Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks
Also called: Receiver, Receiving Clerk, Shipper, Shipping ClerkVerify 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.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 6 of its 11 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 7.6% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 4.2% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 9.1 hires for every 10 job openings in retail trade, which employs about 19% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.9.1 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $38,940 | $35,000 to $47,750 | 7,720 |
| Alaska | $47,900 | $39,740 to $62,100 | 890 |
| Arizona | $45,410 | $38,790 to $50,920 | 20,280 |
| Arkansas | $40,500 | $34,940 to $49,440 | 7,650 |
| California | $46,520 | $39,970 to $55,930 | 88,760 |
| Colorado | $47,130 | $40,630 to $57,200 | 15,610 |
| Connecticut | $45,810 | $40,550 to $53,550 | 6,480 |
| Delaware | $44,120 | $38,120 to $49,420 | 2,630 |
| District of Columbia | $49,660 | $45,670 to $64,770 | 680 |
| Florida | $40,700 | $36,200 to $48,740 | 44,040 |
| Georgia | $43,630 | $36,880 to $48,820 | 28,150 |
| Guam | $32,360 | $26,800 to $40,880 | 630 |
| Hawaii | $49,660 | $41,980 to $65,880 | 1,390 |
| Idaho | $41,430 | $36,140 to $48,590 | 4,900 |
| Illinois | $46,760 | $40,130 to $55,540 | 33,030 |
| Indiana | $47,320 | $40,160 to $55,640 | 27,600 |
| Iowa | $47,590 | $40,630 to $54,350 | 7,170 |
| Kansas | $44,110 | $37,360 to $48,990 | 6,530 |
| Kentucky | $42,830 | $36,530 to $48,840 | 16,130 |
| Louisiana | $40,180 | $34,270 to $48,610 | 7,650 |
| Maine | $47,160 | $41,980 to $53,810 | 2,470 |
| Maryland | $47,280 | $39,510 to $54,570 | 13,980 |
| Massachusetts | $49,240 | $44,010 to $59,470 | 14,370 |
| Michigan | $45,140 | $38,460 to $50,000 | 24,980 |
| Minnesota | $47,890 | $41,600 to $56,770 | 13,210 |
| Mississippi | $38,620 | $35,040 to $45,990 | 11,330 |
| Missouri | $43,480 | $37,260 to $49,920 | 11,650 |
| Montana | $43,590 | $36,920 to $48,690 | 1,560 |
| Nebraska | $44,110 | $37,410 to $49,720 | 5,670 |
| Nevada | $43,210 | $38,210 to $48,280 | 12,390 |
| New Hampshire | $47,960 | $41,850 to $56,040 | 4,090 |
| New Jersey | $45,440 | $39,660 to $53,550 | 29,440 |
| New Mexico | $38,860 | $35,250 to $47,280 | 3,420 |
| New York | $47,100 | $39,800 to $56,430 | 30,750 |
| North Carolina | $43,040 | $36,670 to $48,980 | 20,150 |
| North Dakota | $46,730 | $38,640 to $56,330 | 1,520 |
| Ohio | $45,270 | $38,700 to $49,850 | 35,880 |
| Oklahoma | $41,060 | $36,000 to $49,270 | 6,530 |
| Oregon | $47,540 | $40,010 to $56,130 | 11,210 |
| Pennsylvania | $45,780 | $38,590 to $52,440 | 30,940 |
| Puerto Rico | $26,050 | $22,380 to $31,510 | 5,200 |
| Rhode Island | $45,520 | $38,270 to $54,510 | 2,420 |
| South Carolina | $43,430 | $37,440 to $48,450 | 14,160 |
| South Dakota | $43,680 | $37,050 to $48,730 | 2,740 |
| Tennessee | $44,920 | $37,400 to $49,740 | 16,680 |
| Texas | $42,190 | $36,140 to $47,930 | 87,280 |
| Utah | $39,050 | $39,050 to $46,480 | 15,750 |
| Vermont | $49,080 | $42,640 to $57,630 | 780 |
| Virgin Islands | $36,240 | $29,580 to $39,060 | 80 |
| Virginia | $44,290 | $37,490 to $50,740 | 20,380 |
| Washington | $51,590 | $45,240 to $61,950 | 19,500 |
| West Virginia | $39,940 | $33,290 to $49,400 | 2,660 |
| Wisconsin | $47,490 | $40,800 to $55,020 | 20,980 |
| Wyoming | $43,000 | $36,230 to $53,860 | 730 |
Nationally: $45,260. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 6 of its 11 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Examine shipment contents and compare with records, such as manifests, invoices, or orders, to verify accuracy. | Not published |
| AI alone | Confer or correspond with establishment representatives to rectify problems, such as damages, shortages, or nonconformance to specifications. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Record shipment data, such as weight, charges, space availability, damages, or discrepancies, for reporting, accounting, or recordkeeping purposes. | Not published |
| Not much | Requisition and store shipping materials and supplies to maintain inventory of stock. | Not published |
| AI alone | Prepare documents, such as work orders, bills of lading, or shipping orders, to route materials. | Not published |
| Not much | Pack, seal, label, or affix postage to prepare materials for shipping, using hand tools, power tools, or postage meter. | Not published |
See all 11 tasks
| Not much | Contact carrier representatives to make arrangements or to issue instructions for shipping and delivery of materials. | Not published |
| AI + software | Determine shipping methods, routes, or rates for materials to be shipped. | Not published |
| Not much | Deliver or route materials to departments using handtruck, conveyor, or sorting bins. | Not published |
| AI + software | Compute amounts, such as space available, shipping, storage, or demurrage charges, using computer or price list. | Not published |
| AI + software | Compare shipping routes or methods to determine which have the least environmental impact. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 1 of the 11 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 11 tasks fall under 11 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #3 Respond to customer problems or inquiries
- #36 Purchase goods or services
- #39 Determine values or prices of goods or services
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analyze data to improve operations | |||
| Respond to customer problems or inquiries | |||
| Purchase goods or services | |||
| Determine values or prices of goods or services | |||
| Prepare documentation for contracts, applications, or permits | |||
| Inspect characteristics or conditions of materials or products | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures |
Show all 11 activities
| Package objects | |||
| Move materials, equipment, or supplies | |||
| Stock supplies or products |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An email or message61%
- A document or report17%
- An analysis or summary7%
- Data or a spreadsheet5%
- Math or a calculation2%
How they worked with Claude
59% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 101,413 moves out
- 1 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 5%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 3 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 4%
- 4 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 3%
- 5 Stockers and Order Fillers Moderate +8.9% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 90,110 moves in
- 1 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 7%
- 2 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 5%
- 3 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 5%
- 4 Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Low +1.5% 4%
- 5 Stockers and Order Fillers Moderate +8.9% 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 75% high school
- 1% postsecondary certificate
- 2% some college
- 12% associate's
- 11% bachelor's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 28 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 11% less than high school
- 45% high school
- 25% some college
- 8% associate's
- 9% bachelor's
- 1% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 5,265 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
25.7% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a certification | 0.6% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
| a license | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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