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Production-related clerical workers

How to become a Shipping and Receiving Clerk

Also called: Transport clerk, Goods inward inspector, Shipping and dispatch clerk, Warehouse clerk, Storage and stock control clerk

Handles the paperwork for receiving, checking, storing and dispatching materials and products.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say university or high school is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

No particular education or qualifications are needed, but distribution is often managed with IT, and entering data into Excel and management systems is routine, so being comfortable using a PC is an advantage. As well as high school and university leavers, many people join mid-career. The job is a good place to learn the basics of distribution, so new staff are often placed here. Mid-career hires are recruited through Hello Work (public employment service), newspaper job advertisements, personal connections and so on, then receive a period of training to learn the work. You learn practical knowledge, workplace rules and labour agreements, customer service and work skills from managers and site leaders before starting. After some experience you may be promoted to team leader or supervisor, or appointed to an office management post. Qualifications that give the knowledge and skills to move into management, such as managing and developing shipping and receiving staff, depend on what is handled but include chief warehouse manager, logistics management consultant, fire prevention manager (Class A or Class B) and food sanitation supervisor. Some goods and services need specialist knowledge, which you can learn on the job after joining. Useful qualities, skills and experience include managing figures, analysing information, basic PC skills in Word and Excel, and office skills such as arithmetic, since the work involves slips, payments and cash. If there is overseas trade, English or other language skills are useful. You often deal with customers and ask workers in other jobs to do tasks, so you need communication skills and flexibility to handle problems properly, and persistence with detailed work. Some jobs also involve loading and other related tasks as well as paperwork, or early-morning work, so a certain level of fitness is needed.

Ways in

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Shipping and Receiving Clerk?

No particular education or qualifications are needed, but distribution is often managed with IT, and entering data into Excel and management systems is routine, so being comfortable using a PC is an advantage. As well as high school and university leavers, many people join mid-career. The job is a good place to learn the basics of distribution, so new staff are often placed here. Mid-career hires are recruited through Hello Work (public employment service), newspaper job advertisements, personal connections and so on, then receive a period of training to learn the work. You learn practical knowledge, workplace rules and labour agreements, customer service and work skills from managers and site leaders before starting. After some experience you may be promoted to team leader or supervisor, or appointed to an office management post. Qualifications that give the knowledge and skills to move into management, such as managing and developing shipping and receiving staff, depend on what is handled but include chief warehouse manager, logistics management consultant, fire prevention manager (Class A or Class B) and food sanitation supervisor. Some goods and services need specialist knowledge, which you can learn on the job after joining. Useful qualities, skills and experience include managing figures, analysing information, basic PC skills in Word and Excel, and office skills such as arithmetic, since the work involves slips, payments and cash. If there is overseas trade, English or other language skills are useful. You often deal with customers and ask workers in other jobs to do tasks, so you need communication skills and flexibility to handle problems properly, and persistence with detailed work. Some jobs also involve loading and other related tasks as well as paperwork, or early-morning work, so a certain level of fitness is needed.

How much does a Shipping and Receiving Clerk earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥5,436,000 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Production-related clerical workers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Shipping and Receiving Clerk?

Not always. In this job's census occupation group, 39% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Shipping and Receiving Clerk?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026