SOC 43-5061.00

    Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks

    Coordinate and expedite the flow of work and materials within or between departments of an establishment according to production schedule.

    Median pay
    $59,650
    Growth
    -1.3%
    Decline
    Openings a year
    32,600
    Typical education
    High school diploma

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $40,080
    Median
    $59,650
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $86,000
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    390,160 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Production, planning, and expediting clerks coordinate the flow of work and materials to keep operations on schedule. This career offers a median annual pay of $59,650, with opportunities available nationwide.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What production, planning, and expediting clerks do

    Job Zone 2: Some preparation

    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.

    Usually a high school diploma; some on-the-job training or experience.

    What the work is like

    Clerks in this field focus on keeping operations running smoothly. Their daily tasks involve working with computers to process information, analyze data, and document records. They review and distribute schedules for production, work, and shipments. To track progress and meet completion dates, they regularly communicate with department supervisors and colleagues. They also compile detailed reports regarding inventory levels, operational costs, and any production problems that arise.

    Succeeding in this role requires strong conventional interests, meaning a preference for structured, detail-oriented tasks. Key skills include active listening, reading comprehension, time management, and complex problem solving. Clerks must be dependable, cooperative, and highly attentive to detail. They rely on knowledge of administration, production and processing, mathematics, and computers to organize and prioritize their daily work. They must also monitor processes and make quick decisions to solve scheduling conflicts or material shortages.

    How to get there

    Entering this field typically requires a high school diploma. Most workers need some on-the-job training or previous work experience to become fully proficient. While a college degree is not standard, students interested in this path often study business operations support and assistant services.

    To build professional credibility and advance in the field, individuals can pursue relevant industry credentials. The Planning & Scheduling Professional certification, offered by AACE International, Inc., is one such credential available to workers in this discipline.

    Pay and outlook explained

    The median annual pay for these clerks is $59,650. The lowest 10 percent of earners make less than $40,080, while the highest 10 percent earn more than $86,000.

    There are 390,160 people employed in this occupation. Between 2025 and 2035, employment is projected to decline by -1.3%. Despite this slight decrease in total jobs, the field still expects 32,600 openings each year to replace workers who leave.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    35 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    3 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    2 / 100
    Social (S)
    18 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    65 / 100
    Conventional (C) · strongest
    82 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code CER. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Working with Computers
    84
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    82
    Getting Information
    77
    Processing Information
    71
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    69
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    69
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    68
    Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    66
    Analyzing Data or Information
    64
    Documenting/Recording Information
    62
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Reading Comprehension
    • Speaking
    • Active Listening
    • Time Management
    • Critical Thinking
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Monitoring
    • Writing
    • Coordination
    • Judgment and Decision Making

    Knowledge

    • Production and Processing
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • English Language
    • Administrative
    • Administration and Management
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Mathematics
    • Transportation
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Personnel and Human Resources

    Abilities

    • Information Ordering
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Oral Expression
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Near Vision
    • Written Comprehension
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Written Expression
    • Speech Recognition
    • Selective Attention

    Work styles

    • Dependability
    • Attention to Detail
    • Cooperation
    • Adaptability
    • Integrity
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Cautiousness
    • Perseverance
    • Social Orientation
    • Initiative

    Also called

    Advertising Dispatch Clerk · Aircraft Log Clerk · Alterations Workroom Clerk · Assignment Agent · Assignment Clerk · Automated Logistical Specialist · Back Shoe Worker · Batch Records Clerk · Beef Tagger · Billet Recorder

    Career pathway

    From your interests to production, planning, and expediting clerks

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks$59,650 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1
      Bellevue University-Nebraska

      Bellevue, NE · Business Operations Support and Assistant Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $67,452
      4 yrs after
      $83,581
      Median debt
      $19,499
    2. 2Valdosta State University logo
      Valdosta State University

      Valdosta, GA · Business Operations Support and Assistant Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $42,670
      4 yrs after
      $60,715
      Median debt
      $25,991

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What production, planning, and expediting clerks may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Parts, Warehousing, and Inventory Management Operations

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about production, planning, and expediting clerks

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some alternative job titles for this career?

    People in this occupation are known by many names, including batch records clerks, automated logistical specialists, assignment agents, and aircraft log clerks.

    What are some similar careers to explore?

    Related careers include project management specialists, shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks, and first-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers.

    What is the primary focus of this job?

    The main focus is to coordinate and expedite the flow of materials and work within or between departments according to a set production schedule.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.