Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks Salary
The median pay for a shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH is $49,980/year ($24.03/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $69K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.27), so that salary is closer to $46,162 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,941/month, about 86.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $50K get you in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Boston-Cambridge-Newton’s Regional Price Parity (108.27). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks
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What this looks like in Boston-Cambridge-Newton
Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks pay in Boston-Cambridge-Newton tracks closely to the national median, $50K locally vs. $45K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,941/month, which is 88.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 8% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.27), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks in metros near Boston-Cambridge-Newton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Worcester | $49K | $48K |
| Springfield | $49K | $51K |
| Amherst Town-Northampton | $48K | $48K |
| Barnstable Town | $47K | $48K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
Entry-level shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $50K. Top earners bring in $69K or more, a $30K spread from bottom to top.
Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $52K | +14% | 19,500 |
| District of Columbia | $50K | +10% | 680 |
| Hawaii | $50K | +10% | 1,390 |
| Massachusetts | $49K | +9% | 14,370 |
| Vermont | $49K | +8% | 780 |
| New Hampshire | $48K | +6% | 4,090 |
| Alaska | $48K | +6% | 890 |
| Minnesota | $48K | +6% | 13,210 |
| Iowa | $48K | +5% | 7,170 |
| Oregon | $48K | +5% | 11,210 |
| Wisconsin | $47K | +5% | 20,980 |
| Indiana | $47K | +5% | 27,600 |
| Maryland | $47K | +4% | 13,980 |
| Maine | $47K | +4% | 2,470 |
| Colorado | $47K | +4% | 15,610 |
| New York | $47K | +4% | 30,750 |
| Illinois | $47K | +3% | 33,030 |
| North Dakota | $47K | +3% | 1,520 |
| California | $47K | +3% | 88,760 |
| Connecticut | $46K | +1% | 6,480 |
| Pennsylvania | $46K | +1% | 30,940 |
| Rhode Island | $46K | +1% | 2,420 |
| New Jersey | $45K | +0% | 29,440 |
| Arizona | $45K | +0% | 20,280 |
| Ohio | $45K | +0% | 35,880 |
| Michigan | $45K | -0% | 24,980 |
| Tennessee | $45K | -1% | 16,680 |
| Virginia | $44K | -2% | 20,380 |
| Delaware | $44K | -3% | 2,630 |
| Kansas | $44K | -3% | 6,530 |
| Nebraska | $44K | -3% | 5,670 |
| South Dakota | $44K | -3% | 2,740 |
| Georgia | $44K | -4% | 28,150 |
| Montana | $44K | -4% | 1,560 |
| Missouri | $43K | -4% | 11,650 |
| South Carolina | $43K | -4% | 14,160 |
| Nevada | $43K | -5% | 12,390 |
| North Carolina | $43K | -5% | 20,150 |
| Wyoming | $43K | -5% | 730 |
| Kentucky | $43K | -5% | 16,130 |
| Texas | $42K | -7% | 87,280 |
| Idaho | $41K | -8% | 4,900 |
| Oklahoma | $41K | -9% | 6,530 |
| Florida | $41K | -10% | 44,040 |
| Arkansas | $41K | -11% | 7,650 |
| Louisiana | $40K | -11% | 7,650 |
| West Virginia | $40K | -12% | 2,660 |
| Utah | $39K | -14% | 15,750 |
| Alabama | $39K | -14% | 7,720 |
| New Mexico | $39K | -14% | 3,420 |
| Mississippi | $39K | -15% | 11,330 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a shipping, receiving, and inventory clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $50K, rent takes 88.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,941/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,362/month. At HUD’s $2,941/month FMR, rent would take 125% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is shipping, receiving, and inventory clerk a high-paying job in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $50K locally vs. $45K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Boston-Cambridge-Newton compare to the national average for shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks?
Boston-Cambridge-Newton pays $50K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s +10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.27), the purchasing-power equivalent is $46K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks make in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
The median is $49,980 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,360, and experienced shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks can clear $68,910. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $50K enough to live in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,308/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,941/month, which eats 88.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks salary go in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Boston-Cambridge-Newton has a Regional Price Parity of 108.27 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks salary is worth about $46,162 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.