Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks
Also called: Advertising Dispatch Clerk, Aircraft Log Clerk, Alterations Workroom Clerk, Assignment Agent, Assignment Clerk, Automated Logistical Specialist, Back Shoe Worker, Batch Records Clerk
Coordinate and expedite the flow of work and materials within or between departments of an establishment according to production schedule.
What production, planning, and expediting clerks do
Typical tasks
- Distribute production schedules or work orders to departments.
- Revise production schedules when required due to design changes, labor or material shortages, backlogs, or other interruptions, collaborating with management, marketing, sales, production, or engineering.
- Review documents, such as production schedules, work orders, or staffing tables, to determine personnel or materials requirements or material priorities.
- Arrange for delivery, assembly, or distribution of supplies or parts to expedite flow of materials and meet production schedules.
- Confer with establishment personnel, vendors, or customers to coordinate production or shipping activities and to resolve complaints or eliminate delays.
- Requisition and maintain inventories of materials or supplies necessary to meet production demands.
- Confer with department supervisors or other personnel to assess progress and discuss needed changes.
- Plan production commitments or timetables for business units, specific programs, or jobs, using sales forecasts.
- Compile information, such as production rates and progress, materials inventories, materials used, or customer information, so that status reports can be completed.
- Examine documents, materials, or products and monitor work processes to assess completeness, accuracy, and conformance to standards and specifications.
- Compile and prepare documentation related to production sequences, transportation, personnel schedules, or purchase, maintenance, or repair orders.
- Calculate figures, such as required amounts of labor or materials, manufacturing costs, or wages, using pricing schedules, adding machines, calculators, or computers.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks salary
The median annual wage for production, planning, and expediting clerks is $59,650 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $40,080 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $86,000. The mean annual wage is $62,150.
The mean hourly wage of $29.00 is 4.0× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $59,650 → in 3 years $63,600 → in 5 years $66,300 → in 10 years $73,700 (10-year range $63,400–$85,500). The model assumes pay growth of +2.1% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks United States | 生産・工程管理事務 Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $59,650 | ¥5.44M ≈ $34,569 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $73,700 | ¥6.35M |
| Outlook score | 34 | 45 |
| AI replacement risk | 70% High | 74% High |
| Workers | 390K | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become production, planning, and expediting clerks
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as production, planning, and expediting clerks
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.