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. 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.
Also called: Advertising Dispatch Clerk, Aircraft Log Clerk, Alterations Workroom Clerk, Assignment Agent, Assignment Clerk, Automated Logistical Specialist
Median pay
$59,650
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$40,080 – $86,000
People employed
390,160
Holland code
CER
Conventional · Enterprising · Realistic
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Do you work well under tight deadlines?
- 2.Do you want a lot of freedom to make your own decisions?
- 3.Are you OK working more than 40 hours a week?
- 4.Do you want the same hours every week?
- 5.Are you comfortable sitting at a desk most of the day?
The hard parts
- Tight deadlines are common
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (50 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks salary in every state →
What production, planning, and expediting clerks do
- 01Distribute production schedules or work orders to departments.
- 02Revise production schedules when required due to design changes, labor or material shortages, backlogs, or other interruptions, collaborating with management, marketing, sales, production, or engineering.
- 03Review documents, such as production schedules, work orders, or staffing tables, to determine personnel or materials requirements or material priorities.
- 04Arrange for delivery, assembly, or distribution of supplies or parts to expedite flow of materials and meet production schedules.
- 05Confer with establishment personnel, vendors, or customers to coordinate production or shipping activities and to resolve complaints or eliminate delays.
- 06Requisition and maintain inventories of materials or supplies necessary to meet production demands.
Skills that matter most
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Monitoring
Knowledge
- Production and Processing
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Administrative
- Administration and Management
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a high school diploma (O*NET Job Zone 2).
- Related work experience: over 1 year, up to and including 2 years.
- On-the-job training: over 6 months, up to and including 1 year.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Procurement Clerks82% · −15%
- Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers77% · −2%
- Postmasters and Mail Superintendents77% · +62%
- First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers76% · +17%
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers75% · +25%
Change into production, planning, and expediting clerks
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Order Clerks89% · $46,170
- Procurement Clerks88% · $50,580
- Data Entry Keyers79% · $41,340
- Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers77% · $58,650
- Logistics Analysts76% · $82,320
Majors that lead here
- Parts, Warehousing, and Inventory Management Operations
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.