Shipping Clerk
Shipping clerks prepare and check outbound orders so goods leave the warehouse correctly labelled, documented and on time.
- Median salary
- $88,800
4.1%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 25,900
1.2%vs last year
- Projected growth
- +10.7%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Moderate
- automation risk
- Average hours
- 44/wk
+4h vs all jobs
- Shortage status
- Not in shortage
national
Shipping clerks work in the despatch area of a warehouse or distribution centre, sitting between the order system and the loading dock. Unlike a warehouse storeperson, who mostly picks and moves stock, a shipping clerk checks that the picked goods match the order, generates the paperwork, and books the carrier that takes them away. Most work for transport, manufacturing or retail businesses, usually in a small despatch team working to a daily cut-off.
How much do shipping clerks earn?
The median full-time salary for a shipping clerk is $88,800 per annum, before tax, up $18,600 since 2018.
What you earn depends heavily on the industry you work in, because freight and manufacturing sites often pay above the retail award for the same duties. Shift work, weekend despatch and overtime rates lift the total at sites that run past ordinary hours, and clerks who take on carrier contracts and freight cost control usually sit higher again. Smaller businesses tend to offer a broader job with fewer people to share the load, which can mean more variety for similar money.
What does a shipping clerk do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Scanning barcodes and checking packed orders against the pick slip before they leave the dock
- Printing labels and completing carrier paperwork through systems such as StarTrack or Australia Post
- Weighing and measuring cartons to confirm freight charges before booking a pickup
- Updating the warehouse management system so stock levels and order status stay accurate
- Chasing up missing or damaged items with the warehouse team so an order can still go out on time
What skills do shipping clerks need?
Employers look for warehousing and despatch, inventory management, supply chain planning, backed by Warehouse management system (WMS) fluency and strong attention to detail.
Specialist skills
- Warehousing and despatch
- Inventory management
- Supply chain planning
- Data analysis
Software and tools
- Warehouse management system (WMS)
- Barcode scanners
- Packing scales
- Shipping software (StarTrack, Australia Post)
- Forklift (optional)
General skills
- Attention to detail
- Time and deadline management
- Customer service
Is the job growing?
About 25,900 people work as shipping clerks in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 10.7% over the decade to 2035. That's healthy, above-average growth, and the role should stay in solid demand.
How do you become a shipping clerk?
Here's the path most shipping clerks take, step by step.
- 1Finish Year 12 or a vocational qualification
Most people in the role hold Year 12 or a certificate rather than a degree, and a Certificate III in supply chain operations (TLI30325) covers warehousing, inventory and freight documentation. It takes about a year through TAFE or a private provider, and many study it while already working.
- 2Start in the warehouse or on the freight floor
Freight handler and warehouse storeperson roles are the usual way in, and they are paid work. Picking, packing and loading teach you how stock moves and what the paperwork is meant to prove, which is what a despatch team will ask about at interview.
- 3Learn the despatch systems on the job
Most sites run a warehouse management system alongside carrier portals such as StarTrack or Australia Post, and confidence with both is what separates a clerk who can cover the whole dock from one who only prints labels. Ask to be shown the carrier booking screens early.
- 4Add a forklift licence if your site needs one
An LF high risk work licence lets you move pallets yourself in smaller warehouses where the clerk also covers the dock. Licensing is handled by the work health and safety regulator in each state, so the application process differs depending on where you work.
- 5Move to a site with more complex freight
Export consignments, dangerous goods and cold chain each add checking and documentation that a simple parcel operation never touches. A Certificate IV in supply chain operations (TLI40324) helps if you want to move into supervision or planning later.
Ready to apply as a shipping clerk?
Whether you're working toward becoming a shipping clerk or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can a shipping clerk move to?
Moving into Logistics Manager typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $58,600 a year more on average.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logistics Manager Shipping clerk's understanding of outbound freight and inventory flow supports a move into logistics manager, with additional management study.Known move | +$58,600 | 23% | reskill |
| Warehouse Manager Shipping clerk's warehouse dispatch and stock control experience supports a move into warehouse manager, with management training.Known move | +$58,600 | 23% | reskill |
| Transport Manager Shipping clerk's dispatch documentation and freight coordination carry into transport manager work, with further study in transport operations.Known move | +$49,100 | 3% | reskill |
| Truck Driver Shipping clerk's load paperwork and route knowledge carry into truck driving, though licensing and formal training are required.Known move | +$13,100 | 24% | reskill |
| Import Export Clerk Shipping clerk's freight documentation and customs awareness carry into import export work, with further study in trade regulations.Known move | −$13,400 | 27% | reskill |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as a shipping clerk?
The typical shipping clerk is 42 years old; 66% are men, 86% work full-time, and full-timers average 44 hours a week.
- 42
- Median age
- 34%
- Female share
- 86%
- Full-time
- +4h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being a shipping clerk?
The job runs to a clock set by the carriers: orders have to be checked, labelled and manifested before the afternoon pickup, and everything after that cut-off waits a day. The work is methodical, split between a screen and the dock floor, and the pressure comes from a fixed deadline rather than from volume alone. People who enjoy it tend to like finishing a queue, keeping records straight, and knowing exactly where a consignment is.
What people like
- The dock clears every day. Despatch has a visible finish line. Once the last manifest is lodged and the truck pulls out, the day's orders are done and nothing carries over unless a pickup was missed.
- You learn how freight really moves. Clerks end up knowing carrier service levels, cut-off times, freight rates and which depot will hold a consignment up. That knowledge transfers to almost any logistics role.
- Problems are usually fixed the same shift. A short shipment, a misread label or a damaged pallet is chased down with the warehouse team and sorted out within hours, so there is little of the long, unresolved work that other admin jobs carry.
- Routine suits people who like systems. The same checks, the same screens and the same sequence every day. If you find that calming rather than dull, the role is comfortable to do well.
What people find hard
- The deadline is not yours to move. Carrier cut-offs are fixed by the freight company, so a late pick from the warehouse or a system outage lands on the clerk to absorb. Finishing on time often means staying back or escalating fast.
- Mistakes cost money quietly. A wrong address or an under-declared carton turns into a re-delivery charge or a carrier surcharge, and the paperwork trail leads back to whoever booked it.
- Your day is split in two. Clerks move between the computer and the dock floor, and a fair amount of the work is chasing warehouse staff and drivers who are busy with their own jobs. If you want to sit at a desk all day, this is not that role.
- Peak season stacks up. Sale periods and the run into Christmas push volumes up sharply, and every extra order still needs checking, labelling and manifesting before the same afternoon cut-off.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ shipping clerks?
Transport, Postal and Warehousing employs the largest share of shipping clerks, followed by Manufacturing.
Top employing industries
- 1Transport, Postal and Warehousing
- 2Manufacturing
- 3Retail Trade
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Year 12 or below | 44.8% | |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate III/IV | 22.2% | |
| Bachelor degree | 12.4% | |
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 11.5% | |
| Postgraduate | 4.7% |
Will AI replace shipping clerks?
AI and automation have made solid inroads into the paperwork side of this job, so the exposure sits at a moderate level. Warehouse management systems and carrier portals already produce labels, consignment notes and freight quotes automatically, which has removed most of the manual typing that once defined the role. What keeps it from being higher is the physical and human part: someone still has to confirm the carton matches the order, sort out a shortfall before the truck leaves, and deal with the driver at the dock.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Booking freight and comparing carrier ratesRate tools and standing carrier accounts handle most comparisons, but a clerk still decides how to send an urgent or awkward consignment when the standard service will not do.30%moderate
- Checking picked orders before they leave the dockA scanner confirms a barcode, not the contents of the box, so shortfalls and customer complaints still end with someone opening the carton and counting.25%low
- Coordinating with drivers and the warehouse team during the dayA missed pickup or a damaged pallet gets fixed by phone and in person, with people who are standing at the dock waiting for an answer.25%low
- Printing labels and completing carrier paperworkOnce an order is confirmed in the warehouse system, the consignment note, label and manifest are generated without anyone typing the address or the freight charge.20%high
Common questions about becoming a shipping clerk
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much do shipping clerks earn?
Shipping clerks earn a median of $88,800 per annum, before tax. That figure covers everyone in the role, so it sits above what a first-year clerk in a small retail warehouse earns and below what an experienced clerk on a manufacturing site earns with shift penalties. The industry you work in and whether the site runs nights and weekends move pay more than length of service does.
How do you become a shipping clerk?
Most people start on the warehouse floor as a storeperson or freight handler and move into despatch when a role opens, which means the first step is paid work rather than study. A Certificate III in supply chain operations (TLI30325) helps if you are applying from outside logistics, and employers look for comfort with a warehouse management system and carrier booking portals. A forklift licence is useful at smaller sites but is not required everywhere.
Are shipping clerks in demand?
Shipping clerks are currently not in shortage, and employment is projected to grow 10.7% over the decade to 2035 over the decade to 2035. Demand follows freight volumes, so openings appear steadily as sites grow and as experienced clerks move into supervision or planning. Practical experience with despatch systems counts for more than qualifications when employers hire.
Will AI replace shipping clerks?
Automation has already absorbed a good part of the paperwork: warehouse systems and carrier portals now generate labels, consignment notes and freight quotes that clerks once typed. What remains is physical and interpersonal, checking cartons against orders, resolving a short shipment with the warehouse team, and dealing with a driver at the dock. The role is changing more than disappearing, and the clerks who adapt are the ones who learn the systems behind the desk.
What can a shipping clerk move into?
Warehouse manager and logistics manager are the common next steps, and both draw directly on the despatch and inventory work you already do, though each needs management study. Warehouse manager roles pay $58,600 more and logistics manager roles pay $58,600 more, and both involve running staff and budgets rather than a single dock. Truck driver is another route for people who want to be on the road, paying $13,100 more, but it needs its own licence and training first.
Do shipping clerks need a forklift licence?
Not always. Large distribution centres usually have dedicated forklift operators, and the clerk stays with the paperwork and checking. Smaller warehouses often expect the clerk to move pallets themselves, so an LF high risk work licence, issued under state work health and safety rules, becomes part of the job.
Related roles
- Truck Driver
- Transport Manager
- Logistics Manager
- Warehouse Manager
- Import Export Clerk
- Warehouse Storeperson
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