How to hire an inventory management specialist

How to hire an inventory management specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step inventory management specialist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an inventory management specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new inventory management specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an inventory management specialist do?

Post an inventory management specialist job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the inventory management specialist you need to hire. Certain inventory management specialist roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An inventory management specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, inventory management specialists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents inventory management specialist salaries for various positions.

   Type of Inventory Management Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Inventory Management Specialist		$18-38
   Supply Chain Consultant	A supply chain consultant specializes in performing research and analysis to develop strategies for optimal services. Typically working in the manufacturing industry, their responsibilities revolve around monitoring the inventory and supply flow of materials, liaising with vendors and suppliers, coordinating with different departments to gather necessary data, identifying strengths and weaknesses in the operations, and suggesting actions on areas needing improvement... Show more	$33-53
   Supply Chain Vice President	The supply chain vice president is responsible for directing and planning all aspects of an organization's supply chain initiatives, policies, and objectives. You will oversee the inventory, distribution, and transportation activities of an organization... Show more	$44-97

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Inventory Management System
   • Purchase Orders
   • Sales Floor
   • Stock Merchandise
   • Safety Standards
   • Inventory Control
   • Cycle Counts
   • Electric Pallet Jack
   • DOD
   • Supply Support
   • Delivery Truck
   • PowerPoint
   • Logistics Support

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Plan, purchase and manage various commodities through the use of various MRP systems.
   • Experience decision-maker in high-pressure environments; efficiently manage vital decision points autonomously to ensure mission accomplishment in multiple combat deployments.
   • Scan product bins with RF scanner for refills.
   • Update the department's inventory with the RF scanner.
   • Update on hand counts to ensure accurate ordering through the POS system.
   • Create purchase requisitions base on MRP recommendations, as well as external factors.

   More inventory management specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the inventory management specialist job description is a good way to get more applicants. An inventory management specialist salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an inventory management specialist in Tennessee may be lower than in Maryland, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level inventory management specialist. Additionally, an inventory management specialist with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average inventory management specialist salary

   $56,032yearly

   $26.94 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level inventory management specialist salary

   $38,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average inventory management specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$70,370	$34
   2	Michigan	$67,299	$32
   3	New York	$66,899	$32
   4	District of Columbia	$66,390	$32
   5	Indiana	$65,373	$31
   6	North Carolina	$63,275	$30
   7	Pennsylvania	$62,251	$30
   8	Illinois	$61,753	$30
   9	Massachusetts	$59,554	$29
   10	Colorado	$58,058	$28
   11	Missouri	$56,469	$27
   12	Ohio	$55,477	$27
   13	Alaska	$54,685	$26
   14	Kansas	$54,451	$26
   15	Minnesota	$52,083	$25
   16	Utah	$51,469	$25
   17	Georgia	$50,566	$24
   18	Texas	$50,353	$24
   19	Florida	$44,456	$21

   Average inventory management specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	NVIDIA	$114,262	$54.93	7
   2	Genentech	$107,500	$51.68	6
   3	McKinsey & Company Inc	$97,425	$46.84	26
   4	BNY Mellon	$94,154	$45.27	34
   5	Santander Bank	$93,867	$45.13	6
   6	Altice USA	$92,392	$44.42
   7	Medtronic	$91,557	$44.02	226
   8	Accenture	$86,953	$41.80	821
   9	CDM Smith	$84,830	$40.78	785
   10	Point B	$83,198	$40.00
   11	Thermo Fisher Scientific	$81,230	$39.05	60
   12	PerkinElmer	$80,621	$38.76
   13	U.S. Secret Service	$80,516	$38.71
   14	Department of Homeland Security	$79,823	$38.38	4
   15	ClientSolv	$76,258	$36.66
   16	Tecsys	$75,671	$36.38
   17	Deloitte	$74,111	$35.63	1,057
   18	Cummins	$73,552	$35.36	10
   19	L3Harris	$72,995	$35.09	91
   20	Boston Dynamics	$72,888	$35.04

4. Writing an inventory management specialist job description

   An inventory management specialist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an inventory management specialist job description:

   Inventory management specialist job description example

   We are searching for an Inventory Management Specialist to manage the organization of our company's robotic hardware assets and equipment.
   
   As an Inventory Management Specialist, you will be an integral part of the procurement process, assisting with coordination of orders and deliveries. You will perform regular inventory audits and analyses to forecast the supply of hardware that adequately meets requirements from the team. You will also ensure stock levels are consistent with ongoing project demands so equipment is anticipated on time.
   
   At OSARO we develop solutions to endow industrial robots with the level of autonomy needed to perform an unprecedented variety of complex pick and place tasks leveraging sophisticated robot control and neural network-based perception algorithms. We value candidates who are passionate about what they build, feel a strong sense of ownership over their work, and love being continually challenged. You are someone who cares deeply about your team so you are both direct and believe in doing what you say.
   
   What You'll be DoingMonitoring inventory levels and replenishing stock as needed Developing, implementing, and documenting inventory control systems and practices Liaising and negotiating with vendors and suppliers to ensure the quality of stock purchases Coordinating the logistics of purchase orders, stock transfers, deliveries, tagging, and processing Forecasting supply and demand requirements to ensure stock availability Tracking inbound and outbound orders to prevent overstocking and out-of-stock (OOS) items Analyzing and reviewing supply chain data to identify and resolve issues Generating purchase and pricing reports and supply chain analyses Maintaining inventory management systems Performing regular stock checks and reporting any issues to the supervisor Updating records of purchase orders, pricing reports, and inventory records
   
   Experience and Skills You'll NeedExtreme attention to detail High school diploma or GEDBachelor's degree in logistics, business administration, or similar preferredA minimum of 2 years of experience in retail, warehousing, logistics, or similar Excellent knowledge of Enterprise/Manufacturing Resource Planning or Inventory Management software such as Oracle NetSuite, Katana MRP, or Fishbowl InventoryExceptional understanding of inventory management practices such as ABC analysis and cycle counting Good analytical and logistical thinking abilities Strong written and verbal communication skills Exceptional collaboration and negotiation abilities Excellent time management and organizational skills
   
   OSARO delivers best-in-class robotic piece-picking solutions for e-commerce where key challenges include high SKU inventories, complex packaging, and fragile items. In the rapidly evolving world of logistics technology, OSARO offers smarter automation, low-risk business plans, and its signature Hypercare support from exploration to installation. OSARO's intelligent robots enable goods-to-robot (G2R) use cases, where the greatest gains are yet to be made on the automated warehouse floor. Its machine-learning vision and control software provides the foundation for all its products.
   
   We have a highly international team made up of expert machine learning practitioners and dedicated software and hardware engineers which matches well with the global nature of our business. We are naturally curious, love healthy debate, and respect varying points of view. At OSARO, we strive to be champions for equality. We believe we can serve as a model for diversity in the tech industry by emphasizing policies of nondiscrimination and inclusion at every step.
   We are an equal opportunity employer offering - Health, dental, vision, and commuter benefits - Generous vacation time - Excellent paid parental leave policy with the option for additional reduced and unpaid leave - The chance to work with robots in a dog friendly office! The above full-time position is available immediately.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find inventory management specialists for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any inventory management specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level inventory management specialists with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your inventory management specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit inventory management specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit inventory management specialists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new inventory management specialist

   Once you've found the inventory management specialist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new inventory management specialist first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire an inventory management specialist?