Skip to content
Boston Career Explorer

Office and Administrative Support

Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks

Verify and maintain records on incoming and outgoing shipments involving inventory. Duties include verifying and recording incoming merchandise or material and arranging for the transportation of products. May prepare items for shipment.

Also called: Materials Control Associate, Order Fulfillment Specialist, Receiver, Receiving Associate, Receiving Clerk, Receiving Coordinator

Median pay in Greater Boston
$49,980
$24.03/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
10,140
Massachusetts 2024–2034
−3.6%
1,360 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
High school diploma or equivalent
plus Short-term on-the-job training

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$39,360$45,100$49,980$59,800$68,910

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Examine shipment contents and compare with records, such as manifests, invoices, or orders, to verify accuracy.
  • Requisition and store shipping materials and supplies to maintain inventory of stock.
  • Prepare documents, such as work orders, bills of lading, or shipping orders, to route materials.
  • Pack, seal, label, or affix postage to prepare materials for shipping, using hand tools, power tools, or postage meter.
  • Record shipment data, such as weight, charges, space availability, damages, or discrepancies, for reporting, accounting, or recordkeeping purposes.
  • Confer or correspond with establishment representatives to rectify problems, such as damages, shortages, or nonconformance to specifications.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Moderate exposure36 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 25
  • Language-model AIOE 26
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 58

Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)

This job has moderate AI exposure, and observed AI use is little or none. Software and scanners can speed up checking shipments against records and preparing shipping documents. Packing, handling goods, and spotting damage in person remain hands-on, though federal projections expect technology to reduce the number of these jobs.

Likely to change

  • Matching shipments to invoices and manifests
  • Preparing shipping documents and records

Still relies on people

  • Packing, sealing, and labeling items by hand
  • Spotting damage and sorting out discrepancies

What federal projections say

“Productivity change, demand change - share decreases as continued adoption of technologies increases the ability of workers to process shipped and received packages. The share decreases are partially offset by the increased demand for shipping and receiving services due to the increased online sales.”
BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, factors affecting this job (U.S.)

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

  • Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

    Checking load paperwork and securing cargo carry over to truck driving, which pays $64,010 in Boston and has lower AI exposure; it typically needs a postsecondary training award.

    Pay difference
    +$14,030 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +8.5%
    To get started
    Postsecondary nondegree award

  • Maintenance and Repair Workers, General

    Using hand and power tools and keeping orderly records carry over to general maintenance work, which pays more and has lower AI exposure.

    Pay difference
    +$9,690 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +5.2%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.

Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.

Related occupations

Talk to a career coach

A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.

Talk to a career coach