Warehouse & Logistics Jobs in Los Angeles, CA

Every container that lands at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro has to be unloaded, sorted and trucked somewhere, and much of that work happens in the warehouses between the harbor and Vernon. The guides below cover every warehouse and logistics role in Los Angeles, who is hiring and what it pays.

Forklift Operator Jobs Material Handler Jobs Warehouse Associate Jobs

Why Warehouse & Logistics Work Is Different in Los Angeles

The Port of Los Angeles, in the Harbor communities of San Pedro and Wilmington, is the nation's No. 1 container port, and the Alameda Corridor carries its freight about 20 miles north by rail to downtown, through or past Carson, Compton, Vernon and the city itself. Warehouses, cross-docks and plants line that route. Vernon, five miles south of downtown, was incorporated in 1905 as an exclusively industrial city, and Commerce, City of Industry and Santa Fe Springs to the east hold the food, grocery and metals distribution centers that do much of the hiring. In the Valley, Sylmar adds beverage distribution.

The hiring mix is what sets LA apart: food and beverage distributors that run evening and overnight shifts, LTL freight terminals that pay dock crews $26 to $32 an hour, metals service centers in Santa Fe Springs, and hospital materials teams at Cedars-Sinai and Keck Medicine of USC. The City of Los Angeles minimum wage is $18.42 an hour from July 1, 2026, above the state's $16.90, and California's warehouse quota law requires large distribution centers to give workers a written description of any productivity quota and bars quotas that cut into meal, rest or bathroom breaks.

Top Warehouse & Logistics Employers in Los Angeles

These employers are posting warehouse and logistics jobs in the Los Angeles area on their own career sites:

  • The Home Depot - hires freight and receiving associates at city stores in South LA and Van Nuys and at Contractors' Warehouse locations in Commerce and Carson.
  • UNFI - the grocery wholesaler staffs union evening-shift selectors at its Santa Fe Springs distribution center.
  • Martin Brower - the restaurant supply distributor hires warehouse order selectors in City of Industry.
  • Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling - the bottler hires order builders and loaders at its Sylmar warehouse.
  • XPO - the LTL freight carrier hires night forklift operators at its Santa Fe Springs terminal.
  • Nucor Warehouse Systems - the steel racking maker hires shipping forklift operators at its plant in the 90058 industrial zone.
  • Cedars-Sinai - the medical center hires materials handlers and inventory coordinators in Los Angeles and West Hollywood.

Warehouse & Logistics Career Paths in Los Angeles

  • Warehouse floor and fulfillment - Warehouse Associate, Order Picker and Packer, Fulfillment Associate. The entry point, with on-the-job training at distributors and retailers across the city.
  • Equipment and material movement - Forklift Operator, Material Handler. Certified equipment work at plants, freight terminals and hospitals, and the fastest route to a raise.
  • Inventory and receiving - Shipping and Receiving Clerk, Inventory Specialist. Paperwork, counts and system entries for workers who are accurate with detail.
  • Logistics office - Logistics Coordinator, Supply Chain Coordinator. Planning and freight coordination tied to the port economy, often after a logistics certificate.

How to Start a Warehouse & Logistics Career in Los Angeles

  • Cal/OSHA forklift training - required before anyone drives a forklift or reach truck. Under Title 8, Section 3668 your employer trains, evaluates and certifies you, and re-evaluates you at least every three years. You must be 18.
  • LAUSD Harbor Occupational Center - 740 N Pacific Ave, San Pedro: a 25-hour Warehouse Operations - Forklift course covering forklifts, pallet jacks, narrow-aisle reach trucks and order selectors.
  • Cal State Dominguez Hills Global Logistics Certificate - Carson: six courses, about 70 classroom hours, finished in under four months.
  • Cal State Long Beach Global Logistics Professional - a two-course program with online work and Saturday sessions, offered twice a year.
  • Los Angeles Harbor College Global Trade and Logistics - credit and non-credit study in trade and logistics.

Only the employer's forklift training and evaluation is legally required, and only for jobs that involve powered trucks; California has no state license for warehouse or logistics work, and the school programs are employer preferences that can speed up hiring and promotion.

Warehouse & Logistics Salaries in Los Angeles

  • Entry - about $19 to $23 an hour for warehouse associates, loaders and freight and receiving associates.
  • Mid - about $23 to $28 an hour for union selectors, forklift operators and material handlers at plants and distributors.
  • Senior - about $27 to $41 an hour for LTL dock crews, leads and material handlers at advanced manufacturers.

These are estimates from current employer postings and 2025 federal wage data for the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro, where medians ran from $17.98 an hour for hand packers and $20.38 for hand freight movers to $22.11 for shipping and receiving clerks and $22.41 for forklift and industrial truck operators. Food and grocery distributors and freight carriers pay the most for evening and night work, and hospital and manufacturing employers tend to offer steadier day shifts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are the warehouse jobs in Los Angeles?

Most sit along the Alameda Corridor between the port in San Pedro and Wilmington and downtown, including Carson, Compton and Vernon. Commerce, City of Industry and Santa Fe Springs to the east hold many distribution centers, and Sylmar has warehouse work in the Valley.

Do you need a license for warehouse work in Los Angeles?

No. California has no license for warehouse or logistics jobs. Forklift and reach truck operators must be trained, evaluated and certified by their employer under Cal/OSHA rules, and must be at least 18.

How much do warehouse jobs pay in Los Angeles?

Entry jobs commonly pay $19 to $23 an hour, union selectors and forklift operators earn about $23 to $28, and LTL dock crews post $26 to $32. Anyone working inside city limits must be paid at least the City of Los Angeles minimum wage of $18.42.

Do LA warehouses have productivity quotas?

Many do. California's warehouse quota law covers large distribution centers, which must give you a written description of each quota and cannot set one that stops you from taking meal and rest breaks or using the bathroom.

Where can I get forklift or logistics training in Los Angeles?

LAUSD's Harbor Occupational Center in San Pedro runs a 25-hour forklift course, and many employers train on the job. For the office side, Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State Long Beach offer logistics certificates, and Los Angeles Harbor College has a Global Trade and Logistics program.

Ready to get started? Browse all current warehouse and logistics job openings in Los Angeles, CA on LocalJobPage.