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Careers›Roles›Plant Clerk
Mid-Level

Plant Clerk

Inside a manufacturing plant, you handle the clerical and administrative work that supports production — timekeeping, production reporting, inventory paperwork, shipping documents. The office layer that keeps the floor running on paper as well as in metal.

Career Level
Junior
Mid
Senior
Director
VP
Executive
Work Personality
C
E
R
S
I
A
Conventionalorganizing, detail-oriented
Enterprisingleading, persuading
Based on Holland Code framework
Industries that often hire Plant Clerks
Manufacturing · 31%Transportation & Logistics · 9%Healthcare · 8%Wholesale & Distribution · 8%Professional Services · 7%Administrative Services · 6%
Job markets for Plant Clerks
Where Plant Clerk jobs concentrate · ~383 metro areas
Based on employment in related occupations
Mapped SOC categories:
Admin & Office
BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
Jump to:What it's likeCareer pathsBy the numbers

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What it's like

What it's like to be a Plant Clerk

A typical day often involves production data entry, timecard processing, shipping paperwork, and the steady cadence of office support — entering shift production counts, reconciling timecards against the production schedule, preparing bills of lading, fielding questions from supervisors about HR or payroll matters. You're often the office anchor of a plant that runs on shift schedules. Records maintained and reports submitted on time are the visible measures.

The harder part is often the volume of small, time-sensitive paperwork — production data feeds payroll, inventory accounting, and customer shipments, and errors compound quickly. Industry variance shapes the role: heavy manufacturing, food processing, and electronics each carry different traceability, regulatory, and reporting overlays.

Folks who do well here often have patience for routine paperwork and a sense for how the office work supports the floor. The role often pairs with on-the-job training in plant-specific systems rather than formal credentials. The trade-off is the modest pay balanced against steady hours and the satisfaction of being the person who keeps the office side of the plant honest.

What people in this role value
IndependenceAbove avg
SupportModerate
Working ConditionsModerate
RelationshipsModerate
AchievementModerate
RecognitionLower
O*NET Work Values survey
✦ Editorial — written by Truest from industry research and career patterns

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Career Paths

Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.

Earning potential across this track
$239K$179K$119K$60K$0KLower paying387 metro areas, sorted by salary level
All experience levels1
This level's estimated range
INDUSTRIES PAYING ABOVE AVERAGE
Energy & Utilities$84K+67%
Professional Services$83K+64%
Technology & Information$79K+58%
Financial Services$77K+53%
Government$69K+37%
Compared to Admin & Office average across all industries
1 BLS OEWS May 2024 covers all Plant Clerks (SOC 43-5061.00), not just this title · BEA RPP 2023
* Top salaries exceed this figure. BLS caps reported wages at ~$240K to protect individual privacy in high-earning roles.
Related rolesExplore Admin & Office →
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✦ Editorial — career progression and interview guidance based on industry patterns
The Broader Landscape

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.

$39K–$85K
Salary Range
10th – 90th percentile
385K
U.S. Employment
-1.8%
10yr Growth
34K
Annual Openings

How Plant Clerk pay & employment are changing

$64K$61K$59K$56K$53K201920202021202220232024$53K$64K
BLS OEWS May 2024 · BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034

Skills & Requirements

SpeakingReading ComprehensionActive ListeningTime ManagementCritical ThinkingMonitoringComplex Problem SolvingWritingCoordinationJudgment and Decision Making
O*NET OnLine · Bureau of Labor Statistics
Mapped SOC Codes
43-5061.00

Explore related roles

Roles with similar work and overlapping career paths

midProject Manager$134KmidHuman Resources Project Manager (HR Project Manager)$101KmidTechnical Project Manager (Technical PM)$101KmidImplementation Project Manager$101KmidMaterials Worker$58KmidJewelry Estimator$58K
View all Admin & Office roles →

Common questions about what it's like to be a Plant Clerk

What does a Plant Clerk do?

Inside a manufacturing plant, you handle the clerical and administrative work that supports production — timekeeping, production reporting, inventory paperwork, shipping documents. The office layer that keeps the floor running on paper as well as in metal.

How much does a Plant Clerk make?

Median pay for a Plant Clerk is about $58K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $39K to $85K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).

What skills does a Plant Clerk need?

Core skills for this role include Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Time Management, and Critical Thinking.

What education do you need to be a Plant Clerk?

Most people in this role hold a high school diploma.

Is a Plant Clerk in demand?

Employment in this field is projected to decline about 1.8% through 2034, with roughly 385,000 people working in it today (BLS).

What jobs are similar to a Plant Clerk?

Closely related roles include Project Manager, Human Resources Project Manager (HR Project Manager), and Technical Project Manager (Technical PM).

Career advice

Plant Clerk career advice

Do one small thing to grow in your career this week. Pick one of these; each comes with the words to use.

  • Micro habitLeaving work at work over the weekend, and starting Monday with a clear first move.Plan Monday on Friday
  • Simple exerciseGet people's best thinking while it can still change the work.Ask for advice before you start
  • Simple exerciseCheck your curiosity about another industry against what the work is really like.Test two industries you've wondered about
  • Simple exerciseUnderstand where your company is heading, from the source rather than the rumor mill.Read the signals your company is sending

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More career advice

  • Say you're thinking before you go quiet
  • Give people a decision deadline
  • Weigh a counteroffer against why you looked
  • Prepare your questions for them
  • Check you're aimed at what matters
  • Stay close to people you respect
  • Leave a clean handoff
  • Ask for input before you decide

We believe careers grow through small steps taken often, more than big leaps. So we’ve collected hundreds of them for you to try.

Browse career advice

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Federal data: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (May 2024) · BLS Employment Projections · O*NET OnLine
Truest editorial: Fit check, role profile, things that vary, advancement analysis, lateral moves, interview questions.

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