Salary guide, May 2025
Inventory Control Specialist pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks in the United States was $59,650 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $47,820 and $75,000.
Also searched as: Inventory Control Clerk, Cycle Counter, Inventory Coordinator. These titles share this page because BLS reports them under one occupation.
Broader occupation · SOC 43-5061 Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks
The Inventory Control Specialist title maps to the published occupation. BLS does not separate this process, credential, shift or plant-specific title from other work in the occupation.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,080 | $47,820 | $59,650 | $75,000 | $86,000 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $19.27 | $22.99 | $28.68 | $36.06 | $41.34 |
BLS estimated 390,160 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 43-5061 Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $52,070 | $44,410 to $64,540 | 5,610 | 0.79 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $50,870 | $43,190 to $62,620 | 3,140 | 0.86 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $50,040 | $44,470 to $62,810 | 2,820 | 0.8 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $59,190 | $47,040 to $66,460 | 1,700 | 0.91 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $63,130 | $52,220 to $77,370 | 28,600 | 1.2 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $63,130 | $52,220 to $77,370 | 28,600 | 1.2 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $56,360 | $45,060 to $70,680 | 10,130 | 1 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $59,900 | $48,990 to $76,170 | 8,560 | 0.76 |
Rank every metro for Inventory Control Specialist
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels.
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing$92,980
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing$92,980
- Tobacco Manufacturing$79,650
- Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills$79,520
- Motor Vehicle Manufacturing$74,200
- Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing$72,550
- Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only)$72,080
- Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing$71,760
- Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing$67,490
- Paper Manufacturing$67,390
- Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel$65,530
- Ship and Boat Building$65,370
- Chemical Manufacturing$65,120
- Primary Metal Manufacturing$65,010
- Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing$64,790
Bars show up to 15 industries with exact annual medians. The table lists every published industry.
| NAICS | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 | Manufacturing | 123,160 | $48,750 | $60,970 | $76,170 |
| 336000 | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 22,220 | $54,420 | $63,740 | $79,280 |
| 333000 | Machinery Manufacturing | 12,860 | $49,090 | $60,530 | $74,940 |
| 311000 | Food Manufacturing | 12,800 | $47,770 | $59,010 | $73,420 |
| 332000 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 12,100 | $48,680 | $59,310 | $73,240 |
| 334000 | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 11,220 | $46,950 | $59,850 | $76,030 |
| 3330A1 | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 9,800 | $49,300 | $60,740 | $75,330 |
| 325000 | Chemical Manufacturing | 9,640 | $53,080 | $65,120 | $80,740 |
| 336400 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 7,340 | $58,580 | $71,760 | $84,190 |
| 326000 | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 7,290 | $47,150 | $59,660 | $73,780 |
| 336300 | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 6,950 | $47,290 | $58,570 | $71,380 |
| 326100 | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 5,960 | $46,800 | $59,060 | $72,470 |
| 335000 | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 5,960 | $46,240 | $57,990 | $71,750 |
| 339000 | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 5,760 | $47,940 | $59,320 | $72,230 |
| 3320A1 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 4,910 | $49,530 | $60,800 | $74,280 |
| 334500 | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 4,170 | $55,690 | $63,590 | $79,160 |
| 3320A2 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 4,080 | $47,570 | $58,100 | $70,720 |
| 334400 | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 4,080 | $47,230 | $59,270 | $76,480 |
| 3250A1 | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 3,900 | $57,920 | $72,080 | $87,180 |
| 325400 | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 3,740 | $51,480 | $62,940 | $78,950 |
| 339100 | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 3,590 | $48,040 | $60,200 | $73,370 |
| 322000 | Paper Manufacturing | 3,570 | $55,000 | $67,390 | $81,020 |
| 331000 | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 3,400 | $54,650 | $65,010 | $79,110 |
| 311900 | Other Food Manufacturing | 3,370 | $47,850 | $59,060 | $69,700 |
| 337000 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 3,310 | $40,940 | $49,390 | $60,890 |
| 336600 | Ship and Boat Building | 3,130 | $63,240 | $65,370 | $83,630 |
| 336100 | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 2,920 | $63,490 | $74,200 | $78,360 |
| 3370A1 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 2,890 | $40,670 | $48,940 | $61,080 |
| 322200 | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 2,860 | $50,610 | $64,100 | $78,420 |
| 321000 | Wood Product Manufacturing | 2,830 | $47,380 | $54,790 | $61,570 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 2,760 | $48,800 | $61,130 | $75,960 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 2,760 | $48,800 | $61,130 | $75,960 |
| 323000 | Printing and Related Support Activities | 2,560 | $46,880 | $55,970 | $67,270 |
| 323100 | Printing and Related Support Activities | 2,560 | $46,880 | $55,970 | $67,270 |
| 339900 | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 2,170 | $47,910 | $57,710 | $70,020 |
| 332700 | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 2,160 | $50,440 | $61,370 | $76,200 |
| 311600 | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 2,080 | $45,320 | $55,960 | $76,510 |
| 3250A2 | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 2,000 | $48,620 | $62,230 | $76,240 |
| 321900 | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 1,970 | $47,380 | $52,390 | $61,100 |
| 311500 | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 1,930 | $48,690 | $59,540 | $71,680 |
| 335300 | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 1,880 | $51,800 | $62,360 | $77,340 |
| 335900 | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 1,860 | $46,380 | $59,140 | $75,790 |
| 334100 | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 1,850 | $31,280 | $37,490 | $51,080 |
| 311400 | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 1,800 | $46,660 | $54,930 | $66,520 |
| 335200 | Household Appliance Manufacturing | 1,750 | $46,190 | $51,610 | $60,500 |
| 312000 | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 1,620 | $55,040 | $63,390 | $77,960 |
| 312100 | Beverage Manufacturing | 1,460 | $54,450 | $62,870 | $77,100 |
| 333500 | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 1,420 | $47,440 | $56,250 | $71,560 |
| 332710 | Machine Shops | 1,350 | $52,330 | $62,400 | $76,050 |
| 311800 | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 1,330 | $46,010 | $59,820 | $74,960 |
| 326200 | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 1,320 | $49,220 | $63,300 | $77,990 |
| 336200 | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 1,090 | $49,420 | $59,220 | $66,610 |
| 332800 | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 950 | $46,120 | $52,000 | $63,340 |
| 324000 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 890 | $71,340 | $92,980 | $116,490 |
| 324100 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 890 | $71,340 | $92,980 | $116,490 |
| 334200 | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 870 | $48,650 | $62,770 | $76,830 |
| 333300 | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 860 | $49,920 | $60,510 | $73,680 |
| 311200 | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 830 | $51,620 | $64,390 | $78,530 |
| 314000 | Textile Product Mills | 820 | $42,710 | $47,230 | $60,840 |
| 311300 | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 800 | $51,300 | $64,790 | $77,460 |
| 332720 | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 800 | $47,790 | $59,610 | $76,200 |
| 333600 | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 780 | $54,170 | $61,200 | $74,220 |
| 331300 | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 760 | $54,680 | $67,490 | $81,010 |
| 331100 | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 740 | $48,700 | $63,630 | $77,230 |
| 331500 | Foundries | 730 | $53,090 | $61,840 | $77,230 |
| 313000 | Textile Mills | 720 | $40,450 | $50,480 | $66,520 |
| 322100 | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 720 | $65,290 | $79,520 | $93,940 |
| 315000 | Apparel Manufacturing | 710 | $41,960 | $51,230 | $61,750 |
| 331400 | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 590 | $57,100 | $72,550 | $86,520 |
| 314100 | Textile Furnishings Mills | 580 | $42,830 | $47,230 | $60,910 |
| 331200 | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 570 | $55,620 | $65,530 | $75,990 |
| 336900 | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 570 | $50,220 | $61,500 | $63,260 |
| 321200 | Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing | 540 | $48,060 | $58,980 | $69,720 |
| 311100 | Animal Food Manufacturing | 530 | $44,790 | $56,590 | $70,530 |
| 315200 | Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing | 530 | $42,250 | $54,600 | $65,980 |
| 335100 | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 460 | $48,940 | $57,850 | $70,750 |
| 313200 | Fabric Mills | 420 | $40,210 | $52,050 | $68,630 |
| 337900 | Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing | 420 | $46,040 | $52,150 | $59,330 |
| 321100 | Sawmills and Wood Preservation | 310 | $47,220 | $60,990 | $82,380 |
| 314900 | Other Textile Product Mills | 230 | $39,530 | $47,500 | $60,440 |
| 336500 | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | 210 | $53,020 | $60,820 | $72,900 |
| 313300 | Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills | 180 | $39,530 | $46,590 | $64,970 |
| 334300 | Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing | 180 | $42,330 | $49,590 | $63,200 |
| 312200 | Tobacco Manufacturing | 160 | $60,780 | $79,650 | $86,150 |
| 316000 | Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 140 | $41,610 | $55,660 | $73,320 |
| 311700 | Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging | 120 | $48,670 | $51,820 | $71,810 |
| 313100 | Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills | 110 | $40,670 | $50,150 | $58,800 |
| 339910 | Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing | 110 | $47,630 | $53,040 | $64,060 |
| 315100 | Apparel Knitting Mills | 90 | $37,580 | $46,430 | $56,360 |
| 315900 | Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing | 90 | $45,780 | $57,340 | $64,820 |
| 316900 | Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 80 | $38,560 | $55,640 | $76,390 |
| 334600 | Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media | 70 | $48,410 | $56,970 | $60,650 |
| 316200 | Footwear Manufacturing | 60 | $46,360 | $55,800 | $67,430 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Inventory Control Specialist, write the straight-time rate separately from shift coverage and extra hours. OEWS includes base rate, guaranteed pay and production incentive pay. It excludes overtime premium, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses. An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure.
Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $46,600 | $57,770 | $71,480 |
| May 2025 | $47,820 | $59,650 | $75,000 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about practical qualification?
A candidate is ready when they have improved record accuracy in a measurable way, even if they cannot share numbers. We ask what they changed in process, labels or training. People who only fixed counts did not change the system, and we say so.
What should you know about questions?
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.
What is the median pay for a Inventory Control Specialist?
The median annual wage for Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks in the United States was $59,650 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $47,820 and $75,000. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $40,080. 90% earned less than $86,000.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
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.
Is this the pay for a Inventory Control Specialist at a plant?
The Inventory Control Specialist title maps to the published occupation. BLS does not separate this process, credential, shift or plant-specific title from other work in the occupation. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 390,160 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
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What does this data mean for your opening?
The Inventory Control Specialist role is mapped to SOC 43-5061, Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks. The national median annual wage is $59,650, which reflects an increase of $1,880 from the $57,770 recorded in May 2024. The middle-band width is notably wider here at $27,180.
Manufacturing Headhunters observes that industry specific data highlights significant premiums, particularly in Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing, which reports a national median of $92,980, and Tobacco Manufacturing, with a median of $79,650. These BLS figures exclude non-traditional compensation like stock options or production-based bonuses, which may be prevalent in high-demand roles.
Comparing employment hubs, the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area shows a median wage of $63,130, and the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, area reports a median of $61,810. Both hubs surpass the national median, indicating stronger competition for skilled clerks in those regions. Because BLS data aggregates all clerical roles under the broader SOC code, it is essential for hiring managers to look beyond the median. The wide middle-band width indicates a significant pay gap between basic data entry tasks and those involving complex root cause variance analysis or reconciliation.
Hiring teams should be aware that location quotient data reflects the density of clerks in these areas, not the availability of qualified specialists. When recruiting for this position, the technical requirement of ERP proficiency and MSSC certification often moves the needle closer to the P75 percentile or above. The broad nature of the SOC code means that basic stockroom roles are included, which lower the overall median. Consequently, firms seeking high-accuracy specialists to manage multimillion-dollar inventories should prioritize the P75 market data to remain competitive, rather than relying on the broad occupation average.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
What is the primary cause for the wide middle-band width in this role?
The band includes everything from entry-level clerks to highly analytical specialists. Because it captures diverse skill sets, the pay spread is wider than in more specialized, narrow occupations.
How do I account for industry premiums when hiring?
Use the provided industry medians to determine if your specific sector is historically a higher or lower payer. You may need to align your salary with your direct sector competitors rather than the general occupation median.
Does the May 2025 median include variable compensation components?
No, the Bureau of Labor Statistics data specifically excludes many forms of non-wage compensation. The values strictly reflect base annual pay rates as reported by employers.
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