Ever since the beginning of the modern world and especially since the beginning of the internet’s online shopping era, cargo services are becoming more and more critical every day due to the extraordinary demand.
Pandemic has also helped this demand surge, creating an unseen demand for cargo services that includes many areas of profession such as package handlers.
One of the major cargo service brands, UPS, has thousands of package handlers across the United States who sort out the packages to ensure everyone gets the packages they are expecting.
It is surely a demanding profession, and not many can handle it; you might ask, “how much do UPS package handlers make?” to yourself due to the hard nature of the profession.
We will answer this specific question and many more in this article.
Summary
| Guide | How Much Do UPS Package Handlers Make? |
|---|---|
| Average Income | $33,000 per year |
| Highest Income | $43,000 annually |
| Education Qualification | Not compulsory |
| Training | Needed |
Who Are UPS Package Handlers?
A UPS package handler sorts items at sorting centers to ensure that they are on the correct route to their destination.
This profession necessitates a lot of physical exertion, such as bending and carrying potentially large objects.
UPS frequently has openings for package handlers, especially during the Christmas season, when they may require seasonal workers.
These employees operate in sorting facilities, which is the main place to route packages to their ultimate destinations or to trucks that will transport them the rest of the way.
UPS follows a system of pre-determined routes to get items from senders to receivers as quickly as possible.
Although automated systems can handle certain portions of the shipping process, package handlers play a crucial role in delivering items where they need to go.
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How Much Do UPS Package Handlers Make?
UPS package handlers’ salaries are unfortunately not that high as the job does not require any crucial diploma, education, or training to start.
It is relatively easy to learn, and there are no backgrounds to it, so anyone with the physique enough to handle it could do this job, so the demand is always there, thus the low salary.
According to several websites on the internet, an average UPS package handler in the United States is $33,000 annually, which tracks the salaries of people sourced from UPS package handlers themselves.
1. How Much Do UPS Package Handlers Make an Hour?
UPS Package Handlers make a minimum of $9.40 an hour and a maximum of $28.44 an hour.
2. How Much Do UPS Package Handlers Make a Month?
UPS Package Handlers make a minimum of $1,629 a month and a maximum of $4,929 a month.
3. How Much Do UPS Package Handlers Make a Year?
UPS Package Handlers make a minimum of $19,545 a year and a maximum of $59,151 a year.
Highest Salary Of UPS Package Handlers In 2023
Another bad aspect of the UPS package handler’s salary is that it does not offer too much growth in money if you stay in the same position.
However, people do not tend to stay as package handlers; they generally get promoted to other professions within UPS where there is more growth.
But you might as well decide to stay as a package handler if you like the profession and work as a package handler for years at UPS.
Your salary could go as high as $43,000 annually, which is not so different than the average salary.
Bear in mind that this number could still be higher or lower depending on your work location.
Is Being A UPS Package Handler Good Or Bad?
Being a UPS package handler is definitely not an easy profession; it requires tremendous effort physically, and you have to do the same thing over and over again with precision and no mistake.
This makes the job harder as you need to have your concentration full all the time.
Not many people are willing to do this or can do this, and the salary is not good enough to make people want it.
That is why being a UPS package handler is generally not regarded as a good profession, but if you like what the job has to offer and you want to be a part of major cargo services, the probability of climbing up the ladders to different professions within the company, then this profession could be a great way to start for you.
However, you need to be perfectly sure that you can handle this job physically because you will be on your feet most of the time, and you will need to do the job with excellent precision to prevent any kind of mistakes and let a customer get the wrong package.
Pros and Cons of Being A UPS Package Handler
Pros
- Part-time job
- UPS warhouses are present almost everywhere
- Job security
- Decent pay
- Monetary benefits
- UPS offers tuition reimbursement
Cons
- Heavy lifting can cause back problems
- Might have to do overtime
- High noise levels
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How To Become A UPS Package Handler?
Here’s how you can become a UPS Package Handler:
- You do not need a lot of qualification to become a UPS package handler as the profession itself do not require any kind of diploma or special training.
- However, having a high school diploma could help you get in due to the reasons that you will have some soft skills which could make your job easier and give a better effort to UPS.
- You also need to have a good physique to handle the hardships of the profession, and some soft skills could definitely help you land the job in the beginning.
- Once you have these required skills, you can directly start applying for the position of UPS Package Handler.
How Many Hours Does UPS Package Handler Work?
UPS Package Handler work is done as a part-time job or seasonal job mostly and they are required to work 3-4 hours a day, which means they work for 20 hours a week approximately.
You can also take up some other part-time work with this job, and the best part is UPS warehouses are present at a wide number of locations.
What is the Starting Pay of UPS Package Handler?
UPS Package Handler’s starting pay is $9.40 an hour or $1,629 per month.
Being a UPS Package Handler, you can earn a maximum of $4,929 a month which is decent for a part-time job role.
UPS Package Handler Training Programs
There are no special training programs for UPS package handlers; when you start working, you get your training on the spot from the seniors for some time, and then you start working on your own once you finish your training program.
UPS itself provides all this, and you learn all their systems during this process and understand what to do.
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Conclusion
To conclude, being a UPS package handler does not take much, and if you have the capacity physically, you can apply to be one.
However, the pay is not so good in general without room to grow in the future if you stay in the same profession.
Thus, many people regard this profession as not the best option out there, but if you like cargo services and want to climb the ladder, it could be a good starting point.
FAQ
How much do UPS package handlers make when they are in training?
When UPS package handlers are in training, they earn the same salary as you would when you are working because you still do the job but just slower with a learning curve.
How much do UPS package handlers make when they finish their training?
Your salary does not change when you finish your training as you will keep working, just on your own.
How much do UPS package handlers make if they have prior experience in UPS?
If you have prior experience with UPS in a different profession, you already might know how things work, so you might be subject to a higher salary.
Shefali Jain is a Content Writer & Editor at USWorkforce.org
After completing her graduation in hospitality, Shefali decided to follow her passion and started writing. Shefali has been writing for two years now and contributes to our website as a skilled editor and content writer with strong research skills. Writing product and service reviews, biographies, and book reviews are some of her key areas, among many others in which she specializes. In her time at the organization, she has written and edited content on a range of topics, including employment law, human resources, and business management.
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