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What is an inventory control manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
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An inventory control manager is an individual responsible for overseeing and managing a company's inventory levels. They are in charge of ensuring that the right amount of products are available at the right time to meet customer demand while minimizing excess inventory. An inventory control manager creates and implements inventory management systems, analyzes sales trends, and monitors inventory levels to avoid stockouts or overstocking. They work closely with purchasing and production teams to optimize supply chain efficiency.

ScoreInventory Control ManagerUS Average
Salary
4.6

Avg. Salary $59,401

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.9

Growth rate -3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.6
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.67%

Asian 7.81%

Black or African American 7.98%

Hispanic or Latino 13.42%

Unknown 4.73%

White 65.40%

Gender

female 29.00%

male 71.00%

Age - 47
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47
Stress level
7.9

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being an inventory control manager?

Pros

  • High demand for skilled inventory control managers

  • Opportunities for career advancement

  • Potential for a good salary and benefits package

  • Opportunity to implement process improvements and cost-saving measures

  • Gain knowledge of different inventory management systems and technologies

Cons

  • High levels of stress due to responsibility for the accuracy of inventory levels

  • Long hours and unpredictable workload, especially during peak seasons

  • Constantly changing priorities and deadlines

  • Risk of being held solely responsible for inventory discrepancies or losses

  • Possible need to deal with difficult vendors or suppliers.

Inventory control manager career paths

Key steps to become an inventory control manager

  1. Explore inventory control manager education requirements

    Most common inventory control manager degrees

    Bachelor's

    56.6 %

    Associate

    20.5 %

    High School Diploma

    11.2 %
  2. Start to develop specific inventory control manager skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Inventory Control Procedures11.41%
    Sales Floor11.31%
    Customer Service9.50%
    Team Work8.28%
    Logistics6.90%
  3. Complete relevant inventory control manager training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New inventory control managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an inventory control manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real inventory control manager resumes.
  4. Research inventory control manager duties and responsibilities

    • Manage day-to-day logistics operations of shipping agricultural herbicides/pesticides.
    • Develop new reporting techniques to improve inventory accuracy, KPI's, and root cause analysis.
    • Develop company training program to certify all hazmat employees to 49 CFR, IATA, & IMDG regulations.
    • Maintain inventory accuracy above customer KPI target.
  5. Prepare your inventory control manager resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your inventory control manager resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an inventory control manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable inventory control manager resume templates

    Build a professional inventory control manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your inventory control manager resume.
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    Inventory Control Manager Resume
    Inventory Control Manager Resume
    Inventory Control Manager Resume
  6. Apply for inventory control manager jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an inventory control manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first inventory control manager job

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Average inventory control manager salary

The average inventory control manager salary in the United States is $59,401 per year or $29 per hour. Inventory control manager salaries range between $41,000 and $85,000 per year.

Average inventory control manager salary
$59,401 Yearly
$28.56 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do inventory control managers rate their job?

-/5

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Inventory control manager reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020
Cons

work will be sometimes hectic.

Pros

its a challenging work. you need lot of potential to be materials manager.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020
Cons

we put a lot of hours, we earn our salaries from our eyes so salary is not up to what we do. but i do it because i love this job.

Pros

Well when looking in the figures you will understand immediately how the organization doing, then when you send the info and your are correct and they don't listen then they realize that you where right, you look at there faces you will feel like you own the world.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019
Pros

I am continuously working to develop my the communication and computer skills necessary listed in the job description job description. My formal education which is bachelors degree in philosophy and a minor in economics. I am currently furthering my education in the area of computer science.

Cons

I am working to improve my area of concern which is having limitations when managing employees.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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