Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks Salary
The median pay for a shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks in Lake Charles, LA is $37,010/year ($17.8/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $24K at the entry level to $58K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.85), which stretches that salary to about $43,110 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,217/month, about 48.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $37K get you in Lake Charles?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lake Charles’s Regional Price Parity (85.85). 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 Lake Charles
Pay for shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks in Lake Charles runs about 18% below the U.S. median of $45K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,217/month, which is 47.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 85.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for shipping, receiving, and inventory clerkss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks in metros near Lake Charles, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge | $42K | $46K |
| New Orleans-Metairie | $40K | $44K |
| Lafayette | $40K | $46K |
| Shreveport-Bossier City | $40K | $47K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lake Charles, LA
Entry-level shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks (10th percentile) start around $24K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $58K or more, a $34K 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 Lake Charles?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 47.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,217/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/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 Lake Charles?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks typically earn — is $24K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,450/month. At HUD’s $1,217/month FMR, rent would take 84% 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 Lake Charles?
Local pay runs 18% below the national median — $37K here vs. $45K nationally. Cost of living is 14% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Lake Charles compare to the national average for shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks?
Lake Charles pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s -18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $43K — below the national median.
How much do shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks make in Lake Charles, LA?
The median is $37,010 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $24,160, and experienced shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks can clear $58,470. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in Lake Charles?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,557/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,217/month, which eats 47.6% 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 Lake Charles?
Lake Charles has a Regional Price Parity of 85.85 (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 $43,110 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.