At a factory, fabrication operation, or assembly plant, you handle the clerical work that supports manufacturing operations — production reporting, work-order processing, materials transactions, time-and-attendance support, and the back-office work that production floors depend on.
The clerk works between the production floor and the office systems — entering production data into MES or ERP platforms, processing completed work orders, posting materials transactions, supporting production supervisors with reporting and documentation. The work mixes time at a desk with periodic floor visits to gather information or coordinate with supervisors. Transaction accuracy and reporting timeliness are the operating measures.
Variance is wide: at large manufacturers the role works within structured production-support teams with clear specialization; at smaller plants it tilts more generalist with broader scope per clerk. The ERP/MES system dimension shapes the work substantially — modern manufacturing runs on integrated systems (SAP, Oracle, Plex, NetSuite Manufacturing) that the clerk feeds and supports.
It fits people who are detail-oriented, comfortable on a production floor, and patient with the system-work that manufacturing reporting involves. APICS CPIM credentials and ERP-system training anchor advancement. The trade-off is the plant-floor environment — noise, temperature swings, shift schedules at some operations — and the modest pay typical of manufacturing-clerical positions across most industries.
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Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.
Roles with similar work and overlapping career paths
View all Admin & Office roles →At a factory, fabrication operation, or assembly plant, you handle the clerical work that supports manufacturing operations — production reporting, work-order processing, materials transactions, time-and-attendance support, and the back-office work that production floors depend on.
Median pay for a Manufacturing Clerk is about $41K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $30K to $61K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Writing, and Monitoring.
Most people in this role hold a postsecondary certificate.
Employment in this field is projected to decline about 15.9% through 2034, with roughly 78,980 people working in it today (BLS).
Closely related roles include Import Export Clerk, Filing Clerk, and Classification Clerk.
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