How To Become An Inventory Controller: What It Is and Career Path

What is an inventory controller and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Inventory controllers are in charge of managing all inventory activities in a business and making sure all the materials and products needed for daily activities are supplied in their accurate numbers. As an inventory controller, you will keep records of the inventory levels and restocking supplies as needed. You are in charge of negotiating with vendors and suppliers and making sure all products and materials supplied are of the right quality and quantity. You also need to maintain all records such as product supply records, pricing records, and inventory records and keep them updated.

You need negotiation skills, writing skills, logic thinking skills, organization skills, analytical skills, time management skills, and a sound understanding of all inventory management practices for this role. You also need a bachelor's degree or a high school diploma degree, or even an associate degree to qualify for this role. You will earn an average of $30,956 per year.

ScoreInventory ControllerUS Average

Salary

2.9

Avg. Salary $36,911

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.6

Growth rate 1%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.03%

Asian 6.73%

Black or African American 9.75%

Hispanic or Latino 20.78%

Unknown 5.71%

White 56.00%

Gender

female 40.64%

male 59.36%

Age - 35

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 - 35

Stress level

4.6

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.5

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.1

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an inventory controller

Explore inventory controller education requirements

Most common inventory controller degrees

Bachelor's

34.0 %

High School Diploma

28.9 %

Associate

20.9 %

Start to develop specific inventory controller skills

Skills	Percentages
Inventory Control	22.54%
Customer Service	20.58%
Data Entry	5.53%
Math	4.97%
Basic Math	4.57%

Research inventory controller duties and responsibilities

Manage, review, analyze, verify, and ship raw, stock, purchase, QA, and manufacture materials.
Operate and set up CNC machines.
Move and organize stock using RF scanner.
Fill out BOL / SLI paperwork for various shipping and freight companies.

Prepare your inventory controller resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your inventory controller 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 controller 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 controller resume templates

Build a professional inventory controller 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 controller resume.

Apply for inventory controller jobs

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

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

How do inventory controllers rate their job?

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Inventory controller reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2022

Cons

Really enjoy everything

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2021

Pros

Freedom from supervision. Always busy, not stuck behind a desk. The variaty each days work.

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020