Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks Salary

The median shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks salary in the United States is $45,260 per year ($21.76/hour). Salaries range from $34,650 at the entry level to $62,190+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 816,870 shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to decline 7.7% through 2034.

Last updated: June 2026 Β· Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Median Salary
$45,260
per year
Hourly Rate
$21.76
per hour
Employment
816,870
jobs in the U.S.

Salary Distribution

10th percentile
$34,650
25th percentile
$38,200
Median
$45,260
75th percentile
$51,570
90th percentile
$62,190

Job Growth (2024-2034)

-7.7%
Decline

Annual Openings

69,300
jobs/year (growth + replacements)

Education Required

High school diploma or equivalent

Training Needed

Short-term on-the-job training

Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks Career Guide

Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for shipping, receiving, and inventory clerkss.

Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks run the paperwork and data flow on the dock β€” verifying inbound freight against BOLs, staging outbound loads, cycle-counting warehouse inventory, and keeping the WMS (SAP EWM, Manhattan Associates, Oracle WMS, Blue Yonder) accurate. Employers span retailer DCs (Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Costco), 3PL warehouses (XPO Logistics, GXO, DHL Supply Chain, Ryder), Amazon fulfillment / sortation centers, food distribution (Sysco, US Foods, McLane), manufacturing (auto parts, medical devices, aerospace). Compensation follows shift and specialty: entry $34-40k on day shift, $40-46k with a shift differential on nights or weekends; established $46-55k; senior lead / WMS super-user / inventory-control specialist $58-72k. Median $45,260; 10th percentile $34,650; 90th percentile $62,190. Employment 816,870. This is one of the largest job categories in logistics and one of the most reliable entry points into supply chain careers β€” many warehouse supervisors and inventory managers started here.

Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For

WMS proficiency (SAP EWM, Manhattan, Oracle WMS, Blue Yonder, HighJump)
The WMS is the daily source of truth. Fluency in put-away, pick-confirm, cycle-count, transfer, and adjustment transactions separates a clerk from a lead. Amazon uses proprietary FC OS; Walmart uses a customized RXM stack; XPO and Ryder deploy Manhattan and Blue Yonder.
Receiving: BOL / packing-slip / ASN verification
Bill of Lading (BOL) is the legal document β€” driver signs on delivery. Verify against the ASN (Advance Shipping Notice) in the WMS and the physical count. Note over/short/damaged (OS&D) on the BOL BEFORE the driver leaves; anything after that is a customer-service problem, not a receiving problem.
Cycle counting & inventory accuracy
ABC cycle counts β€” A items counted monthly, B items quarterly, C items annually. Wall-to-wall physical inventory once a year for finance. Root-cause discrepancies (pick error? put-away error? theft? unit-of-measure mix-up?) rather than adjusting blindly β€” adjustments without root cause hide the real problem.
Outbound staging & load planning
Pallet sequencing on the trailer (LIFO for stops), weight distribution front-to-back, load-securement using straps and load bars, sealing outbound trailers with the seal number logged in the WMS and on the BOL. Under-utilized cube costs the shipper money β€” pack tight and pack right.
Forklift / powered industrial truck (PIT) operation with OSHA certification
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178 requires certification per equipment type β€” sit-down counterbalance, reach truck, order picker, pallet jack. Most warehouses run 3-4 equipment types; certified on all makes you more flexible. Re-cert every 3 years.
RF scanner discipline & label reading
Zebra / Honeywell handhelds run the WMS front-end. Scan the LPN (License Plate Number) on the pallet, scan the location, confirm the count. Never freehand β€” the failure mode is 'I know it's here' and skipping the scan, which drives inventory error.
SOP / safety compliance
Dock plate before pallet jack, chock the trailer wheels, wear the reflective vest, keep aisles clear of pedestrians, PIT stops at intersections. Warehouse OSHA fatalities are almost always struck-by (pedestrian vs forklift) or fall-from-height (loading dock or order picker). Follow the SOP.

How to Become a Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks

  1. 1
    High school diploma or GED (some employers accept without) β€” start as a warehouse associate
    $16-19/hr entry warehouse work at Amazon, Walmart, Target DCs, Home Depot DCs, and 3PLs. Pick / pack / put-away first, receiving and shipping clerk after 6-12 months.
  2. 2
    Earn OSHA forklift certification (sit-down + reach truck)
    Employer-paid on-site in most cases; $150-250 out-of-pocket at a certified trainer if you're doing it yourself. Certified operators earn $1-3/hr more and get first-crack at internal clerk postings.
  3. 3
    Move into the receiving / shipping / inventory clerk seat
    $19-24/hr ($40-50k with OT and shift differential). Learn the WMS, learn the BOL / ASN / packing-slip flow, own OS&D reporting. This is where 50% of dock supervisors spent their first year.
  4. 4
    Add a WMS specialty, a cycle-count / inventory-control role, or a hazmat / customs specialty
    $23-28/hr ($52-65k). WMS super-users write the SOPs and train new hires. Inventory-control specialists own the ABC count program and root-cause discrepancies. Hazmat / customs clerks handle IMO / DOT / CBP paperwork.
  5. 5
    Advance to warehouse lead, inventory supervisor, or WMS admin / logistics analyst
    $58-85k warehouse lead / inventory supervisor; $65-95k WMS admin, logistics analyst, or supply chain associate. Many APICS CPIM / CSCP certified clerks step onto the desk side (procurement, planning, buying).

Career Progression

Warehouse Associate / Order Picker (0-1 yr)
0-1 yrs$32-40k ($16-19/hr) + shift differential
  • β€’Pick pack-out orders from the WMS to a printed or RF pick-sheet; hit target lines-per-hour (LPH)
  • β€’Put-away inbound freight to bin locations by system-directed slot
  • β€’Perform basic cycle counts on assigned zone as time permits
  • β€’Follow safety SOP β€” reflective vest, forklift-pedestrian separation, PPE
Next: Shipping/receiving clerk at 6-12 months once forklift cert and WMS fluency are strong.
Shipping / Receiving / Inventory Clerk (1-4 yrs)
1-4 yrs$42-52k ($19-24/hr) + shift differential + OT
  • β€’Verify inbound BOL vs ASN vs physical, log OS&D before driver leaves
  • β€’Stage outbound loads, seal trailers, generate BOL and match against WMS orders
  • β€’Run cycle counts (A items monthly, B quarterly, C annually) and log discrepancies
  • β€’Train new hires on WMS transactions, RF scanner protocol, PIT safety
Next: Senior clerk / inventory-control specialist at 3-5 years with a specialty.
Senior Clerk / Inventory Control Specialist / WMS Super-User (4-8 yrs)
4-8 yrs$52-64k ($24-30/hr) + differential + OT
  • β€’Own the ABC cycle-count program and drive inventory accuracy above 99.5%
  • β€’Write and maintain SOPs; train new hires on WMS transactions
  • β€’Escalation point for OS&D disputes, freight claims, and vendor compliance chargebacks
  • β€’Interface with the vendor on ASN cleanliness and inbound schedule adherence
Next: Warehouse lead / inventory supervisor at 6-10 years, or move to logistics analyst.
Warehouse Lead / Inventory Supervisor / Logistics Analyst (8+ yrs)
8+ yrs$58-85k salaried + bonus + benefits
  • β€’Manage 8-25 clerks and associates across a shift or a zone
  • β€’Own KPIs β€” inventory accuracy, receiving throughput, dock-to-stock, damage %
  • β€’Own vendor compliance program and OS&D chargeback recovery
  • β€’Feed logistics analytics β€” dock-to-stock time, ASN accuracy, chargeback trend
Next: Warehouse manager, inventory manager, or transition to buyer / planner / demand planner.

Interview Questions & Answers

5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 18 total plus resume bullets for every level.

Q1. Walk me through the receiving process from a truck backing to the dock to the goods being put away.technical
Structure it as the SOP flow: (1) Confirm the appointment in the WMS or dock-scheduling tool β€” verify carrier, PO, ASN. (2) Chock the trailer, deploy the dock plate, break the seal in the driver's presence and log the seal number. (3) Pull the BOL and packing slip, verify carrier name, PO#, piece count, weight against the ASN in the WMS. (4) Physically break down the load pallet-by-pallet β€” count, condition-check, note damage in real time on the BOL. (5) Log OS&D (over / short / damaged) on the BOL BEFORE the driver leaves and get the driver's signature acknowledging. (6) Receive into the WMS by LPN, and the WMS system-directs put-away to bin locations. (7) Put away by RF scanner, confirm the bin location. Interviewers want to hear the specific documents (BOL, ASN, packing slip) and the specific step where OS&D gets caught β€” before the driver leaves.
Q2. You cycle-count a bin and the physical is 4 short of the WMS on-hand. What do you do?technical
Never just adjust and move on. Root-cause first: (1) Recount the bin, including any nearby overflow. (2) Check the item's transaction history in the WMS β€” recent picks, put-aways, transfers, adjustments. Is the item a unit-of-measure mix-up (each vs case)? (3) Check for miss-slot β€” did another SKU end up in this bin? (4) Check for pick error on a recent outbound β€” did someone pick 4 more than the pick-sheet showed? (5) Escalate to inventory control if root cause not found β€” a repeat pattern is a training or SOP problem, not a one-time miscount. Only after root-cause, adjust in the WMS with a documented reason code. Interviewers want to hear you name specific root-cause categories, not 'I'd count again then adjust.'
Q3. Tell me about a time you caught a mistake before it became a customer problem.behavioral
STAR. Situation: outbound load staged for a top-10 customer; BOL called for 22 pallets but the trailer only had 21 physically on it. Task: catch the miss before the driver sealed and left. Action: I did a physical pallet re-count against the outbound BOL as part of my seal-and-close SOP, spotted the miss, walked back to the pick zone with the pick sheet, and found the missing pallet still staged in the wrong lane. Result: correct load out, no short-ship chargeback (which would have run $2,400 under our vendor-compliance program), and I raised the missing lane's slotting issue to the supervisor. Interviewers want to hear the specific number, the specific document, and the specific SOP step that caught it.
Q4. Why warehouse clerk and not driver or corporate warehouse office?culture
The honest answer that resonates: you like the hands-on and the data both β€” you're not a pure driver, you're not a desk clerk. Say you've thought about CDL / driver work and the on-road life doesn't fit; you've thought about corporate supply chain and want the operational experience first. Naming the career path β€” 'clerk β†’ lead β†’ supervisor β†’ operations manager, or clerk β†’ APICS CPIM β†’ planner β†’ buyer' β€” signals you've thought about the progression, not that this is just a paycheck.
Q5. How would you handle a supervisor telling you to receive a load without a full BOL / ASN reconciliation?situational
Push back respectfully. Say: 'I want to make sure we don't take a chargeback on this β€” can I finish the OS&D check before the driver leaves? It's 5 minutes.' If the supervisor still says no, do the check quickly anyway, and note in the WMS receiving log that reconciliation was time-pressured. Do NOT sign off on a load you didn't verify β€” your name on the BOL is what gets called in six months when the customer disputes. Interviewers screen for candidates who protect the paperwork trail even under pressure.

Resume Template β€” Shipping / Receiving Clerk (1-4 yrs)

Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.

Shipping / Receiving Clerk (1-4 yrs)
  • β–ΈReceiving clerk on the AM inbound dock at a 780k-sqft 3PL DC; processed 42-58 inbound trailers/week against SAP EWM with 99.7% first-pass BOL accuracy.
  • β–ΈReduced OS&D chargebacks 34% in 12 months by tightening seal-verification and pre-driver-departure count SOPs.
  • β–ΈCertified OSHA forklift (sit-down counterbalance + reach truck + pallet jack). SAP EWM super-user; trained 8 new clerks on receiving transactions.
  • β–Έ$50k gross ($22.50/hr + $1.50 shift differential + OT). HS diploma + APICS CSCP part 1 completed.

What Gets You Rejected

  • βœ—Cannot describe the difference between BOL, ASN, and packing slip β€” signals no real receiving-dock experience.
  • βœ—History of forklift accidents, OSHA-recordable incidents, or working-at-height violations.
  • βœ—Fails to log OS&D before the driver leaves β€” the #1 controllable cause of chargeback losses.
  • βœ—No fluency with a real WMS (SAP EWM, Manhattan, Oracle, Blue Yonder) β€” WMS transactions are the daily work, not a nice-to-have.
  • βœ—History of unexplained inventory adjustments without root-cause documentation β€” signals either sloppy work or theft cover.
  • βœ—Failed drug test at prior employer or refused a random screen β€” auto-decline for most FMCSA / OSHA / DOT-adjacent roles.
  • βœ—Cannot pass a physical (repetitive lift 25-50 lbs, standing 8-10 hours) β€” the job is physical even on the clerk side.
  • βœ—Poor RF scanner discipline β€” freehanding transactions instead of scanning drives inventory error and gets caught in root-cause investigations.

Salary Negotiation Levers

  • βœ“Shift differential β€” night ($1.50-3.00/hr), weekend ($1-2/hr), and holiday (1.5x-2x) premiums stack up. Ask what the differential looks like before agreeing on base.
  • βœ“WMS specialty β€” SAP EWM, Manhattan Associates, Blue Yonder super-users command $2-5/hr over generalist clerks. Certifications from the vendor training programs matter.
  • βœ“Forklift equipment count β€” certified on 3-4 PIT types (sit-down, reach, order picker, turret truck) makes you more flexible and pays more.
  • βœ“Peak-season overtime β€” Nov-Jan at retail DCs and 3PLs supporting retail is guaranteed OT; some employers pay a peak-season retention bonus.
  • βœ“Sign-on bonuses β€” Amazon, Walmart, Target DCs, and 3PLs pay $1-3k sign-ons for OSHA-certified experienced clerks. USPS pays sign-ons for CCA-to-clerk conversion.
  • βœ“Union employer premium β€” some 3PL and grocery-distribution DCs are Teamsters-organized. Union scale beats non-union by 20-40% at the top of the range.
  • βœ“APICS CPIM or CSCP certification β€” sets up the lateral move to buyer, planner, demand-planning roles at $60-85k desk pay.

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Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks Salary by State

Best Cities (cost-adjusted) β†’

Salary Map β€” Click a state for details

$39K
$52Kβ–  No data

Top Paying States

Washington
$52K
+14%
District of Columbia
$50K
+10%
Hawaii
$50K
+10%
Massachusetts
$49K
+9%
Vermont
$49K
+8%
New Hampshire
$48K
+6%
Alaska
$48K
+6%
Minnesota
$48K
+6%
Iowa
$48K
+5%
Oregon
$48K
+5%
Vertical line = national median. Click a state for full details.
StateMedianvs. National
Washington$51,590+14.0%
District of Columbia$49,660+9.7%
Hawaii$49,660+9.7%
Massachusetts$49,240+8.8%
Vermont$49,080+8.4%
New Hampshire$47,960+6.0%
Alaska$47,900+5.8%
Minnesota$47,890+5.8%
Iowa$47,590+5.1%
Oregon$47,540+5.0%
1–10 of 51

Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks Salary by Metro Area

Metro AreaMedianvs. National
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$56,370+24.5%
Walla Walla, WA$55,960+23.6%
Kahului-Wailuku, HI$55,950+23.6%
Napa, CA$55,520+22.7%
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$54,910+21.3%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$54,640+20.7%
Fairbanks-College, AK$53,080+17.3%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$52,590+16.2%
Longview-Kelso, WA$51,740+14.3%
Burlington-South Burlington, VT$51,420+13.6%
1–10 of 396
Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.
How does this compare to pro athletes?
A shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks earning $45,260/year would need 1317 years to match Stephen Curry's NBA salary, or 1414 yearsto match Patrick Mahomes' NFL contract.
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πŸ“ˆ See how shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks salaries have changed over the past decade.
View Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks salary trend (2011–2024) β†’