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Shipping specialist vs shipping and receiving associate

The differences between shipping specialists and shipping and receiving associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a shipping specialist and a shipping and receiving associate. Additionally, a shipping specialist has an average salary of $33,465, which is higher than the $32,408 average annual salary of a shipping and receiving associate.

The top three skills for a shipping specialist include logistics, shipping receiving and pallet jack. The most important skills for a shipping and receiving associate are shipping receiving, pallets, and customer service.

Shipping specialist vs shipping and receiving associate overview

Shipping SpecialistShipping And Receiving Associate
Yearly salary$33,465$32,408
Hourly rate$16.09$15.58
Growth rate-3%-3%
Number of jobs181,523168,957
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 32%High School Diploma, 43%
Average age4343
Years of experience1212

What does a shipping specialist do?

A shipping specialist is a person who packages, manifests, and tracks all the items requested by the customers - external and internal. They keep strict item handling practices as per the recommended business practices and accurately update the needed tracking systems such as external data sources, spreadsheets, and modules. Besides filing and maintaining shipping document records as per the departmental guidelines, shipping specialists also make it easy to trace shipments by creating or printing identifying labels. Moreover, shipping specialists maintain excellent customer relationships and give timely updates relating to shipments to origin and destination.

What does a shipping and receiving associate do?

Usually, shipping and receiving associates work in retail or a warehouse to manage the incoming and outgoing materials and products. Shipping and receiving associates keep records of all the materials received and shipped. They develop the mailing labels as well as the shipping documents. It is their job to make sure that orders are filled appropriately. The skills necessary for this job include basic math, communication, organization, and attention to detail.

Shipping specialist vs shipping and receiving associate salary

Shipping specialists and shipping and receiving associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

Shipping SpecialistShipping And Receiving Associate
Average salary$33,465$32,408
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $42,000Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying CityPuyallup, WASeattle, WA
Highest paying stateWashingtonWashington
Best paying companyLos Alamos National LaboratoryLa Colombe Coffee Roasters
Best paying industryManufacturingTechnology

Differences between shipping specialist and shipping and receiving associate education

There are a few differences between a shipping specialist and a shipping and receiving associate in terms of educational background:

Shipping SpecialistShipping And Receiving Associate
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 32%High School Diploma, 43%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Shipping specialist vs shipping and receiving associate demographics

Here are the differences between shipping specialists' and shipping and receiving associates' demographics:

Shipping SpecialistShipping And Receiving Associate
Average age4343
Gender ratioMale, 67.7% Female, 32.3%Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 7.4% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.9% Asian, 7.2% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between shipping specialist and shipping and receiving associate duties and responsibilities

Shipping specialist example responsibilities.

  • Manage order fulfillment for small parcel, LTL, and freight forwarder shipments.
  • Complete documentation and manage inventory levels by utilizing ERP systems.
  • Manage incoming and outgoing shipping logistics for cargo transportation carriers and shipping companies.
  • Process orders including accurate checking, sorting and consolidating freight, wrapping pallets, loading and unloading shipments of customer orders.
  • Unload products from pallets and restock warehouse inventory.
  • freight papers, invoices, HAZMAT, etc .).
  • Show more

Shipping and receiving associate example responsibilities.

  • Transport goods from racks, shelves, and vehicles using carts, dollies, hand trucks or other moving equipment.
  • Keep strict batch records according to FDA, USDA and DEA mandates for QA purposes.
  • Exceed daily pickups for endoscopes from FedEx utilizing company van.
  • Coordinate inbound/outbound cargo with commercial carriers such as FedEx and DHL shipments as necessary.
  • Coordinate early drop off times and late pick up times with FedEx in order to fully optimize production time.
  • End of day confirm BOL's with freight/pallets on containers, place BOL's in containers for drivers for delivery.
  • Show more

Shipping specialist vs shipping and receiving associate skills

Common shipping specialist skills
  • Logistics, 12%
  • Shipping Receiving, 8%
  • Pallet Jack, 7%
  • Data Entry, 6%
  • Outbound Shipments, 5%
  • IATA, 5%
Common shipping and receiving associate skills
  • Shipping Receiving, 23%
  • Pallets, 11%
  • Customer Service, 10%
  • Hand Tools, 4%
  • Logistics, 4%
  • Computer System, 4%

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