Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks

Verify and maintain records on incoming and outgoing shipments involving inventory. Duties include verifying and recording incoming merchandise or material and arranging for the transportation of products. May prepare items for shipment.

What you'd actually do

• Examine shipment contents and compare with records, such as manifests, invoices, or orders, to verify accuracy.
• Requisition and store shipping materials and supplies to maintain inventory of stock.
• Prepare documents, such as work orders, bills of lading, or shipping orders, to route materials.
• Pack, seal, label, or affix postage to prepare materials for shipping, using hand tools, power tools, or postage meter.
• Record shipment data, such as weight, charges, space availability, damages, or discrepancies, for reporting, accounting, or recordkeeping purposes.
• Confer or correspond with establishment representatives to rectify problems, such as damages, shortages, or nonconformance to specifications.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

The feel of the work

The work splits time indoors and out; time pressure is a real part of the job. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 0.6% of shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are organized and detail-focused, hands-on and take-charge.

Related careers

• Brokerage Clerks
• First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers
• Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants
• Office Clerks, General
• Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other
• Customer Service Representatives

Quick questions

How much does a shipping, receiving, and inventory clerk make?

The median pay is $21.76 per hour — roughly $45,500 a year, with the real range running from about $16.66/hr (10th percentile) to $29.90/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a shipping, receiving, and inventory clerk?

The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

What does a shipping, receiving, and inventory clerk actually do all day?

Examine shipment contents and compare with records, such as manifests, invoices, or orders, to verify accuracy. Requisition and store shipping materials and supplies to maintain inventory of stock. Prepare documents, such as work orders, bills of lading, or shipping orders, to route materials.