Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks
Machines can already do 43% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 68%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 43% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 9% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2029, and 68% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 390,160 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $59,650 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 71% for contact with people.
- Also called: Expeditor, Inventory Control Specialist, Material Requirements Planner (MRP), Materials Coordinator.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 10% | 45% to 75% | |
| Confer with establishment personnel, vendors, or customers to coordinate production or shipping activities and to resolve complaints or eliminate delays | 10% | 20% to 40% | |
| Review documents, such as production schedules, work orders, or staffing tables, to determine personnel or materials requirements or material priorities | 9% | 55% to 85% | |
| Arrange for delivery, assembly, or distribution of supplies or parts to expedite flow of materials and meet production schedules | 8% | 10% to 27% | |
| Confer with department supervisors or other personnel to assess progress and discuss needed changes | 8% | 30% to 54% | |
| Compile information, such as production rates and progress, materials inventories, materials used, or customer information, so that status reports can be completed | 8% | 70% to 95% | |
| Requisition and maintain inventories of materials or supplies necessary to meet production demands | 7% | 50% to 85% | |
| Plan production commitments or timetables for business units, specific programs, or jobs, using sales forecasts | 5% | 10% to 27% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills production, planning, and expediting clerks use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers61% of tasks by 2035 · US median $69,500
- Administrative Services Managers55% of tasks by 2035 · US median $114,130
- First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers56% of tasks by 2035 · US median $48,590
- Quality Control Systems Managers63% of tasks by 2035 · US median $126,060
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2029. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of production, planning, and expediting clerks?
Machines can do 43% of the tasks of production, planning, and expediting clerks today and 68% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 43-5061.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/production-planning-and-expediting-clerks/