Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks
Also called: Backroom Associate, Booking Clerk, Break Out Man, Break Out Worker, Car Checker, Cloth Booker, Container Coordinator, Disposition Clerk
Verify and maintain records on incoming and outgoing shipments involving inventory.
What shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks do
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Deliver or route materials to departments using handtruck, conveyor, or sorting bins.
- Contact carrier representatives to make arrangements or to issue instructions for shipping and delivery of materials.
- Determine shipping methods, routes, or rates for materials to be shipped.
- Compute amounts, such as space available, shipping, storage, or demurrage charges, using computer or price list.
- Compare shipping routes or methods to determine which have the least environmental impact.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks salary
The median annual wage for shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks is $45,260 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $34,650 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $62,190. The mean annual wage is $46,810.
The mean hourly wage of $22.00 is 3.0× 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 Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $45,260 → in 3 years $48,500 → in 5 years $50,700 → in 10 years $56,800 (10-year range $48,900–$66,000). The model assumes pay growth of +2.3% 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 Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory 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 Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory 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 Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory 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
| Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks United States | 出荷・受荷事務 Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $45,260 | ¥5.44M ≈ $34,569 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $56,800 | ¥6.31M |
| Outlook score | 25 | 42 |
| AI replacement risk | 54% Moderate | 76% High |
| Workers | 817K | — |
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 Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory 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 shipping, receiving, and inventory 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 shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.