📦
Wholesale trade
Grainger, Uline, McMaster-Carr
Order Clerks
Order clerks keep customer orders moving by entering purchase details, checking billing and shipping information, and telling customers when prices, delays, or shortages affect their order. The work is distinct because it sits between customers, sales, and operations, but the tradeoff is clear: it is repetitive, accuracy-heavy, and increasingly vulnerable to software that automates routine order entry.
Also known as Order Entry ClerkOrder Processing ClerkSales Order ClerkOrder Management ClerkCustomer Order Coordinator
Median Salary
$44,660
Mean $46,270
U.S. Workforce
~83K
8K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+-17.2%
89.5K to 74.1K
Entry Education
Some college, no degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Order Clerks sits in the Business category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~83K workers, with a median annual pay of $44,660 and roughly 8K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to decline from 89.5 K in 2024 to 74.1K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with High school diploma or GED, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Entry-level office clerk and can progress toward Order processing supervisor. High-value skills usually include ERP and Order Management Systems (SAP, Oracle NetSuite), CRM Platforms (Salesforce, HubSpot), and Microsoft Excel and Spreadsheet Tracking, paired with soft skills such as Active listening, Speaking clearly, and Reading comprehension.
Core Responsibilities
- Enter order details into a computer system and keep the records organized.
- Call or email customers with pricing, shipping dates, or delay updates.
- Check outgoing orders against the customer’s instructions to catch mistakes before they ship.
- Collect names, addresses, payment details, product numbers, and other order information.
Keep exploring: more Business careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Enter order details into a computer system and keep the records organized.
02 Call or email customers with pricing, shipping dates, or delay updates.
03 Check outgoing orders against the customer’s instructions to catch mistakes before they ship.
04 Collect names, addresses, payment details, product numbers, and other order information.
05 Handle complaints and follow up when an order is wrong, late, or missing items.
06 Watch stock levels and alert other teams when a product is running low or an order would use up too much inventory.
Industries That Hire
🏭
Manufacturing
Caterpillar, 3M, Johnson Controls
🏥
Healthcare distribution
McKesson, Cardinal Health, Henry Schein
🛒
Retail and e-commerce
Walmart, Target, Amazon
🚚
Logistics and shipping
UPS, FedEx, DHL
Pros and Cons
Advantages
+
The job is relatively easy to enter: BLS says no work experience is required, and many workers start with a high school diploma or certificate rather than a four-year degree.
+
There are still plenty of openings, with about 8.0K annual openings even though the occupation is shrinking overall.
+
It builds useful office skills quickly, including customer communication, recordkeeping, Excel, and order software that transfer to other administrative jobs.
+
The work is usually indoors, desk-based, and structured, which many people prefer over jobs with constant physical demands or travel.
+
It can be a good launch point into operations, customer service, inventory, or purchasing work if you want to move up later.
Challenges
-
Pay is modest for a full-time office job, with a mean annual wage of $46,270 and a median of $44,660.
-
Employment is projected to fall from 89.5K to 74.1K by 2034, a drop of 17.2%, so the long-term outlook is weak.
-
A lot of the day is repetitive data entry, verification, and follow-up, which can become monotonous and error-prone.
-
Automation is a real structural threat because online ordering, self-service portals, and ERP systems keep reducing the need for people to retype orders by hand.
-
The career ceiling can be low if you stay in pure order entry, so advancement often means moving into supervision or switching into another office function.
Career Progression
Entry-level office clerk
0-2 years
$30K-$37K
Handles basic filing, data entry, phone calls, and simple customer updates while learning the company’s order system.
Order clerk
1-4 years
$41K-$50K
Takes and verifies orders, corrects customer details, tracks shipments, and keeps sales and inventory teams informed.
Senior order clerk THIS ROLE
4-7 years
$50K-$61K
Works on larger accounts, fixes tricky order problems, and helps train newer clerks on procedures and software.
Order processing supervisor
7-12 years
$61K-$76K
Oversees a team, monitors order accuracy and turnaround times, and improves the workflow between sales, shipping, and inventory.
Education Paths
High school diploma or GED
The most common route, held by 63.04% of workers in this occupation, and many employers train the rest of the job after hire.
Post-secondary certificate in office administration or business support
A common pathway for 24.17% of workers, especially for people who want faster access to order systems, office software, and customer service work.
Bachelor's degree in business, communications, or management
An alternative route used by 12.07% of workers, but it is usually more education than most employers require for the role.
Short-term on-the-job training
BLS says employers usually provide short-term training, so new hires often learn the software, order rules, and company procedures after they start.
Key Skills
Technical
ERP and Order Management Systems (SAP, Oracle NetSuite) 84%
CRM Platforms (Salesforce, HubSpot) 78%
Microsoft Excel and Spreadsheet Tracking 68%
Billing, Invoicing, and Payment Systems 64%
Shipping, Inventory, and Stock Tracking Software 60%
EDI and Order Entry Portals 56%
Soft Skills
Active listeningSpeaking clearlyReading comprehensionService orientationCritical thinkingAttention to detail Job Outlook and Trends
+-17.2%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
8K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 89.5K to 74.1 K over the next decade, representing -17.2% growth. Around 8 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Limited. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.