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The differences between receiving clerks and clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a receiving clerk, becoming a clerk takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a receiving clerk has an average salary of $31,482, which is higher than the $31,163 average annual salary of a clerk.
The top three skills for a receiving clerk include customer service, purchase orders and data entry. The most important skills for a clerk are basic math, math, and data entry.
| Receiving Clerk | Clerk | |
| Yearly salary | $31,482 | $31,163 |
| Hourly rate | $15.14 | $14.98 |
| Growth rate | -3% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 237,705 | 80,311 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Average age | 43 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
Usually assigned at a warehouse or retail store, a receiving clerk's primary role is to accept product deliveries upon arrival and sign necessary documents, prioritizing the accuracy of all invoices. It is also the task of a receiving clerk to unload heavy packages, verify its contents, place it in the appropriate storage place, and keep records for inventory. They must process returns should it be necessary. There are also instances where a receiving clerk may have to engage with retailers and vendors, ensuring that all shipments arrive in time.
Clerks are responsible for many of the general administrative tasks in the office. They are in charge of manning office telephone lines, managing incoming and outgoing mails, filing paperwork and other needed records, scheduling and documenting meetings, typing out documents when needed, disseminating memos and other official announcements, and keeping an inventory of office equipment and supplies. Clerks should have good office skills, communication skills, business writing skills, and time management skills. They should also be able to treat any document or paperwork they handle with confidentiality.
Receiving clerks and clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Receiving Clerk | Clerk | |
| Average salary | $31,482 | $31,163 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $38,000 | Between $24,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | North Dakota | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Los Alamos National Laboratory | University of Massachusetts Boston |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a receiving clerk and a clerk in terms of educational background:
| Receiving Clerk | Clerk | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between receiving clerks' and clerks' demographics:
| Receiving Clerk | Clerk | |
| Average age | 43 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.2% Female, 39.8% | Male, 34.1% Female, 65.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 21.5% Asian, 6.7% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 7.7% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |