Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks: Career Overview
Coordinate and expedite the flow of work and materials within or between departments of an establishment according to production schedule. Duties include reviewing and distributing production, work, and shipment schedules; conferring with department supervisors to determine progress of work and completion dates; and compiling reports on progress of work, inventory levels, costs, and production problems.
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What Tasks Do Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks Do?
The core tasks performed by production, planning, and expediting clerks span:
- 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.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful production, planning, and expediting clerks rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Types of Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks Jobs
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Advertising Dispatch Clerk
- Aircraft Log Clerk
- Alterations Workroom Clerk
- Assignment Agent
- Assignment Clerk
- Automated Logistical Specialist
- Back Shoe Worker
- Batch Records Clerk
How Many Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks Are There?
The U.S. employs around 242,429 production, planning, and expediting clerks working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +9.9% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $35,000 |
| Hourly median | $16.83 |
| 10th percentile | $21,510 |
| 25th percentile | $28,255 |
| 75th percentile | $41,744 |
| 90th percentile | $48,489 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Wyoming | $66,580 |
| Washington | $64,710 |
| District of Columbia | $63,740 |
| Colorado | $63,230 |
| Rhode Island | $63,160 |
| Michigan | $62,930 |
| Hawaii | $62,870 |
| Minnesota | $62,240 |
| Delaware | $61,640 |
| Nevada | $61,430 |
| Connecticut | $61,400 |
| California | $61,320 |
| Alaska | $60,900 |
| Illinois | $60,740 |
| New Jersey | $60,490 |
| Virginia | $60,440 |
| Louisiana | $59,950 |
| New York | $59,800 |
| New Hampshire | $59,800 |
| Massachusetts | $58,780 |
| Idaho | $58,240 |
| Oregon | $58,180 |
| North Dakota | $57,800 |
| Indiana | $57,760 |
| Pennsylvania | $57,210 |
| Alabama | $56,980 |
| Iowa | $56,830 |
| Vermont | $56,820 |
| Ohio | $56,660 |
| Maine | $56,550 |
| Arizona | $56,270 |
| Maryland | $55,850 |
| Wisconsin | $55,230 |
| Nebraska | $55,190 |
| Kansas | $54,990 |
| Guam | $54,980 |
| Kentucky | $54,560 |
| West Virginia | $53,680 |
| Georgia | $53,270 |
| South Carolina | $53,230 |
| Utah | $53,110 |
| Arkansas | $52,600 |
| Oklahoma | $52,450 |
| Missouri | $51,090 |
| Texas | $50,980 |
| Florida | $50,130 |
| North Carolina | $49,830 |
| Tennessee | $49,660 |
| South Dakota | $49,060 |
| Mississippi | $48,390 |
| Montana | $48,140 |
| New Mexico | $46,940 |
| Puerto Rico | $36,520 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Earnings for production, planning, and expediting clerks shift depending on where you work. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $61,769 | 18.5% | 1.16 |
| New England | $59,656 | 3.8% | 0.81 |
| Middle Atlantic | $59,284 | 17.3% | 1.36 |
| Rocky Mountains | $58,672 | 3.7% | 1.02 |
| Great Lakes | $58,438 | 13.2% | 0.99 |
| Plains States | $56,315 | 6.1% | 0.93 |
| Southeast | $52,387 | 24.4% | 1.08 |
| Southwest | $52,250 | 12.6% | 1.05 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho Falls, ID | ID | $81,360 | 210 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | WV | $78,670 | 70 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $74,580 | 2,990 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | WA | $74,360 | 480 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $74,310 | 6,620 |
| Bay City, MI | MI | $74,250 | 40 |
| Saginaw, MI | MI | $73,070 | 170 |
| Midland, MI | MI | $72,560 | 70 |
Top Industries Employing Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks
The largest employers of production, planning, and expediting clerks are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 119,210 | $59,830 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 35,610 | $55,830 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 31,170 | $49,850 |
| Wholesale Trade | 29,680 | $55,890 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 26,020 | $62,990 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 21,620 | $48,670 |
| Construction | 21,170 | $58,120 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 18,180 | $65,930 |
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks work in the following industries:
Software Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks Use
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Google Docs (hot technology)
- Accounting software: Intuit QuickBooks (hot technology)
- Medical software: MEDITECH software (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of production, planning, and expediting clerks reflects the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Telephone Conversations
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Time Pressure
How to Become Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks
Entry-level production, planning, and expediting clerks positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Industrial Production Managers (Supplemental)
- Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (Supplemental)
- Supply Chain Managers (Supplemental)
- Logisticians (Supplemental)
- Logistics Analysts (Supplemental)
- Project Management Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Industrial Engineers (Supplemental)
- Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians (Primary-Long)
Where to Study
Future production, planning, and expediting clerks commonly pursue programs in:
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 43-5061.00 (Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks).
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