Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) Salary (BLS May 2025 Data)

BLS groups inventory clerks with shipping and receiving clerks. It does not report an inventory-control-only wage or distinguish cycle-count, cost-system or ERP depth.

United States: the middle half of workers earned $38,200 to $51,570, with a median of $45,260. The thin line runs from the 10th to the 90th percentile.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.

Annual wage percentiles, United States, BLS May 2025
Percentile	Wage	What it means
10th	$34,650	10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this.
25th	$38,200	25% earned less than this.
Median	$45,260	Half earned less and half earned more.
75th	$51,570	75% earned less than this.
90th	$62,190	90% earned less than this.
Mean	$46,810	Average wage across all workers.

United States: the middle half of workers earned $18.37 to $24.79, with a median of $21.76. The thin line runs from the 10th to the 90th percentile.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.

Hourly wage percentiles, United States, BLS May 2025
Percentile	Wage	What it means
10th	$16.66	10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this.
25th	$18.37	25% earned less than this.
Median	$21.76	Half earned less and half earned more.
75th	$24.79	75% earned less than this.
90th	$29.90	90% earned less than this.
Mean	$22.50	Average wage across all workers.

What BLS wages include and exclude

Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.

Employment, U.S.: 816,870
Mean annual wage: $46,810
Reference period: May 2025

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 43-5071 Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks, United States.

Target metros

Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) by metro, annual wages, BLS May 2025
Metro	Median	P25 to P75	Employment	Location quotient
Miami	$40,960	$36,010 to $48,900	14,060	0.95
Tampa	$40,370	$36,820 to $48,200	6,350	0.84
Orlando	$39,800	$35,660 to $48,540	5,720	0.77
Raleigh	$43,300	$36,910 to $49,610	2,230	0.57
New York City	$46,550	$41,550 to $56,900	38,970	0.78
Northern New Jersey	$46,550	$41,550 to $56,900	38,970	0.78
Dallas	$44,310	$37,100 to $49,190	29,670	1.39
Chicago	$47,740	$40,710 to $57,790	26,030	1.10

A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that metro than in the nation. Northern New Jersey figures come from the broader New York metro.

Every published area

Choose a state, metropolitan area or nonmetropolitan area. We create an area page only when BLS released a median. The other areas remain available in the tools with labeled state or national fallbacks.

Metro rankings and pay relative to local wages

Browse 584 areas with a published median

By industry

These are national industry estimates for SOC 43-5071 Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks, not a separate estimate for this title. Industry names below are exactly as BLS publishes them. Private-sector rows are labeled when an all-ownership estimate is not available.

BLS OEWS May 2025, national annual wages by industry
BLS industry	NAICS	Ownership	P25	Median	P75	Employment
Construction	23	Private	$42,520	$49,480	$60,500	11,740
Construction of Buildings	236000	Private	$44,410	$53,630	$65,880	1,420
Residential Building Construction	236100	Private	$38,100	$47,540	$54,400	680
Nonresidential Building Construction	236200	Private	$51,840	$60,670	$73,150	730
Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction	237000	Private	$45,080	$52,030	$63,300	1,080
Utility System Construction	237100	Private	$45,280	$52,270	$63,910	660
Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction	237130	Private	$45,290	$52,800	$63,910	370
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction	237300	Private	$41,600	$47,870	$61,060	250
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction	237900	Private	$49,110	$56,640	$65,000	160
Specialty Trade Contractors	238000	Private	$42,000	$49,050	$59,380	9,250
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors	238100	Private	$42,300	$49,410	$57,600	950
Poured Concrete Foundation and Structure Contractors	238110	Private	$43,620	$50,920	$59,790	80
Masonry Contractors	238140	Private	$52,700	$56,410	$75,920	80
Roofing Contractors	238160	Private	$37,990	$43,300	$52,710	250
Building Equipment Contractors	238200	Private	$41,410	$48,840	$60,070	6,440
Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors	238210	Private	$41,420	$49,920	$60,620	2,310
Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors	238220	Private	$41,500	$48,630	$60,320	3,570
Other Building Equipment Contractors	238290	Private	$40,380	$47,980	$55,590	560
Building Finishing Contractors	238300	Private	$41,450	$48,310	$57,520	1,370
Drywall and Insulation Contractors	238310	Private	$48,140	$53,290	$58,420	120
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors	238320	Private	$33,280	$38,440	$42,660	70
Other Specialty Trade Contractors	238900	Private	$46,640	$51,990	$63,270	490
Manufacturing	31-33	Private	$39,890	$46,910	$54,590	230,110
Food Manufacturing	311000	Private	$39,300	$46,460	$52,680	27,420
Animal Food Manufacturing	311100	Private	$40,390	$48,100	$55,410	1,510
Grain and Oilseed Milling	311200	Private	$44,190	$47,960	$58,360	1,100
Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing	311300	Private	$37,870	$47,450	$53,480	1,360
Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing	311400	Private	$42,470	$47,460	$51,580	2,930
Dairy Product Manufacturing	311500	Private	$45,190	$49,620	$58,200	3,500
Animal Slaughtering and Processing	311600	Private	$37,340	$42,530	$47,640	6,670
Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging	311700	Private	$37,430	$40,360	$46,120	420
Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing	311800	Private	$40,410	$47,910	$56,600	4,180
Other Food Manufacturing	311900	Private	$38,770	$46,180	$54,180	5,750
Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing	312000	Private	$47,630	$53,840	$62,470	3,050
Beverage Manufacturing	312100	Private	$47,920	$53,870	$63,020	2,800
Tobacco Manufacturing	312200	Private	$38,110	$52,910	$59,550	250
Textile Mills	313000	Private	$36,980	$40,910	$48,310	1,600
Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills	313100	Private	$36,990	$40,580	$43,870	270
Fabric Mills	313200	Private	$37,070	$41,830	$50,610	810
Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills	313300	Private	$36,930	$40,860	$47,480	520
Textile Product Mills	314000	Private	$35,530	$40,690	$46,910	2,440
Textile Furnishings Mills	314100	Private	$33,860	$38,940	$44,480	940
Other Textile Product Mills	314900	Private	$35,880	$42,840	$48,150	1,510
Apparel Manufacturing	315000	Private	$36,900	$38,880	$45,410	2,300
Apparel Knitting Mills	315100	Private	$29,720	$35,750	$38,080	140
Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing	315200	Private	$37,100	$39,620	$45,680	1,830
Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing	315900	Private	$32,220	$37,130	$40,550	320
Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing	316000	Private	$29,810	$36,320	$42,240	580
Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing	316100	Private	$31,420	$38,880	$45,760	50
Footwear Manufacturing	316200	Private	$31,910	$37,310	$47,710	190
Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing	316900	Private	$25,340	$35,570	$37,990	340
Wood Product Manufacturing	321000	Private	$39,680	$47,160	$54,170	4,570
Sawmills and Wood Preservation	321100	Private	$38,640	$46,860	$53,860	650
Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing	321200	Private	$44,240	$49,140	$58,480	900
Other Wood Product Manufacturing	321900	Private	$39,050	$46,730	$52,240	3,020
Paper Manufacturing	322000	Private	$46,790	$50,830	$59,790	7,490
Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills	322100	Private	$51,500	$62,160	$65,530	1,520
Converted Paper Product Manufacturing	322200	Private	$45,970	$49,580	$57,430	5,980
Printing and Related Support Activities	323000	Private	$36,650	$42,820	$47,530	9,370
Printing and Related Support Activities	323100	Private	$36,650	$42,820	$47,530	9,370
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	324000	Private	$47,880	$57,090	$71,080	1,020
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	324100	Private	$47,880	$57,090	$71,080	1,020
Chemical Manufacturing	325000	Private	$39,450	$47,240	$58,270	16,770
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only)	3250A1	Private	$40,600	$49,290	$61,510	6,530
Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only)	3250A2	Private	$38,960	$46,290	$54,260	5,110
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	325400	Private	$39,180	$46,180	$56,870	5,140
Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing	326000	Private	$40,290	$46,690	$51,820	15,850
Plastics Product Manufacturing	326100	Private	$40,190	$46,650	$51,630	13,750
Rubber Product Manufacturing	326200	Private	$41,130	$47,280	$52,610	2,100
Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing	327000	Private	$41,790	$48,730	$59,240	3,660
Primary Metal Manufacturing	331000	Private	$45,460	$49,780	$59,370	6,860
Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing	331100	Private	$47,110	$54,810	$69,680	1,410
Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel	331200	Private	$43,920	$48,590	$57,840	1,560
Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing	331300	Private	$45,980	$49,100	$58,900	930
Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing	331400	Private	$46,240	$50,920	$60,470	1,410
Foundries	331500	Private	$44,980	$48,970	$57,190	1,540
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	332000	Private	$40,410	$46,830	$52,920	34,800
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only)	3320A1	Private	$40,000	$46,800	$51,270	12,850
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only)	3320A2	Private	$41,320	$47,280	$55,400	10,250
Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing	332700	Private	$40,750	$46,940	$53,750	8,520
Machine Shops	332710	Private	$43,030	$47,680	$55,620	5,790
Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing	332720	Private	$39,120	$45,300	$49,080	2,730
Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities	332800	Private	$38,660	$45,320	$50,230	3,180
Machinery Manufacturing	333000	Private	$43,920	$47,690	$55,150	23,410
Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)	3330A1	Private	$44,670	$47,900	$55,400	17,370
Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing	333300	Private	$41,350	$46,930	$54,550	1,850
Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing	333500	Private	$40,320	$46,520	$51,960	2,790
Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing	333600	Private	$44,310	$47,840	$58,440	1,400
Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing	334000	Private	$40,530	$46,680	$52,600	14,700
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing	334100	Private	$36,940	$44,630	$49,550	1,280
Communications Equipment Manufacturing	334200	Private	$40,700	$46,460	$49,900	1,360
Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing	334300	Private	$39,610	$46,300	$48,910	400
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing	334400	Private	$39,100	$46,460	$50,920	5,250
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	334500	Private	$43,360	$47,580	$55,680	6,330
Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media	334600	Private	$37,270	$40,750	$50,090	80
Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing	335000	Private	$38,870	$45,830	$51,350	9,410
Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing	335100	Private	$37,990	$44,400	$49,520	1,240
Household Appliance Manufacturing	335200	Private	$38,830	$38,870	$46,300	2,240
Electrical Equipment Manufacturing	335300	Private	$43,410	$47,310	$53,940	2,560
Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing	335900	Private	$41,450	$47,490	$56,330	3,370
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	336000	Private	$43,900	$48,290	$59,100	23,080
Motor Vehicle Manufacturing	336100	Private	$48,760	$56,580	$63,460	540
Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing	336200	Private	$38,870	$46,850	$51,650	2,600
Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing	336300	Private	$40,140	$46,050	$49,360	9,830
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	336400	Private	$47,440	$58,770	$93,190	8,580
Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing	336500	Private	$49,270	$56,700	$63,200	120
Ship and Boat Building	336600	Private	$42,340	$48,530	$56,820	690
Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	336900	Private	$44,190	$46,380	$51,410	710
Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing	337000	Private	$37,190	$43,650	$48,390	7,940
Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only)	3370A1	Private	$37,240	$43,870	$48,640	7,270
Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing	337900	Private	$36,500	$39,910	$45,650	670
Miscellaneous Manufacturing	339000	Private	$38,350	$45,330	$49,070	13,780
Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing	339100	Private	$38,690	$46,060	$49,630	6,520
Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing	339900	Private	$38,020	$44,720	$48,820	7,270
Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing	339910	Private	$38,940	$45,100	$50,070	470
Information	51	Private	$37,530	$45,790	$53,720	6,550
Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries	512000	Private	$37,970	$43,920	$53,900	510
Motion Picture and Video Industries	512100	Private	$37,970	$44,600	$53,920	420
Sound Recording Industries	512200	Private	$38,200	$43,200	$53,870	90
Publishing Industries	513000	Private	$34,850	$45,140	$52,000	2,620
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers	513100	Private	$34,940	$44,210	$49,480	1,720
Newspaper Publishers	513110	Private	$31,210	$35,650	$46,400	280
Software Publishers	513200	Private	$32,010	$46,470	$53,390	900
Broadcasting and Content Providers	516000	Private	$37,150	$42,650	$47,880	310
Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations	516100	Private	$37,150	$40,700	$47,300	200
Television Broadcasting Stations	516120	Private	$37,150	$39,290	$47,300	190
Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers	516200	Private	$38,640	$45,800	$57,840	110
Telecommunications	517000	Private	$40,040	$47,690	$60,710	2,360
Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services	518000	Private	$38,310	$48,020	$54,570	510
Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services	518200	Private	$38,310	$48,020	$54,570	510
Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services	519000	Private	$34,110	$34,110	$37,390	Not published by BLS
Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services	519200	Private	$34,110	$34,110	$37,390	Not published by BLS
Finance and Insurance	52	Private	$39,680	$45,060	$52,810	1,390
Credit Intermediation and Related Activities	522000	Private	$41,410	$45,630	$57,010	500
Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only)	5220A1	Private	$39,630	$44,120	$52,810	320
Nondepository Credit Intermediation	522200	Private	$45,190	$48,530	$58,560	180
Other Nondepository Credit Intermediation	522290	Private	$47,270	$52,950	$59,400	100
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities	523000	Private	$40,550	$43,880	$50,920	140
Insurance Carriers and Related Activities	524000	Private	$39,320	$44,430	$51,260	730
Insurance Carriers	524100	Private	$39,680	$45,800	$58,210	290
Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers	524114	Private	$45,540	$46,440	$66,370	130
Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers	524120	Private	$39,680	$43,010	$56,530	110
Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities	524200	Private	$38,470	$44,310	$46,820	440
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	524210	Private	$37,440	$43,190	$76,230	50
Other Insurance Related Activities	524290	Private	$38,470	$44,310	$46,750	390
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing	53	Private	$37,740	$42,670	$48,470	4,130
Real Estate	531000	Private	$38,120	$41,100	$45,240	950
Rental and Leasing Services	532000	Private	$37,450	$43,770	$49,200	3,150
Rental and Leasing Services (5322, 5323, and 5324 only)	5320A1	Private	$37,040	$43,240	$49,230	2,680
Automotive Equipment Rental and Leasing	532100	Private	$40,940	$45,220	$49,140	470
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	54	Private	$39,330	$46,570	$56,120	20,410
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	541000	Private	$39,330	$46,570	$56,120	20,410
Legal Services	541100	Private	$47,410	$49,470	$51,910	40
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services	541200	Private	$37,450	$42,430	$49,080	390
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	541300	Private	$42,890	$47,020	$57,630	4,030
Engineering Services	541330	Private	$45,060	$47,810	$57,630	2,700
Testing Laboratories and Services	541380	Private	$39,150	$45,430	$55,330	1,300
Specialized Design Services	541400	Private	$39,590	$44,980	$50,570	770
Computer Systems Design and Related Services	541500	Private	$42,940	$49,350	$64,010	3,360
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	541600	Private	$36,910	$44,430	$51,130	5,660
Scientific Research and Development Services	541700	Private	$48,460	$56,370	$63,220	2,050
Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	541710	Private	$48,460	$56,430	$63,220	2,030
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services	541800	Private	$36,950	$41,280	$48,070	2,490
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	541900	Private	$38,630	$45,020	$52,740	1,630
Photographic Services	541920	Private	$34,310	$39,360	$52,960	100
Veterinary Services	541940	Private	$41,610	$47,620	$54,440	830
Management of Companies and Enterprises	55	Private	$40,210	$47,490	$58,240	9,830
Management of Companies and Enterprises	551000	Private	$40,210	$47,490	$58,240	9,830
Management of Companies and Enterprises	551100	Private	$40,210	$47,490	$58,240	9,830
Ambulatory Health Care Services	621000	Private	$40,320	$47,730	$59,270	4,400
Offices of Physicians	621100	Private	$43,370	$52,920	$68,060	1,550
Offices of Dentists	621200	Private	$30,740	$45,510	$45,520	70
Offices of Other Health Practitioners	621300	Private	$36,230	$40,220	$45,680	200
Offices of Optometrists	621320	Private	$35,360	$39,500	$42,900	30
Offices of All Other Health Practitioners	621390	Private	$36,770	$41,690	$47,130	150
Outpatient Care Centers	621400	Private	$43,670	$53,020	$64,410	670
Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers	621420	Private	$48,230	$55,360	$62,840	Not published by BLS
Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories	621500	Private	$40,260	$46,840	$50,510	870
Home Health Care Services	621600	Private	$43,350	$49,610	$57,250	250
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services	621900	Private	$38,850	$46,010	$55,010	790
Ambulance Services	621910	Private	$39,500	$43,270	$49,860	120
All Other Ambulatory Health Care Services	621990	Private	$38,780	$46,320	$55,470	680
Hospitals	622000	Private	$40,030	$46,900	$52,000	15,000
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	622100	Private	$39,920	$46,860	$51,320	14,230
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals	622200	Private	$39,880	$42,910	$48,560	40
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	622300	Private	$46,520	$51,690	$61,360	730
Nursing and Residential Care Facilities	623000	Private	$37,420	$43,240	$49,670	1,340
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)	623100	Private	$38,330	$43,930	$50,130	850
Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities	623200	Private	$27,820	$35,250	$44,020	200
Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities	623210	Private	$33,060	$38,890	$43,520	40
Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities	623220	Private	$27,820	$32,930	$45,430	150
Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly	623300	Private	$38,160	$43,600	$49,520	260
Social Assistance	624000	Private	$29,970	$37,370	$46,100	3,580
Individual and Family Services	624100	Private	$30,800	$37,680	$46,900	620
Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities	624120	Private	$30,800	$30,800	$34,320	Not published by BLS
Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services	624200	Private	$38,060	$46,230	$52,920	980
Vocational Rehabilitation Services	624300	Private	$27,780	$34,430	$41,900	1,970
Food Services and Drinking Places	722000	Private	$38,360	$42,340	$46,100	3,070
Special Food Services	722300	Private	$38,760	$43,970	$46,850	1,770
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)	722400	Private	$38,480	$38,490	$50,820	90
Restaurants and Other Eating Places	722500	Private	$37,960	$42,340	$45,300	1,210
Full-Service Restaurants	722511	Private	$42,340	$42,340	$45,820	860

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025, national industry-specific rows. BLS tables.

What changed since May 2024

Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) median annual wage, United States
Release	Median
BLS OEWS May 2024	$43,190
BLS OEWS May 2025	$45,260

The published medians differ by $2,070. Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2024 and May 2025. This is not an annualized growth claim. Area definitions and the workers represented can change.

What belongs in the pay comparison

OEWS includes straight-time gross wages, guaranteed pay, commissions and production bonuses. It excludes overtime, nonproduction bonuses and employer-paid benefits. If this person covers a payroll deadline, an overdue billing queue or a late close, the overtime bill is separate. A shift differential is also excluded. Compare the regular wage first, then explain the extra hours and any incentive in the offer rather than hide them inside one annual amount.

Read the BLS wage definition and exclusions

Recruiter's read

Qualitative view from our desk. Not BLS data.

For Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk), discuss the work behind these requirements: Cycle counts and physical inventory reconciliation; ERP inventory modules (SAP, Epicor, Infor, NetSuite, Fishbowl); ASCM CPIM a plus. Ask what the person completed themselves and what a manager or specialist reviewed. A system name on a resume does not establish depth in that workflow. The BLS figure describes the listed occupation, not a separately measured rate for this exact opening.

Common questions

What is the median annual wage for Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk)?

$45,260 in the United States, based on BLS May 2025 data for Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks (SOC 43-5071).

What does the middle half of workers earn?

The 25th percentile is $38,200 and the 75th percentile is $51,570 in the United States. That is where the middle half of workers in this occupation fall.

How many people work in this occupation?

BLS estimates 816,870 workers in Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks in the United States.

How much do the highest paid workers earn?

The 90th percentile is $62,190. 10% of workers earned more.

Does BLS publish this exact title?

BLS groups inventory clerks with shipping and receiving clerks. It does not report an inventory-control-only wage or distinguish cycle-count, cost-system or ERP depth.

Which metros have published figures?

BLS published a median for Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Raleigh, New York City, Northern New Jersey, Dallas, Chicago.

Reading this page's BLS evidence

What do the released numbers measure?

For Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States, the May 2025 OEWS row records a annual median of $45,260 under Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) (SOC 43-5071, Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks). The Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States mapping is a broader occupation, not a separately measured wage for this hiring title; the occupation name attached to this median is Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks. The released Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States employment field is 816,870 jobs, which describes the SOC rather than a count of candidates available to take your opening.

How much room is inside the published band?

The middle-half annual band for Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States runs from $38,200 at P25 to $51,570 at P75, a width of $13,370. For Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States, the lower half of that band covers $7,060, while the upper half covers $6,310; the lower side therefore accounts for more of the middle-half spread. An offer for Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States can move within that published band without justifying an exact percentile claim, and these points do not identify junior, senior or manager pay grades.

How does this estimate compare with the national figure?

The Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States median is the national reference for this SOC, not a city-specific offer target. For Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States, the national mean is $46,810, $1,550 above its median; the average and midpoint consequently describe different features of the released wage distribution. The national Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States figure pools places and employers, so a local offer should also be checked against an actual area row rather than being described as a local premium.

Which other metro estimates can you compare?

The Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States comparison uses the two metropolitan estimates with the largest published employment for this occupation: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, where the annual median for Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks is $46,550; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, where the annual median for Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks is $45,980. These Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States neighbors are selected only from metros with a published median for the same SOC, so suppression can change which comparisons are available. For Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States, the geography comes from Census Gazetteer internal points where available, not a claim about commuting time, recruiting reach or an employer's payroll policy.

What can the industry rows tell you?

Among the loaded national industry rows relevant to Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States, the highest numeric annual medians are Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills (NAICS 322100), $62,160; Nonresidential Building Construction (NAICS 236200), $60,670. The Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States industry comparison excludes top-coded and suppressed medians from exact ranking and is limited to the industries loaded for this brand, not every possible industry. For Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States, these are national industry cuts of the same SOC, not proof that this exact title earns those amounts.

What changed in the published median?

For Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States, the prior 2024-05 median was $43,190, compared with $45,260 in 2025-05; the released medians differ by $2,070 upward. This Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States comparison is subtraction of published medians, not an annualized growth forecast or a claim that the same workers received that change. The Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States year-over-year cells use the same SOC and area code, but changes in the surveyed employment mix can still affect what the two medians describe.

What belongs outside the wage budget?

The Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States annual median of $45,260 is an OEWS wage measure, not a complete employer-cost budget. For Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States, guaranteed pay and incentive pay including commissions and production bonuses belong inside the OEWS definition, so adding all commission again would double-count a component the survey includes. Overtime, nonproduction bonuses and employer benefit costs are excluded from the Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States wage definition; budget those separately when relevant, but this the United States row supplies no dollar amounts for them, equity or relocation.

Questions about this estimate

What does Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States's $45,260 median actually measure?

For Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States, this is the May 2025 annual median of Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks, SOC 43-5071. The Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States broader mapping does not establish a separately measured employer-specific rate for the opening.

How wide is the published offer band for Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States?

For Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States, P75 minus P25 is $13,370. The Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States endpoints are $38,200 and $51,570, not experience-level labels or an interpolated candidate percentile.

Can the industry figures be treated as Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States's local rates?

The loaded Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States industry rows describe national Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks wages. The Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States national page does not turn an occupation-wide industry median into an exact-title offer.

What changed between releases for Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States?

The Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States annual medians were $43,190 in 2024-05 and $45,260 in 2025-05. The Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) in the United States difference is $2,070; this is not a forecast or a same-worker raise.

Census internal points used for comparison geography

Inventory Control Specialist (cost and inventory clerk) salary, United States