Distribution technician vs inventory clerk

The differences between distribution technicians and inventory clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a distribution technician has an average salary of $33,564, which is higher than the $32,666 average annual salary of an inventory clerk.

The top three skills for a distribution technician include patients, computer system and data entry. The most important skills for an inventory clerk are customer service, data entry, and inventory control.

Distribution technician vs inventory clerk overview

	Distribution Technician	Inventory Clerk
Yearly salary	$33,564	$32,666
Hourly rate	$16.14	$15.70
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	154,925	204,051
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	High School Diploma, 38%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	-	-

What does a distribution technician do?

A distribution technician has a variety of duties and responsibilities, including collecting and delivering materials, receiving documents, packages, and messages, and transporting them safely to their destination. Other tasks that you will likely perform include managing the inventory and completing data entry, preparing documentation and reports, and coordinating logistics for the shipment of products. Additional duties include providing quality service to customers and distributors, resolving inventory discrepancies, and collecting and updating customer information. You may also be tasked to conduct field and laboratory testing of construction materials.

What does an inventory clerk do?

Inventory clerks or inventory control clerks manage and maintain all inventory coming in and out. They ensure that the items are stored and stocked in their proper places. They have to train less experienced clerks as well as prepare balance and shortage reports. They also need to report any stock issues, place orders when necessary, prepare a list of lacking products, and take note of unusable items. A good inventory clerk must be detail-oriented, organized, and have relevant experience in inventory control.

Distribution technician vs inventory clerk salary

Distribution technicians and inventory clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Distribution Technician	Inventory Clerk
Average salary	$33,564	$32,666
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $41,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Vallejo, CA	Portland, OR
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Oregon
Best paying company	Brigham and Women's Hospital	BD
Best paying industry	Utilities	Technology

Differences between distribution technician and inventory clerk education

There are a few differences between a distribution technician and an inventory clerk in terms of educational background:

	Distribution Technician	Inventory Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	High School Diploma, 38%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Distribution technician vs inventory clerk demographics

Here are the differences between distribution technicians' and inventory clerks' demographics:

	Distribution Technician	Inventory Clerk
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 70.8% Female, 29.2%	Male, 51.4% Female, 48.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 7.0% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 22.7% Asian, 7.0% White, 53.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between distribution technician and inventory clerk duties and responsibilities

Distribution technician example responsibilities.

Manage all aspects of verifying incoming items and outgoing customer material release orders (MRO )
Manage and monitor KPI's, departmental metrics and ensure all checks and balances are in place.
Purchase raw materials in order to support manufacturing per MRP requirements.
Ensure office are neat, orderly and secure to meet FDA standards.
Utilize troubleshooting and problem-solving skills resolving conflicts/issues in item master and BOM data.
Load and unload trailers using RF scanner to ensure order/weight distribution accurate to customer order.

Inventory clerk example responsibilities.

Use ERP system on a daily basis to accurately move and manage finish goods throughout the plant into inventory.
Manage incoming delivery of all FedEx and containers containing serviceable material.
Receive in POs and transfers.
Maintain complete update purchasing records/data and pricing in the system POS.
Reconcile receipts from travel expenses, material and employee payday loan log to AS400 reports.
Key in and verify invoices using the AS400 system coming from various shops and terminals worldwide.

Distribution technician vs inventory clerk skills

Common distribution technician skills

Patients, 12%
Computer System, 8%
Data Entry, 7%
Medical Equipment, 5%
Customer Service, 4%
Basic Math, 4%

Common inventory clerk skills

Customer Service, 15%
Data Entry, 11%
Inventory Control, 9%
Purchase Orders, 8%
Cycle Counts, 6%
Shipping Receiving, 5%

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Distribution Technician
Distribution Technician vs Inventory Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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