How to become a production, planning, and expediting clerks

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.

Steps to get there

Most employers expect usually requires a high school diploma or ged, though some occupations may not..Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

What production, planning, and expediting clerks do

• Distribute production schedules or work orders to departments.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Skills that matter most

• Reading Comprehension
• Speaking
• Active Listening
• Critical Thinking
• Writing
• Monitoring
• Active Learning
• Mathematics

Is production, planning, and expediting clerks a good career?

On the numbers, this job pays above the typical job. Median pay is 17% above the all-occupation median. Whether it fits you depends on the work itself, the schooling you are willing to do and where you want to live.

Where it pays most

• District of Columbia $72,660
• Wyoming $69,710
• Rhode Island $65,310
• Colorado $63,980
• Hawaii $63,780

Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks salary by state and city

Sources: O*NET® 31.0 (CC BY 4.0, USDOL/ETA) and BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025.