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The differences between shipping specialists and shipping and receiving clerks 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 clerk. Additionally, a shipping specialist has an average salary of $33,465, which is higher than the $33,438 average annual salary of a shipping and receiving clerk.
The top three skills for a shipping specialist include logistics, shipping receiving and pallet jack. The most important skills for a shipping and receiving clerk are shipping receiving, customer service, and safety regulations.
| Shipping Specialist | Shipping And Receiving Clerk | |
| Yearly salary | $33,465 | $33,438 |
| Hourly rate | $16.09 | $16.08 |
| Growth rate | -3% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 181,523 | 224,166 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | High School Diploma, 49% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
Shipping and receiving clerks manage all incoming and outgoing packages in a warehouse or logistics facility. They ensure that all outgoing packages are packed accurately based on the order form and secured properly based on company standards. They then ensure that the parcels are shipped and delivered. Shipping and receiving clerks also manage the receipt of all incoming packages. They check whether these incoming packages are addressed to the company. They also check if all received packages are complete and in good condition. Shipping and receiving clerks ensure that all incoming and outgoing packages are recorded and that the inventory is updated at all times.
Shipping specialists and shipping and receiving clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Shipping Specialist | Shipping And Receiving Clerk | |
| Average salary | $33,465 | $33,438 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $42,000 | Between $28,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | Puyallup, WA | Kent, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | Los Alamos National Laboratory | Steel Dynamics |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a shipping specialist and a shipping and receiving clerk in terms of educational background:
| Shipping Specialist | Shipping And Receiving Clerk | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | High School Diploma, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between shipping specialists' and shipping and receiving clerks' demographics:
| Shipping Specialist | Shipping And Receiving Clerk | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.7% Female, 32.3% | Male, 71.7% Female, 28.3% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 10.9% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 21.6% Asian, 6.8% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |