Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks Salary
The median pay for a shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA is $56,370/year ($27.1/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $101K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 111.13), so that salary is closer to $50,724 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,501/month, about 63.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $56K get you in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue’s Regional Price Parity (111.13). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue sits well above the national pay line for shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks, local pay runs about 25% higher than the U.S. median of $45K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,501/month, which is 63.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 11% above the national average (BEA RPP 111.13), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks in metros near Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Spokane-Spokane Valley | $47K | $46K |
| Yakima | $46K | $48K |
| Kennewick-Richland | $47K | $47K |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater | $48K | $46K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
Entry-level shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $56K. Top earners bring in $101K or more, a $60K 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
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue numbers change.
Related careers in Office & Admin
Frequently asked questions
Can a shipping, receiving, and inventory clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $56K, rent takes 63.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,501/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,425/month. At HUD’s $2,501/month FMR, rent would take 103% 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
Local pay is 25% above the national median — $56K here vs. $45K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 11% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue compare to the national average for shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks?
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue pays $56K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s +25%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 111.13), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks make in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?
The median is $56,370 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,410, and experienced shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks can clear $100,780. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $56K enough to live in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,944/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,501/month, which eats 63.4% 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue has a Regional Price Parity of 111.13 (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 $50,724 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.