Shipping and Receiving Clerk Salary: What Will You Make?

Due to the pandemic, many consumers prefer to shop online to avoid the risk of catching COVID-19 in a store. However, despite the increase in online shoppers, there are many global supply chain issues caused by labor shortages. Because of the supply chain issues, a career in warehouses has never been more prosperous.

If you’re thinking about becoming a shipping and receiving clerk and moving your way up the career ladder from there, keep reading this article to find out more. You’ll learn how much your salary might be, what your average day will look like and how to stand out as an applicant.

Your Salary will Depend on a Variety of Factors

Overall, the salary estimates are just that: estimates. What you might make as a shipping and receiving clerk, manager or supervisor is unique depending on a variety of factors, including:

• Education
• Certifications
• Additional skills
• Years in your profession
• Job history
• Location

The more education, certifications, additional skills and years in your profession you have, the higher your earning potential. Your location is important too. For example, warehouse workers in New York, New York earn an average of 12.6% more than the national average.

We’ll give you a range of your possible salaries as a shipping and receiving clerk, manager or supervisor, but keep in mind that it will vary depending on your professional background.

Shipping and Receiving Clerk Salary in the U.S.

A shipping and receiving clerk is an employee who helps warehouse operations run smoothly. For example, job tasks include: tracking inventory, recording the movement of supplies, keeping records, inspecting products, and packaging products.

The average salary for a shipping and receiving clerk in the U.S. is $33,701, typically falling between $30,135 and $37,339. This is a rate of about $16 per hour. On the lower end, the salary of a shipping and receiving clerk is about $26,888 a year. This is about $13 per hour. This salary is typical for someone with less than one year of experience in the field.

As your experience in the field increases, so will your rate per hour as a shipping and receiving clerk. Plus, applicants with additional education will also see a bump in their pay. Although the only required education for a shipping and receiving clerk is a high school diploma or GED, relevant certifications can increase your salary. For example, having your commercial driver license (CDL).

The more education, certifications, additional skills and number of years in your profession you have, the higher your salary will be. The higher end of a shipping and receiving clerk salary in the U.S. is $40,651.

Shipping and Receiving Manager Salary in the U.S.

As you work your way up in your career, you may consider becoming a shipping and receiving manager. Employees in this position need more job experience in the field than a shipping and receiving clerk. Many receiving managers start their careers as warehouse clerks and work their way up to this position. To be a manager in the warehouse, you’ll most likely need at least five years of experience in the warehouse.

The average shipping and receiving manager salary in the U.S. is $47,288 a year, which is about $22 an hour. However, the salaries for employees in this position vary greatly. As a shipping and receiving manager, you could make anywhere from $31,000 per year to $73,000. That’s because the salary varies depending on your skill level, location and years of experience.

Thinking about advancing from a shipping and receiving clerk to a shipping and receiving manager? Although you can be a shipping and receiving manager with only a GED, 33.3% of managers have a bachelor's degree, and 2.4% of managers have master's degrees. Shipping and receiving managers usually study business, general studies, or accounting. Education is a great way to advance your career.

Also, getting job experience in certain positions can increase your likelihood of landing a shipping and receiving manager job. For example, the roles of assistant manager or customer service representative.

Shipping and Receiving Supervisor Salary in the U.S.

Technically, a shipping and receiving supervisor is a similar job title to a shipping and receiving manager. Both job positions oversee and manage a team of warehouse workers to ensure shipments are timely and smooth. This includes tasks like training new employees and creating a staff schedule. Customer service is also an important aspect of the manager and supervisor positions.

The average salary of a shipping and receiving supervisor in the U.S. is $63,292 a year. This is about $31 an hour. However, the overall range is anywhere from $62,854 per year to $109,797 per year, depending on your candidacy.

To make more as a shipping and receiving supervisor, the advice is similar to the previous advice for becoming a shipping and receiving manager. However, although we mentioned college earlier, don’t underestimate the power of attending a trade school, which can teach topics such as safety, equipment, and inventory.

Other continued education you can get outside of a college degree is certifications. For example: OSHA safety, forklift, and hazardous material certifications.

Another key to making your way to becoming a shipping and receiving supervisor is to gain experience in a warehouse. As you’re working in the warehouse, focus on developing the following skills:

• Inventory control
• Leadership
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Organization

Many of the skills listed above are soft skills, which describe how you work with other people. For example, being able to track inventory is a hard skill. However, leadership, teamwork, communication, and organization are all soft skills. Soft skills are valued more than hard skills because they’re challenging to teach. These skills can help you advance to become a shipping and receiving supervisor.

Your Resume is Key

Success landing any of these roles starts with a perfect resume. It doesn’t matter how amazing your background is if you don’t have a resume that communicates your successes clearly.

Ready to create a resume that lands you in high-paying warehouse positions? We can help with our resumes specifically tailored for shipping and receiving clerks!