Inventory clerks perform various duties, including keeping track of stock movements.
This post presents complete information on the inventory clerk job description and career, to help increase your knowledge of the tasks, duties, and responsibilities they commonly perform.
It also provides detailed information on how to become an inventory clerk and the requirements you need to meet to be hired for the role, as well as the various career opportunities opened to inventory clerks.
What Does an Inventory Clerk Do?
An inventory clerk is the person that keeps track of stock that moves in and out of a particular location, popularly referred to as a stockroom.
He/she may work in retail or wholesale outlet, a factory, warehouse or distribution center.
Though many inventory clerks work alone, they may have an assistant when working in large operations, who will help them in maintaining the inventory levels.
The duties and responsibilities of shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks are same however the difference in the job title.
According to O*NET OnLine, inventory clerks are responsible for recording weight, space availability, discrepancies, charges, and damages, and other shipping data for recordkeeping purposes, accounting, and reporting.
Most companies depend on adequate and accurate inventories to keep their revenues profitable and their customers happy.
The inventory clerk job description usually entails tracking the movement of goods in their charge in order to avoid lost sales and prevent production delays.
Good record keeping is generally considered important to a successful inventory control.
The clerk will be responsible for managing incoming and outgoing products and supplies within a business.
This may involve tasks like ordering the necessary raw materials for a business or stocking showroom floors, of course this depends mostly on the industry.
While some clerks may be responsible for receiving shipments on a loading dock, most inventory clerks work indoors.
However, the majority of clerks responsible for inventory work on regular business hours.
Inventory and purchasing clerks process transactions and maintain inventories of equipment, materials, and stock.
Their employers are wholesale and retail establishments, manufacturing companies and other establishments.
Inventory clerks are people who are detail-oriented, people with strong clerical skills to help with organizational and recording responsibilities.
They might work with customers as part of their job or work behind the scenes ordering supplies. Either way, the clerk needs excellent communication skills.
Not only does the clerk count items on hand, he may also be required to assign values to the property. His physical counts must correspond with computer records.
The clerk may need to prepare reports for his supervisor as regards the inventory balance, defective items, shortages, price lists.
He/she may also be responsible for recording barcode information in the computer and attaching price labels to merchandise.
Their role in an organization may also include removing obsolete equipment from service and preparing it for sale or disposal.
Below is a job description sample for the role of inventory clerk.
It shows a list of tasks, duties, and responsibilities someone in that position will be expected to perform while working for a company:
Compile and maintain records of type, quantity, and value of material, sale, equipment, merchandise or supplies stocked in establishment.
Count equipment, merchandise, material, or supplies in stock and posts totals to inventory records using computer or manually.
Compare inventories with what’s on office records.
Compute figures from records, such as production records, sales orders or purchase invoices to obtain current inventory.
Verify computer data with physical count of stock and adjusts errors in computation, then count, or investigate and report reasons for discrepancies if there is any.
Compile information on receipt equipment, merchandise or disbursement of material, or supplies and cost.
Prepare reports on price lists, inventory balance, and shortages.
May operate office machines, such as calculators, photocopy machines, and typewriters.
A resume for someone seeking the job of inventory clerk in a firm can be prepared using information from the job description example given above. The job history section of such resumes can be prepared using the information.
Inventory Clerk Requirements: Skills, Abilities, and Knowledge for Career Success
Record-keeping (computerized) and purchase order experience.
Retail sales experience, especially in marine services industry.
Excellent customer service skills
Ability to know customer needs.
Strong computer proficiency in applications like DockMaster, Internet, MsOffice.
Willingness/ability to work overtime and weekends.
Must be reliable and responsible; and must have the ability to work independently with little direct supervision.
Inventory Clerk Employment
Inventory clerks, who are also called shipping or receiving, are 844,120 in the United States, according to 2023 report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The biggest employers of inventory clerks are warehousing and storage industry, with 72,420 inventory clerks, and merchant wholesalers, durable goods (40,770 employments).
Inventory Clerk Salary
The average salary of inventory clerks is $42,730 yearly in the United States according to BLS report for 2023.
District of Columbia, $52,260
Washington, $51,540
Alaska, $49,920,
Hawaii, $48,100,
New York, $47,810.
In terms of industries that pay the highest salaries to inventory clerks, the postal service, rail transportation, and natural gas distribution rank the top at $70,960, $65,910, and $64,840 respectively.
An inventory clerk career can also lead to other rewarding jobs like logistics clerk, inventory analyst, and industrial engineer.
Inventory Clerk Career Opportunities
There are different career opportunities that an inventory clerk may choose to pursue, some of these include:
Logistics Clerk
A logistics clerk is a specialist in the field of logistics.
They are responsible for the coordination of materials and merchandise between distribution areas and processing facilities.
They also attend to receiving, storing, reviewing, and shipping procedures.
These responsibilities include the entire processing chain of goods and merchandises, including warehousing, receiving, storage, distribution, handling, insurance and shipping.
2. Inventory Control Analyst
An inventory control analyst performs quantitative analyses related to the materials, supplies, and equipment that are used in manufacturing, health care or operation of an institution.
They have responsibilities, such as inventory control and management, planning, budgeting, quality improvement and data analysis.
They use accounting systems like MRP (material requirements planning) or DCM (data collection management).
3. Industrial Engineer
An industrial engineer is a professional with experience in the design and development of industrial machinery and processes.
They use a wide range of mathematical tools, including statistics and graph theory. They may also design tools for workers to use in their work.
4. Receptionist
A receptionist is a front line staff who provides information and support to visitors, customers, and clients while they are within a business establishment.
The skills required to become a receptionist include communication abilities, customer service skills and good memory capacity.
5. Mail Room Clerk
A mail room clerk is a member of the mailing staff who distributes and collects mail from post offices or terminals.
They are also responsible for the sorting, filing, and delivery of documents within an organization.
6. General Office Clerk
A general office clerk carries out a variety of administrative functions within an office environment.
These include data entry, sending out mail, filing and photocopying tasks.
They may also be responsible for specific projects such as preparing reports or organizing meetings and conferences.
7. Sales Clerk
The sales clerk job description includes promoting sales and managing inventory.
Sales clerks must be able to organize merchandise and help customers find the materials they need in order to make a purchase.
8. Executive Assistant
An executive assistant is an experienced office worker who has knowledge of office management as well as administrative tasks.
They must possess excellent interpersonal skills, good listening ability, and site-seeing skills.
They are responsible for both administrative work as well as secretarial tasks.
9. Postage Meter Operator
A postage meter operator is responsible for maintaining the correct number of stamps needed to properly post mail.
They must also be able to accurately check the postage on all envelopes, letters and parcels.
10. Receptionist
Receptionists are the first contact people for visitors to a business.
They are responsible for answering telephone calls, greeting and welcoming clients and visitors, and taking messages and responding to queries about company services.
Receptionists may be involved in other activities, such as issuing receipts, scheduling appointments, or standing in for executives when necessary.
Challenges faced by Inventory Clerks on the Job
There are a number of challenges that an inventory clerk will face on the job. These may include:
Work Schedule
The shelf life of materials is limited, this means that when an inventory clerk purchases products from retail store, they have to keep track of the products they have purchased.
The shelf life may vary between 2 weeks to months and even years.
If a clerk do not manage the storage well then they may go out of stock, which will be bad for the business.
Work Environment
Similar to any other job, inventory clerks must work in a safe and healthy environment.
The work environment for an inventory clerk may be in a warehouse or in an office setting.
The inventory clerk’s job will provide them with the opportunity to work indoors or outdoors with others or individually.
He or she may also be required to travel between different places.
Physical Demands
Inventory clerk must possess physical strength and stamina enough to lift objects of many pounds weight (up to 30 – 50 pounds).
Also, they must have the mental attitude to handle difficult customers and work in pressure situations.
How to Become an Inventory Clerk
The following are the most common steps to becoming an inventory clerk:
Get your high school diploma or Bachelor’s degree.
The minimum educational requirement for most entry-level inventory positions is a high school diploma or equivalent.
Some employers however prefer candidates with some college education.
2. Obtain certification.
While certification is not required, it can help you advance your inventory knowledge and career.
Inventory clerks may be interested in the CPIM and CSCP credentials, both of which are offered by the APICS.
Inventory clerks can learn about inventory management and planning through the CPIM training program.
It goes over terminology as well as software operation. The CSCP is ideal for those who want to learn more about the supply chain world.
3. Accumulate experience.
Because most inventory clerks learn on the job, many employers recommend one to five years of experience working in a stockroom or other inventory positions.
Companies will often accept a candidate with less experience if they have a higher level of education.
4. Look for a job in inventory.
Look for job openings on a job board or on a company’s website.
You could also contact a local employment agency or look through the classified section of a local newspaper.
When applying for jobs, include a current resume that highlights your skills and experience.
Major Benefits of Inventory Clerk Career
Some key benefits of choosing a career as an inventory clerk are:
Wide range of job locations
An inventory clerk can work in various types of organizations.
They could be in a large warehouse storing goods or they could be working on the computer to track inventory.
Also, the work environment may be in offices, shops and showrooms.
2. Career stability
An inventory clerk can have a stable long-term career as there will always be materials to manage.
In addition, an inventory clerk becomes a valuable resource for their employing organization.
This means that employers will value their services and help them advance their careers further.
3. Flexible work environment
The flexibility of this career is the fact that an inventory clerk can work indoors or outdoors.
They may have to work in a variety of places, including warehouses, offices, stockrooms, and shops.
It also means that they do not have to spend all their time at one location as they can use computers to track inventory when they are away from the workplace.
Also, as this is an office job, it is assumed that the employee will be able to telecommute from time-to-time.
4. Job security
An inventory clerk will have a job for life as long as someone needs to track inventory.
An organization may need a clerk to track physical items or project-specific inventory such as software licenses.
Regardless of the job, an employing organization will still need someone to keep track of inventory.
5. High demand for workers
As the world becomes more globalized, the demand for inventory clerks is expected to grow rapidly.
This is because, there will be more trade agreements between countries that exchange goods and services across borders.
Even though the demand will grow, more job opportunities will be available as companies will not be willing to spend money replacing clerks that leave.
This is because the return on investment for an inventory clerk is high.
6. Low barrier to entry
Most entry-level jobs do not require specialized skills or education but an inventory clerk does require a high school diploma or equivalent.
A person will also need five years of relevant experience to become an inventory clerk .
7. Growing field
The field of inventory is a growing industry. As long as an organization needs to track inventory, there will always be a demand for inventory clerks.
Conclusion
Even though a company may have good products or services, they still need to track their inventory effectively.
An accurate inventory system is essential for planning, marketing and decision-making.
This article has helped you understand more about the inventory clerk’ s job description and career, and also provided you with some useful information on how to become an inventory clerk.
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