Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks Salary
The median pay for a shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks in Kentucky is $42,830/year ($20.59/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $59K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.23), which stretches that salary to about $47,468 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,110/month, about 38% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Kentucky. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $43K get you in Kentucky?
About shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks
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What this looks like in Kentucky
Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks pay in Kentucky tracks closely to the national median, $43K locally vs. $45K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,110/month, which is 38.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.23 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kentucky
Entry-level shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $43K. Top earners bring in $59K or more, a $27K spread from bottom to top.
Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks salary by metro in Kentucky
6 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $47K | +9% | 6,180 |
| Lexington-Fayette | $44K | +2% | 1,750 |
| Owensboro | $43K | +0% | 430 |
| Paducah | $43K | -1% | 320 |
| Elizabethtown | $41K | -5% | 520 |
| Bowling Green | $36K | -15% | 850 |
Compare to other states
Track shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Kentucky numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a shipping, receiving, and inventory clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Kentucky?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $43K, rent takes 38.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,110/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 Kentucky?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,919/month. At HUD’s $1,110/month FMR, rent would take 58% 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 Kentucky?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $43K locally vs. $45K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Kentucky compare to the national average for shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks?
Kentucky pays $43K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.23), the purchasing-power equivalent is $47K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks make in Kentucky?
The median is $42,830 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,980, and experienced shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks can clear $58,840. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $43K enough to live in Kentucky?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,895/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,110/month, which eats 38.3% 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 Kentucky?
Kentucky has a Regional Price Parity of 90.23 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks salary is worth about $47,468 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.