What Does it Take to Be a Production, Planning, or Expediting Clerk?

Occupation Description 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.

What Do Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks Do On a Daily Basis?

• Requisition and maintain inventories of materials or supplies necessary to meet production demands.
• Maintain files, such as maintenance records, bills of lading, or cost reports.
• Contact suppliers to verify shipment details.
• Establish and prepare product construction directions and locations and information on required tools, materials, equipment, numbers of workers needed, and cost projections.
• Arrange for delivery, assembly, or distribution of supplies or parts to expedite flow of materials and meet production schedules.
• Examine documents, materials, or products and monitor work processes to assess completeness, accuracy, and conformance to standards and specifications.

Skills Needed to be a Production, Planning, or Expediting Clerk

These are the skills Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks say are the most useful in their careers:

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.

Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Types of Production, Planning, or Expediting Clerk Jobs

• Yardage Estimator
• Maintenance Data Analyst
• Printing Estimator
• Maintenance Scheduler
• Production Associate

Is There Going to be Demand for Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks?

In the United States, there were 329,400 jobs for Production, Planning, or Expediting Clerk in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 5.5% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 18,000 new jobs for Production, Planning, or Expediting Clerk by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 35,500 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Production, Planning, or Expediting Clerk are Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. Watch out if you plan on working in Delaware, Maine, or New Hampshire. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Average Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks Salary

The salary for Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks ranges between about $29,610 and $75,110 a year.

Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks who work in Wyoming, District of Columbia, or New Mexico, make the highest salaries.

How much do Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks make in each U.S. state?

State	Annual Mean Salary
Alabama	$45,550
Alaska	$55,830
Arizona	$49,260
Arkansas	$48,740
California	$52,480
Colorado	$53,410
Connecticut	$56,370
Delaware	$52,980
District of Columbia	$60,830
Florida	$44,760
Georgia	$49,230
Hawaii	$52,390
Idaho	$45,690
Illinois	$49,270
Indiana	$50,320
Iowa	$48,380
Kansas	$51,340
Kentucky	$46,710
Louisiana	$53,960
Maine	$54,170
Maryland	$50,260
Massachusetts	$55,830
Michigan	$49,870
Minnesota	$50,760
Mississippi	$44,240
Missouri	$48,370
Montana	$52,910
Nebraska	$45,030
Nevada	$45,570
New Hampshire	$53,880
New Jersey	$50,860
New Mexico	$58,040
New York	$50,850
North Carolina	$46,240
North Dakota	$49,610
Ohio	$49,990
Oklahoma	$50,560
Oregon	$50,920
Pennsylvania	$47,850
Rhode Island	$54,370
South Carolina	$46,270
South Dakota	$41,830
Tennessee	$46,750
Texas	$49,310
Utah	$47,490
Vermont	$49,650
Virginia	$52,440
Washington	$51,000
West Virginia	$48,360
Wisconsin	$47,430
Wyoming	$60,020

What Tools & Technology do Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks:

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft Access
• Data entry software
• SAP
• Microsoft Project
• Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
• Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
• Structured query language SQL
• Microsoft Dynamics
• IBM Notes
• Google Docs
• FileMaker Pro
• Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator
• Intuit QuickBooks
• Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign
• Oracle PeopleSoft

How do I Become a Production, Planning, or Expediting Clerk?

Education needed to be a Production, Planning, or Expediting Clerk:

How Long Does it Take to Become a Production, Planning, or Expediting Clerk?

Where do Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks Work?

Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks work in the following industries:

Other Jobs You May be Interested In

Career changers with experience as a Production, Planning, or Expediting Clerk sometimes find work in one of the following fields:

• Farm Labor Contractors

References:

• Bureau of Labor Statistics
• College Factual
• O*NET Online

Image Credit: Jace Armstrong via public domain

More about our data sources and methodologies.