As the warehousing industry in Philadelphia expanded and development boomed, so, too, did warehouse employment.
The most plentiful jobs, at the entry level, are often physically demanding. “It’s a wear and tear on your body. It’s a job that’s on your feet, all day, moving,” said H. Patrick Clancy, president and CEO of Philadelphia Works, a workforce development board.
But they can lead to stable, more lucrative careers in an industry whose need for workers remains robust.
Ss often shift work outside the typical 9-to-5, which may appeal to those with daytime parenting and caregiving duties, said Anne Strauss-Wieder, professor at Rutgers University’s Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy and director of freight planning for the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority.
Typical entry-level jobs start at $15 to $20 an hour, but pay jumps for those who ascend into supervisory roles. Warehousing and storage managers make an average salary of $104,000, according to 2023 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“There is at least a career ladder opportunity,” Clancy said.