Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks Salary
The median pay for a shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks in California is $46,520/year ($22.36/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $65K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $43,829 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 76.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $47K get you in California?
About shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks
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What this looks like in California
Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks pay in California tracks closely to the national median, $47K locally vs. $45K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 77.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $65K or more, a $27K spread from bottom to top.
Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks salary by metro in California
25 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Napa | $56K | +19% | 330 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $55K | +17% | 4,210 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $53K | +13% | 7,790 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $49K | +6% | 830 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $48K | +4% | 410 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $48K | +3% | 690 |
| Yuba City | $48K | +3% | 190 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $48K | +2% | 3,730 |
| Modesto | $47K | +2% | 1,120 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $47K | +2% | 6,130 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | $47K | +2% | 150 |
| Vallejo | $47K | +2% | 630 |
| Merced | $47K | +1% | 370 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $47K | +1% | 1,690 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $47K | +0% | 440 |
| Stockton-Lodi | $46K | -0% | 2,730 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $46K | -1% | 33,250 |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $46K | -1% | 1,380 |
| Salinas | $46K | -1% | 630 |
| Visalia | $46K | -2% | 820 |
| Redding | $45K | -3% | 240 |
| El Centro | $45K | -4% | 230 |
| Chico | $45K | -4% | 270 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $45K | -4% | 15,120 |
| Fresno | $45K | -4% | 1,890 |
Showing 1–10 of 25 metros
Compare to other states
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a shipping, receiving, and inventory clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 77.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/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 California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,243/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 110% 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 California?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $47K locally vs. $45K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does California compare to the national average for shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks?
California pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — below the national median.
How much do shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks make in California?
The median is $46,520 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,390, and experienced shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks can clear $64,650. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,195/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 77.3% 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 California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (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 $43,829 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.