Career profile for Production Planning Clerk

What does a Production Planning Clerk do?

Production Planning Clerks coordinate and expedite the flow of work and materials within or between departments of an establishment according to production schedule.

In addition, Production Planning Clerks duties include reviewing and distributing production, work, and shipment schedules; conferring with department supervisors to determine progress of work and completion dates; and compiling reports on progress of work, inventory levels, costs, and production problems.

What kind of tasks does a Production Planning Clerk perform regularly?

Production Planning Clerks are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:

Distribute production schedules or work orders to departments.
Review documents, such as production schedules, work orders, or staffing tables, to determine personnel or materials requirements or material priorities.
Requisition and maintain inventories of materials or supplies necessary to meet production demands.
Arrange for delivery, assembly, or distribution of supplies or parts to expedite flow of materials and meet production schedules.
Confer with department supervisors or other personnel to assess progress and discuss needed changes.
Revise production schedules when required due to design changes, labor or material shortages, backlogs, or other interruptions, collaborating with management, marketing, sales, production, or engineering.
Confer with establishment personnel, vendors, or customers to coordinate production or shipping activities and to resolve complaints or eliminate delays.
Examine documents, materials, or products and monitor work processes to assess completeness, accuracy, and conformance to standards and specifications.
Record production data, including volume produced, consumption of raw materials, or quality control measures.
Calculate figures, such as required amounts of labor or materials, manufacturing costs, or wages, using pricing schedules, adding machines, calculators, or computers.
Compile information, such as production rates and progress, materials inventories, materials used, or customer information, so that status reports can be completed.
Compile and prepare documentation related to production sequences, transportation, personnel schedules, or purchase, maintenance, or repair orders.
Maintain files, such as maintenance records, bills of lading, or cost reports.

The above responsibilities are specific to Production Planning Clerks. More generally, Production Planning Clerks are involved in several broader types of activities:

Activities	Importance	Details
Getting Information		Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Working with Computers		Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates		Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings		Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems		Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Getting Information

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Working with Computers

Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates

Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings

Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems

Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

What is a Production Planning Clerk salary?

The median salary for a Production Planning Clerk is $49,640, and the average salary is $52,000. Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Production Planning Clerk salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.

Many Production Planning Clerks earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors. About 10% of Production Planning Clerks earn less than $31,520 per year, 25% earn less than $38,470, 75% earn less than $63,120, and 90% earn less than $77,710.

Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Production Planning Clerks is expected to change by 7.6%, and there should be roughly 41,000 open positions for Production Planning Clerks every year.

Median annual salary: $49,640
Typical salary range: $31,520 - $77,710
Projected growth (2020 - 2030): 7.6%

What personality traits are common among Production Planning Clerks?

Interests

Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.

Compared to most occupations, those who work as a Production Planning Clerk are usually higher in their Conventional and Enterprising interests.

Production Planning Clerks typically have very strong Conventional interests. Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Also, Production Planning Clerks typically have strong Enterprising interests. Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Values

People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Compared to most people, those working as a Production Planning Clerk tend to value Independence, Support, and Working Conditions.

Most importantly, Production Planning Clerks strongly value Independence. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

Second, Production Planning Clerks moderately value Support. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Lastly, Production Planning Clerks moderately value Working Conditions. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions.

Psychological Demands

Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.

In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Production Planning Clerks must consistently demonstrate qualities such as attention to detail, dependability, and integrity.

Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Production Planning Clerks, ranked by importance:

Demands	Importance	Details
Attention to Detail		Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Dependability		Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Integrity		Job requires being honest and ethical.
Cooperation		Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Stress Tolerance		Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.

Attention to Detail

Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Dependability

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Integrity

Job requires being honest and ethical.

Cooperation

Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Stress Tolerance

Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.

What education and training do Production Planning Clerks need?

Production Planning Clerks often have training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Production Planning Clerks usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with this occupation.

Educational degrees among Production Planning Clerks

2.4% did not complete high school or secondary school
23.0% completed high school or secondary school
28.0% completed some college coursework
11.7% earned a Associate's degree
26.7% earned a Bachelor's degree
7.3% earned a Master's degree
0.8% earned a doctorate or professional degree

Knowledge and expertise required by Production Planning Clerks

Production Planning Clerks may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as production and processing, administration and management, or mathematics knowledge.

The list below shows several areas in which most Production Planning Clerks might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.

Knowledge areas	Importance	Details
Production and Processing		Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Administration and Management		Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Mathematics		Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Customer and Personal Service		Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Administrative		Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

Production and Processing

Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Administration and Management

Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Mathematics

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Customer and Personal Service

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Administrative

Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

Important Abilities needed by Production Planning Clerks

Production Planning Clerks must develop a particular set of abilities to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.

For example, Production Planning Clerks need abilities such as oral comprehension, written comprehension, and oral expression in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Production Planning Clerks, ranked by their relative importance.

Abilities	Importance	Details
Oral Comprehension		The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Written Comprehension		The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Oral Expression		The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity		The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Written Expression		The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Oral Comprehension

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Written Comprehension

The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Oral Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Problem Sensitivity

The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

Written Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Critical Skills needed by Production Planning Clerks

Skills are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.

Production Planning Clerks frequently use skills like reading comprehension, active listening, and speaking to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Production Planning Clerks, ranked by their relative importance.

Skills	Importance	Details
Reading Comprehension		Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Active Listening		Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking		Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Time Management		Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Writing		Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Time Management

Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Writing

Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

What is the source of this information?

The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.

Career profile Production Planning Clerk

Production Planning Clerk

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