Spot shortages in tomorrow's orders
Match tomorrow's work orders against inventory records to catch any missing materials before the production run starts.
Career profile
Production Planning and Expediting Clerk
Production planning clerks keep a plant's work orders and parts moving on schedule.
A missing part could stall tomorrow's production, so you find out when it will arrive and help rework the schedule.
A day in the life
Ask the vendor for a date
Contact the vendor to find out when the shipment you need is due to arrive.
Reschedule a held-up job
If materials fall short, reschedule the held-up job with production supervisors, then send out the new timetable.
Log progress and production problems
Log finished work and production problems in the progress report, so whoever takes over knows what's stalling orders.
Quick facts
High school + workplace training
United States · 2025
$59,650/year
United States · May 2025
1.3% projected decline
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
High school + workplace trainingA high school diploma or equivalent is typical. Prior related experience is not typically required; employers provide training.
Pay
$59,650/yearNational median for production, planning, and expediting clerks; the hourly median is $28.68.
Outlook
1.3% projected declineAbout 32,600 openings per year are projected nationally despite a small decline in total employment.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You notice mismatched quantities or dates.
- You follow up when someone has not answered.
- You can revise a plan without losing track of details.
Things to weigh
- Deadlines create frequent pressure, and workweeks can exceed 40 hours.
- Plant-floor visits can mean noise and protective equipment.
Where AI may help
Sensors and electronic tags can update inventory records automatically, reducing manual counting and data entry.
What people still lead
You still resolve conflicting updates with suppliers and production supervisors.
What we can’t predict yet
How much routine tracking disappears will depend on automation at your workplace; the balance between entering records and handling exceptions may shift.
Pay in context
Earnings
The U.S. median was $59,650 a year in May 2025, with an hourly median of $28.68. That is a midpoint across workers, not a starting offer.
The national spread
The lowest-paid 10% earned $40,080 or less annually; the highest-paid 10% earned $86,000 or more. These cutoffs describe the workforce, not a beginner-to-expert pay ladder.
Employer industry matters
In May 2023, these clerks averaged $65,670 annually in management of companies and enterprises, compared with $50,490 in warehousing and storage. These older industry averages are means, not the 2025 national median or current job offers.
Openings during a small decline
Employment is projected to fall 1.3% from 2025 to 2035, while averaging 32,600 openings each year. Openings are projected hiring opportunities across the decade, not vacancies available today.
Getting started
Start in a production clerk job
- What the route involves
- With a high school diploma or equivalent, seek roles that train new hires. Learn records and scheduling alongside an experienced worker.
- What it can lead to
- You build the company-specific knowledge needed to prepare production and work schedules.
Bring manufacturing experience
- What the route involves
- Build experience with factory operations, then apply to scheduling roles that accept manufacturing experience in place of a degree.
- What it can lead to
- Your knowledge of how work moves through a plant can qualify you for some experienced scheduler positions.
- What to check
- Requirements vary: some roles seek five to six years of equivalent experience for this route.
You can enter through a clerk job that trains new hires or bring manufacturing experience to a scheduling role.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Learn the operation
After hiring, learn how the company works before writing its production schedules.
Connect production with shipping
Get comfortable reconciling production tickets and learning shipping functions so your schedules reflect completed work and delivery needs.
Work toward master scheduling
With experience, you can pursue master scheduler roles that coordinate several projects and guide scheduling staff. Some require an associate degree and several years of planning experience.
Where you can work
Building-products factories
You may move between an office and the production floor, checking tickets and working with shipping staff. Remakes and department capacity affect which orders can go next.
- Office
- Indoors
Small-batch electronics manufacturers
Some plants make many different products in small runs. Scheduling work connects with engineering and purchasing because several projects compete for materials, equipment, and worker time.
- Indoors
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Make a spreadsheet for three imaginary work orders, listing parts needed, parts available, and due dates. Delay one parts delivery by two days. Reorder the jobs and write a short update to a production supervisor. Notice whether you enjoy tracking the details and explaining the change.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. 43-5061.00 — Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- O*NET OnLine / U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. National Wages — Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational projections, 2025–35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2023 Occupational Employment and Wages — 43-5061. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook — Material Recording Clerks. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Owens Corning. Scheduler — Fort Mill, South Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Pine Electronics. Master Scheduler — Job Description. Accessed 2026-10-03.