health and safety might also be useful, though not essential.

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

You might have an advantage when looking for work, if you've done forklift training, though employers will put you through this, if it's needed for the job.

Further information

You can find out more about careers in warehousing from Generation Logistics.

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

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • liaises with production, maintenance, sales and other departments to determine the materials and other items required for current and future production schedules and sales commitments
  • reviews, develops and implements stock control, handling and distribution policies to maximise use of space, money, labour and other resources
  • advises purchasing department on type, quality and quantity of goods required and dates by which they must be available
  • prepares reports on expenditure and advises on materials and parts standardisation, future stores and stock control policies
  • decides on storage conditions for particular items, allocates warehouse space and arranges for regular stock inspections to detect deterioration or damage

Skills

  • manage staff
  • give instructions to staff
  • have computer literacy
  • use different communication channels
  • apply airport standards and regulations
  • comply with legal regulations
  • encourage teams for continuous improvement
  • improve rail service delivery
  • liaise with transportation companies
  • perform market research
  • perform project management
  • provide assistance to a variety of airport users
  • work in an aviation team
  • write work-related reports

Knowledge

  • airport environmental regulations
  • financial capability
  • health and safety measures in transportation
  • project management
  • transportation methods
  • airport operating environment
  • airspace system block upgrades
  • air traffic management

Suits people who like

  • Leading and persuading
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for other managers and proprietors, a group of 22 jobs that includes warehouse managers.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 43%about 494,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 20351.3 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.