Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks Salary
The median production, planning, and expediting clerks salary in the United States is $59,650 per year ($28.68/hour). Salaries range from $40,080 at the entry level to $86,000+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 390,160 production, planning, and expediting clerks jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to decline 1.8% through 2034.
Last updated: June 2026 Β· Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Median Salary
$59,650
per year
Hourly Rate
$28.68
per hour
Employment
390,160
jobs in the U.S.
Salary Distribution
10th percentile
$40,080
25th percentile
$47,820
Median
$59,650
75th percentile
$75,000
90th percentile
$86,000
Job Growth (2024-2034)
-1.8%
Decline
Annual Openings
34,100
jobs/year (growth + replacements)
Education Required
High school diploma or equivalent
Training Needed
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks Career Guide
Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for production, planning, and expediting clerkss.
Production planners (also called material planners, MRP planners, or expeditors) sit between demand and the shop floor. They release work orders, manage bills of material (BOM), run MRP + ERP transactions (SAP MM/PP, Oracle EBS, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics 365), publish the master production schedule (MPS), monitor capacity, and chase shortages so the line doesn't stop. Employers: Boeing + Lockheed Martin + Raytheon + Northrop Grumman on the aerospace + defense side (long-lead + AS9100 discipline); Ford + GM + Toyota + John Deere + Caterpillar for auto + heavy equipment; Medtronic + J&J + Abbott for medical device (FDA cGMP + serialization); Procter & Gamble + General Mills + Anheuser-Busch + Frito-Lay for CPG. Median $59,650; p10 $40,080 for entry expeditors; p90 $86,000 for CPIM-certified Sr Planners + Master Schedulers at Fortune 500 plants. Employment 390k nationwide. The buyer-planner role sits adjacent β many planners flex between planning + procurement, and APICS CPIM is the industry gold standard.
Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For
MRP / ERP fluency (SAP MM + PP, Oracle EBS, NetSuite, Dynamics 365)
Master data setup (material master, BOM, routing, work center), MRP run analysis (MD02 in SAP), planned-order conversion (CO40, MD04), work-order release, ATP checking, shortage reports (MB52, MB5T), transfer orders. SAP MM + PP is the most common enterprise stack; NetSuite + Dynamics dominate mid-market.
Bill of Materials (BOM) + engineering change (ECN / ECO) management
Read a multi-level BOM (indented, phantom, alternate items), understand where-used (CS15 in SAP), manage ECN / ECO cut-in dates, work-order rework routings. BOM accuracy is the single biggest lever on MRP output quality β a broken BOM produces broken plans forever.
Master Production Schedule (MPS) + rough-cut capacity planning (RCCP)
Weekly MPS balance against demand forecast + safety stock + firm orders. RCCP compares required work-center hours to available capacity. If overload > 15%, rebalance β pull-in, push-out, add OT, add capacity, or negotiate demand.
Lead-time management (procurement + manufacturing + total)
Firm supplier lead times, MOQs, safety stock strategy, min/max, ABC segmentation (A items daily attention, B weekly, C monthly). Long-lead aerospace items (forgings, castings, semiconductors) run 20-70 weeks β planned via long-term agreements + kanban.
Work-order release + shop-floor coordination
Release the work order only when kit is complete (all components physically available in the picking area). Coordinate with Production Supervisor + Materials + Warehouse on kit walkdowns, missing components, and pick-list variances. WMS handshake with ERP is where escapes happen.
Shortage management + expediting
Daily shortage report; call the supplier, escalate to buyer, expedite the ocean-to-air upgrade if needed, offer partial shipments. Chase inbound trucks by BOL + ASN; work with warehouse on receipt priority. Every hour a line goes down without a plan is a career-limiting event.
APICS CPIM + Six Sigma Green Belt discipline
APICS CPIM (Certified in Planning + Inventory Management) is the industry-standard credential β 2 exams (Basics of SCM + Planning + Inventory). Six Sigma Green Belt for process-improvement projects (cycle-count accuracy, MPS attainment, shortage-hour reduction).
Excel + Power BI + basic SQL for reporting
Pivot tables, VLOOKUP / XLOOKUP, INDEX / MATCH, Power Query, Power Pivot. Power BI dashboards for MPS attainment, shortage-hours, cycle-count accuracy, past-due work orders. Basic SQL for pulling ERP data directly when the standard reports don't fit.
How to Become a Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks
- 1Get an associate or bachelor's degree (Supply Chain, Ops Mgmt, Business, IE)Not strictly required at entry β many planners come up from Materials, Warehouse, or Production. A BS in Supply Chain / IE opens salaried roles faster and is the standard for Sr Planner + Master Scheduler tracks at Boeing, Ford, Medtronic.
- 2Start as a Materials Handler / Expeditor / Buyer-Planner Assistant$40-52k entry. Learn one ERP well (SAP or Oracle usually); own daily shortage reports, WOs, and cycle-count discrepancies. First promotion typically to Production Planner within 12-24 months.
- 3Move into a full Production / Material Planner role$55-72k. Own a product line or a segment of the BOM. Run MRP, release WOs, publish weekly MPS, own shortage escalations.
- 4Earn APICS CPIM (2-exam path)Basics of Supply Chain Management + Planning + Inventory Management. Roughly $1200-1800 in exam + prep costs. CPIM is what separates Planner from Sr Planner and unlocks the buyer-planner cross-track.
- 5Advance to Sr Planner β Master Scheduler β Supply Chain Manager$75-115k Sr; $95-135k Master Scheduler; $120-175k Manager. Master Scheduler owns the plant-level MPS and represents planning at S&OP. Career fork: Supply Chain Mgr (people leadership) or IBP / S&OP Analyst (analytical depth).
Career Progression
Materials Handler / Expeditor / Buyer-Planner Assistant
0-2 yrs$40-52k ($19-25/hr non-exempt)
- β’Run daily shortage reports; chase inbound receipts; expedite critical items
- β’Support MRP + WO release process; walk down kits with warehouse before WO release
- β’Cycle-count discrepancy resolution; maintain material master accuracy
- β’Support 1-2 Sr Planners on data pulls, cycle counts, and shop-floor walkdowns
Next: Production Planner at 1-3 years with ERP fluency + CPIM Part 1.
Production Planner / Material Planner
2-6 yrs$55-72k ($27-35/hr non-exempt or salaried $58-72k)
- β’Own the plan for a product line or a defined BOM segment
- β’Run MRP weekly; convert planned orders; release work orders in kit-complete state
- β’Publish weekly MPS + shortage reports; participate in daily production stand-up
- β’Interface with buyers, suppliers, engineering (ECN/ECO cut-in), and shop-floor supervisors
Next: Sr Planner / Master Scheduler track at 4-8 years with full CPIM + Green Belt.
Sr Planner / Master Scheduler
5-10 yrs$75-115k salaried
- β’Own the plant-level MPS across all product lines
- β’Represent planning in monthly S&OP + IBP cycles with sales + operations + finance
- β’Own capacity planning (RCCP + finite scheduling in SAP APO / Kinaxis / Anaplan)
- β’Lead ERP configuration changes; own MRP parameters (safety stock, lot-sizing, lead-times)
Next: Supply Chain Manager / Planning Manager at 8-13 years.
Supply Chain Manager / Planning Manager / IBP Lead
8+ yrs$110-175k salaried + bonus + LTIP at F500
- β’Lead a planning team of 4-15 planners + master schedulers
- β’Own site-level supply plan; represent the plant at corporate S&OP + IBP
- β’Drive digital-transformation projects (SAP APO β IBP, Kinaxis Rapid Response, o9 Solutions)
- β’Career fork: stay in Supply Chain (Sr Mgr β Director β VP Ops / VP SC $200-450k+) or move to Ops / Procurement / Finance
Next: Director Supply Chain ($150-235k+) β VP Ops / VP SC ($225-450k+).
Interview Questions & Answers
5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 13 total plus resume bullets for every level.
Q1. Walk me through how you'd release a work order in SAP.technical
Verify demand β the planned order came from an MRP run against a firm demand element (sales order, forecast, or MPS). Check the BOM in CS03 β is the revision current, are all components active, any ECN cut-in coming? Check availability in MD04 β every component in stock or on a firm receipt before the required date. If not, escalate or wait; do not release a partial kit. Convert planned order to work order in CO40; kit walk with warehouse; production supervisor sign-off; release in CO02. Print the pick list + routing card. Update the MPS attainment tracker. Interviewer screen: do you understand that WO release without a complete kit creates shop-floor chaos, not throughput?
Q2. Describe a time you kept a production line running through a shortage.behavioral
STAR. Situation: a semiconductor shortage on a supplier PO 4 weeks late; line runs out Friday. Task: keep the line running until stock arrived. Action: (1) contacted the supplier + escalated to their VP Sales; (2) sourced 2 weeks of buffer from a sister plant (transfer order); (3) worked with engineering on an approved-alternate part number that we had in stock; (4) rebuilt the WO release sequence to prioritize non-affected products; (5) daily war-room with buyer + production supervisor + shop-floor lead. Result: zero line-down, saved ~$180k in idle labor, and the approved alternate got added to the BOM for future flexibility. Interviewer screen: can you own a shortage or do you punt to your manager?
Q3. How does MRP work β walk me through the algorithm.technical
MRP takes demand (independent β sales orders + forecast + safety stock) and explodes it through the BOM (dependent demand). For each level of the BOM, MRP nets against on-hand + open receipts + planned receipts, offsets by lead-time, and creates planned orders. Planned orders can be firmed + converted to purchase requisitions (buy items) or planned production orders (make items). Lot-sizing rules (lot-for-lot, fixed lot, EOQ) determine batch quantity. Interviewer screen: do you understand the netting logic, or just the button-clicks?
Q4. How do you handle a Sales rep who's promising a customer a delivery date you can't hit?situational
Respectful but firm. Pull the current planned-order or WO ATP; show the constraint (lead-time, material shortage, capacity constraint). Offer options: (1) partial ship, (2) split PO, (3) expedite at customer's cost, (4) an approved-alternate configuration. Escalate to Supply Chain Mgr + Sales Mgr if the rep won't back down. Never promise a date you can't hit β that's how planners get fired. Interviewer screen: can you defend the schedule with data + partnership, or do you just fold?
Q5. Why planning?culture
Honest answers that land: I like the puzzle of matching demand to supply with constraints on both sides. I like the daily rhythm β shortage reports, WO release, MPS attainment β and the strategic swing at monthly S&OP. I want a career track (Planner β Sr β Master Scheduler β Manager β Director) with a clear ladder. Avoid: 'I want a desk job.' Hiring managers hear that as low motivation for the shop-floor discipline that planning actually requires.
Resume Template β Entry Planner / Expeditor / Buyer-Planner Assistant (0-2 yrs)
Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.
Entry Planner / Expeditor / Buyer-Planner Assistant (0-2 yrs)
- βΈRan daily shortage report on 480-part product line at Ford supplier; cut past-due WOs from 42 to 8 in 6 months.
- βΈManaged cycle-count discrepancy resolution for $3.2M inventory; drove accuracy from 92% to 98.5% in 12 months.
- βΈSAP MM + PP proficient β MD04, MB52, CO40, CS03, ME21N, and 15+ standard reports.
- βΈAPICS CPIM Part 1 (Basics of Supply Chain Management) certified; BS Supply Chain expected FY26.
What Gets You Rejected
- βReleases work orders on incomplete kits β creates line stops downstream, kills MPS attainment.
- βNo ERP fluency β cannot demo an MRP run, BOM read, or availability check in the interview.
- βCannot articulate MRP netting logic β signals a 'button-clicker' who doesn't understand the algorithm.
- βSloppy shortage escalation β waits until Thursday to flag a Friday line-down. Timing matters.
- βDoesn't walk the shop floor β sits at the desk and complains about data quality without partnering with warehouse + production.
- βCannot defend the schedule against Sales pressure β folds on ATP dates that create broken promises.
Salary Negotiation Levers
- βAPICS CPIM certification worth $8-15k over uncertified peers; CSCP + CLTD add $6-12k more.
- βSAP MM/PP or Oracle EBS deep experience is a 10-20% premium; Kinaxis / o9 / Blue Yonder / Anaplan APO experience is a 15-30% premium.
- βIndustry: aerospace + medical device pay 10-15% more than CPG + food; regulated industries reward compliance depth.
- βMetro premium: Seattle (Boeing), Southeast auto corridor, Midwest CPG, Northeast pharma β market rates vary by 15-30%.
- βMaster Scheduler + IBP Lead titles typically pay $15-30k more than 'Sr Planner' β negotiate title as much as base.
- βOT eligibility: exempt Sr Planners lose OT; hourly Sr Planners can add $8-20k on peak launches. Choose based on your plant's OT reality.
- βSign-on: $5-15k for SAP APO / Kinaxis specialists in tight metros; higher for direct hires into replatform projects.
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks Resume Review β $29
Personalized resume review from someone who has hired production, planning, and expediting clerkss. Purchase, email your resume to support@weblabra.com, and receive detailed written feedback within 7 days.
- β Occupation-specific critique (not generic)
- β Rewrite suggestions for weak bullets
- β Missing skills / keywords flagged
- β Formatting + ATS-readability feedback
- β 7-day turnaround, 100% refund if we miss it
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks Career Kit β $19
- β All 13 interview questions with expert answers
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- β 3 copy-paste salary negotiation emails
- β Resume bullets for every level of the career ladder
- β 30β60β90 day plan for your first role
- β Cover letter templates specific to this occupation
- β Detailed salary negotiation script
- β Ranked list of certifications with cost + ROI
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Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks Salary by State
Best Cities (cost-adjusted) βSalary Map β Click a state for details
$50K$77Kβ No data
Top Paying States
Washington
$77K
+29%
District of Columbia
$73K
+22%
Wyoming
$70K
+17%
Rhode Island
$65K
+9%
Colorado
$64K
+7%
Hawaii
$64K
+7%
Connecticut
$63K
+6%
California
$63K
+6%
New Jersey
$63K
+5%
Delaware
$63K
+5%
Vertical line = national median. Click a state for full details.
| State | Median | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $77,190 | +29.4% |
| District of Columbia | $72,660 | +21.8% |
| Wyoming | $69,710 | +16.9% |
| Rhode Island | $65,310 | +9.5% |
| Colorado | $63,980 | +7.3% |
| Hawaii | $63,780 | +6.9% |
| Connecticut | $63,240 | +6.0% |
| California | $63,000 | +5.6% |
| New Jersey | $62,710 | +5.1% |
| Delaware | $62,700 | +5.1% |
Showing 1β10 of 51
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks Salary by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Median | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Idaho Falls, ID | $83,790 | +40.5% |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $81,850 | +37.2% |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $76,900 | +28.9% |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $76,500 | +28.2% |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $76,070 | +27.5% |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | $75,190 | +26.1% |
| Bay City, MI | $74,030 | +24.1% |
| Decatur, IL | $73,680 | +23.5% |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | $70,610 | +18.4% |
| Carson City, NV | $69,930 | +17.2% |
Showing 1β10 of 380
Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.
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