SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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. Excludes “Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping” (43-5111), “Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, except Postal Service” (43-9051), and “Stockers and Order Fillers” (53-7065).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 43-5071.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $34,650 | $2,888 | $666 | $16.66 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $38,200 | $3,183 | $735 | $18.37 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $45,260 | $3,772 | $870 | $21.76 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $51,570 | $4,298 | $992 | $24.79 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $62,190 | $5,182 | $1,196 | $29.90 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks is $45,260, which is 11% lower. Among the 54 occupations of the field Office and Administrative Support, it ranks number 39 by median pay. With 816,870 jobs, it makes up about 53 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks pay by state
The highest median pay was in Washington ($51,590), District of Columbia ($49,660) and Hawaii ($49,660). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($26,050), Guam ($32,360) and Virgin Islands ($36,240). The most jobs were in California (88,760), Texas (87,280) and Florida (44,040). The occupation is most concentrated in Mississippi, where its share of all jobs is 1.9 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 19,500 | $51,590 | $57,510 | $24.80 |
| District of Columbia | 680 | $49,660 | $55,160 | $23.87 |
| Hawaii | 1,390 | $49,660 | $56,100 | $23.87 |
| Massachusetts | 14,370 | $49,240 | $52,560 | $23.67 |
| Vermont | 780 | $49,080 | $50,760 | $23.60 |
| New Hampshire | 4,090 | $47,960 | $49,610 | $23.06 |
| Alaska | 890 | $47,900 | $52,170 | $23.03 |
| Minnesota | 13,210 | $47,890 | $49,290 | $23.03 |
| Iowa | 7,170 | $47,590 | $48,840 | $22.88 |
| Oregon | 11,210 | $47,540 | $49,650 | $22.86 |
| Wisconsin | 20,980 | $47,490 | $48,540 | $22.83 |
| Indiana | 27,600 | $47,320 | $48,500 | $22.75 |
| Maryland | 13,980 | $47,280 | $48,530 | $22.73 |
| Maine | 2,470 | $47,160 | $48,890 | $22.67 |
| Colorado | 15,610 | $47,130 | $49,850 | $22.66 |
| New York | 30,750 | $47,100 | $49,750 | $22.65 |
| Illinois | 33,030 | $46,760 | $48,880 | $22.48 |
| North Dakota | 1,520 | $46,730 | $48,970 | $22.46 |
| California | 88,760 | $46,520 | $49,250 | $22.36 |
| Connecticut | 6,480 | $45,810 | $48,360 | $22.02 |
| Pennsylvania | 30,940 | $45,780 | $46,980 | $22.01 |
| Rhode Island | 2,420 | $45,520 | $47,310 | $21.89 |
| New Jersey | 29,440 | $45,440 | $48,110 | $21.85 |
| Arizona | 20,280 | $45,410 | $46,750 | $21.83 |
| Ohio | 35,880 | $45,270 | $46,290 | $21.76 |
| Michigan | 24,980 | $45,140 | $46,300 | $21.70 |
| Tennessee | 16,680 | $44,920 | $45,450 | $21.60 |
| Virginia | 20,380 | $44,290 | $46,290 | $21.29 |
| Delaware | 2,630 | $44,120 | $45,150 | $21.21 |
| Kansas | 6,530 | $44,110 | $44,870 | $21.21 |
| Nebraska | 5,670 | $44,110 | $44,810 | $21.21 |
| South Dakota | 2,740 | $43,680 | $43,560 | $21.00 |
| Georgia | 28,150 | $43,630 | $44,680 | $20.97 |
| Montana | 1,560 | $43,590 | $44,470 | $20.96 |
| Missouri | 11,650 | $43,480 | $45,140 | $20.91 |
| South Carolina | 14,160 | $43,430 | $44,730 | $20.88 |
| Nevada | 12,390 | $43,210 | $44,760 | $20.77 |
| North Carolina | 20,150 | $43,040 | $44,350 | $20.69 |
| Wyoming | 730 | $43,000 | $47,370 | $20.67 |
| Kentucky | 16,130 | $42,830 | $43,920 | $20.59 |
| Texas | 87,280 | $42,190 | $43,760 | $20.29 |
| Idaho | 4,900 | $41,430 | $43,640 | $19.92 |
| Oklahoma | 6,530 | $41,060 | $43,790 | $19.74 |
| Florida | 44,040 | $40,700 | $44,010 | $19.57 |
| Arkansas | 7,650 | $40,500 | $43,130 | $19.47 |
| Louisiana | 7,650 | $40,180 | $43,410 | $19.32 |
| West Virginia | 2,660 | $39,940 | $44,240 | $19.20 |
| Utah | 15,750 | $39,050 | $42,790 | $18.77 |
| Alabama | 7,720 | $38,940 | $41,720 | $18.72 |
| New Mexico | 3,420 | $38,860 | $42,540 | $18.68 |
| Mississippi | 11,330 | $38,620 | $41,250 | $18.57 |
| Virgin Islands | 80 | $36,240 | $36,470 | $17.42 |
| Guam | 630 | $32,360 | $35,790 | $15.56 |
| Puerto Rico | 5,200 | $26,050 | $29,890 | $12.53 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants$45,930 a year
- Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan$45,920 a year
- Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other$45,670 a year
- Office Clerks, General$45,010 a year
- Customer Service Representatives$44,770 a year
- Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks$44,390 a year
Common questions
How much do Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks earn in the United States?
The median pay was $45,260 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $34,650 and the highest-paid 10% more than $62,190.
How many people work as Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks?
About 816,870 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.