Savannah, GA — A wave of wage competition is sweeping through Savannah’s warehouse and logistics sector, and it’s reshaping the labor landscape for fulfillment and distribution operations across the region. As large employers like Amazon, Target, UPS, and now Hyundai’s mega site increase pay and expand their headcount, mid-sized facilities are finding it harder to compete—leading to high turnover, rising labor costs, and missed service-level targets.

Big Players Drive Up Wages

Amazon is offering warehouse associates in the Savannah area an average of $17.46 per hour, with rates pushing closer to $18 depending on shift and location. These numbers reflect a broader regional trend. According to CBRE, the average hourly wage for warehouse workers in Savannah has risen to approximately $17.70, matching the national average for similar positions.

This is no accident. The area is becoming one of the Southeast’s most critical logistics hubs, and with more than 80 distribution centers already in operation, competition for labor has hit a fever pitch. The recent addition of Hyundai’s massive manufacturing complex—expected to employ over 8,000 people directly and tens of thousands more indirectly—is set to escalate the labor crunch further.

Smaller Operations Are Feeling the Squeeze

For mid-sized and independently operated warehouses, this ‘wage war’ is more than a line-item problem—it’s a structural one. Many simply can’t match the pay rates or benefits packages of national corporations, leading to chronic hiring gaps, low engagement, and ballooning overtime costs.

Even when these facilities do manage to hire, they often face retention issues. New hires are quick to jump ship for higher hourly wages, creating a revolving door that saps productivity and adds training burdens. The result: fulfillment targets are missed, customer satisfaction suffers, and margins shrink.

Every Season Is Now Peak Season

What makes this situation more urgent is the shift in demand dynamics. Thanks to ongoing growth at the Port of Savannah—now the fourth-largest in the U.S.—logistics activity has become a year-round surge. E-commerce and retail fulfillment operations are under continuous pressure to move goods quickly, with little time for traditional hiring cycles or seasonal ramp-ups.

In this environment, relying on temp labor or reactive staffing is proving ineffective. What operations managers need is a labor model that’s flexible, scalable, and designed for consistency—without entering bidding wars every quarter.

How iJility Offers an Alternative to the Wage War

At iJility, we help operations managers break out of the cycle of reactive hiring and wage-driven churn. Our approach is built on understanding the long-term needs of each client and building a customized workforce model that aligns with throughput goals and budget constraints.

We don’t provide temporary help. We provide consistency. By embedding cross-trained teams and training programs directly into your operations, we help stabilize labor quality while giving you the flexibility to scale up or down based on real-time demand.

What We Deliver:

• Predictable, right-fit labor that doesn’t walk out for a dollar more
• Faster training and onboarding that keeps productivity high
• Reduced overtime and turnover through workforce engagement
• A long-term workforce strategy—not short-term patches

Let’s Talk Workforce Strategy

Savannah’s labor market isn’t going to get easier—but you can get smarter about how you compete. If your operation is stuck in a cycle of wage hikes, quick fixes, and missed KPIs, it’s time to look at a new model.

📞 Schedule a discovery call today to learn how iJility can help you build a workforce that works—no bidding wars required.