How to become a Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerk

Official title: Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks

Also called: Expeditor, Inventory Control Specialist, Material Requirements Planner (MRP), Materials Coordinator, Materials Planner, Production Assistant, Production Clerk, Production Controller, Production Planner, Production Scheduler

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.

Main tasks

• Distribute production schedules or work orders to departments.
• Revise production schedules when required due to design changes, labor or material shortages, backlogs, or other interruptions, collaborating with management, marketing, sales, production, or engineering.
• Review documents, such as production schedules, work orders, or staffing tables, to determine personnel or materials requirements or material priorities.
• Arrange for delivery, assembly, or distribution of supplies or parts to expedite flow of materials and meet production schedules.
• Confer with establishment personnel, vendors, or customers to coordinate production or shipping activities and to resolve complaints or eliminate delays.
• Requisition and maintain inventories of materials or supplies necessary to meet production demands.
• Confer with department supervisors or other personnel to assess progress and discuss needed changes.
• Plan production commitments or timetables for business units, specific programs, or jobs, using sales forecasts.

How to become one

Material recording clerks typically need a high school diploma or equivalent and are trained on the job.

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Material Coordinator (Alt Titles: Automated Logistical /Unit Supply Specialists ).
• Apprenticeship: Supercargo (Water Trans).

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $59,650 a year The middle half earn $47,820 to $75,000.
• About 392,100 people work in this job now, and about 387,100 are projected by 2035. (-1.3%)
• People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Related jobs

• Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping
• Cargo and Freight Agents
• Freight Forwarders
• Couriers and Messengers
• Public Safety Telecommunicators
• Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerk?

Material recording clerks typically need a high school diploma or equivalent and are trained on the job.

How much does a Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerk earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $59,650 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $47,820 to $75,000.

Is a Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerk a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 392,100 people now and 387,100 later (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerk?

Not always. 41% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Material Coordinator (Alt Titles: Automated Logistical /Unit Supply Specialists ).

Will AI change the work of a Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerk?

People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the 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. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.