Order clerks salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,530 | $17.08 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $46,170 | $22.20 |
| Mean (average) | $48,220 | $23.19 |
| 90th percentile | $63,530 | $30.54 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Order clerks pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 49 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $48,840 | $36,600 | $59,270 | 80 | 0.08 |
| Alaska | $37,590 | $33,340 | $51,410 | 70 | 0.43 |
| Arizona | $48,590 | $38,780 | $61,110 | 760 | 0.49 |
| Arkansas | $41,760 | $24,230 | $48,690 | 290 | 0.46 |
| California | $47,290 | $37,170 | $66,580 | 12,390 | 1.41 |
| Colorado | $49,530 | $37,850 | $63,980 | 1,970 | 1.42 |
| Connecticut | $47,500 | $38,130 | $67,640 | 710 | 0.86 |
| Delaware | $41,430 | $32,130 | $57,970 | 170 | 0.75 |
| District of Columbia | $49,150 | $42,330 | $60,100 | 170 | 0.51 |
| Florida | $44,380 | $35,160 | $62,380 | 3,270 | 0.68 |
| Georgia | $41,720 | $33,860 | $57,740 | 1,750 | 0.74 |
| Hawaii | $46,760 | $32,130 | $65,100 | 210 | 0.68 |
| Idaho | $40,110 | $36,150 | $60,380 | 90 | 0.23 |
| Illinois | $47,670 | $36,000 | $60,630 | 3,540 | 1.2 |
| Indiana | $44,340 | $36,390 | $62,380 | 1,800 | 1.16 |
| Iowa | $44,980 | $35,140 | $57,140 | 680 | 0.91 |
| Kansas | $45,200 | $31,750 | $56,180 | 310 | 0.44 |
| Kentucky | $40,620 | $32,710 | $52,100 | 930 | 0.96 |
| Louisiana | $37,520 | $29,070 | $59,250 | 660 | 0.71 |
| Maine | $47,750 | $40,030 | $60,880 | 300 | 0.96 |
| Maryland | $47,700 | $39,110 | $65,870 | 850 | 0.63 |
| Massachusetts | $55,040 | $45,750 | $72,920 | 1,350 | 0.77 |
| Michigan | $44,240 | $34,060 | $61,830 | 2,290 | 1.08 |
| Minnesota | $48,400 | $37,470 | $59,180 | 1,150 | 0.81 |
| Mississippi | $43,040 | $31,050 | $50,470 | 470 | 0.83 |
| Missouri | Data unavailable | 840 | 0.59 | ||
| Montana | $42,000 | $35,490 | $49,820 | 60 | 0.26 |
| Nebraska | $44,060 | $35,880 | $59,810 | 440 | 0.89 |
| Nevada | $40,560 | $33,860 | $54,730 | 740 | 0.98 |
| New Hampshire | $48,540 | $37,740 | $60,290 | 390 | 1.19 |
| New Jersey | $46,270 | $37,440 | $78,230 | 2,640 | 1.27 |
| New Mexico | $41,020 | $38,470 | $58,180 | 310 | 0.74 |
| New York | $48,320 | $34,570 | $65,360 | 3,530 | 0.75 |
| North Carolina | $46,060 | $34,510 | $61,580 | 2,990 | 1.25 |
| Ohio | $46,120 | $33,280 | $63,200 | 3,810 | 1.42 |
| Oklahoma | $45,850 | $39,130 | $48,430 | 2,210 | 2.68 |
| Oregon | $50,260 | $39,960 | $72,040 | 790 | 0.83 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,840 | $36,030 | $58,910 | 2,570 | 0.88 |
| Rhode Island | $49,410 | $45,180 | $58,080 | 170 | 0.7 |
| South Carolina | $41,740 | $31,360 | $54,640 | 740 | 0.66 |
| South Dakota | $48,010 | $38,370 | $54,890 | 330 | 1.49 |
| Tennessee | $39,160 | $29,790 | $55,590 | 2,260 | 1.43 |
| Texas | $44,280 | $33,230 | $61,690 | 5,180 | 0.76 |
| Utah | $40,260 | $30,520 | $56,140 | 880 | 1.05 |
| Vermont | $49,950 | $39,750 | $61,030 | ||
| Virginia | $42,580 | $35,140 | $61,620 | 1,690 | 0.85 |
| Washington | $47,990 | $42,710 | $66,400 | 4,300 | 2.51 |
| West Virginia | $45,320 | $29,640 | $72,750 | 100 | 0.3 |
| Wisconsin | $47,750 | $34,510 | $76,170 | 1,540 | 1.08 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for order clerks
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 6,300. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 4.8%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for order clerks
- Typical entry education
- Some college, no degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Receptionist CIP 52.0406
- General Office Occupations and Clerical Services CIP 52.0408
- Customer Service Support/Call Center/Teleservice Operation CIP 52.0411
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Review orders for completeness according to reporting procedures and forward incomplete orders for further processing.
- Obtain customers' names, addresses, and billing information, product numbers, and specifications of items to be purchased, and enter this information on order forms.
- Recommend merchandise or services that will meet customers' needs.
- Inspect outgoing work for compliance with customers' specifications.
- Receive and respond to customer complaints.
- Check inventory records to determine availability of requested merchandise.
- Verify customer and order information for correctness, checking it against previously obtained information as necessary.
- Compute total charges for merchandise or services and shipping charges.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Order management software (in demand)
- Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Apple Safari (hot technology)
- Intuit QuickBooks (hot technology)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft Edge (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Mozilla Firefox (hot technology)
- SAP software (hot technology)
- Automated manifest system software
- Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
- Email software
Transferable skills for career changers: Service Orientation, Judgment and Decision Making, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Persuasion, Negotiation.
Common job titles: Hub Associate, Materials Specialist, Order Analyst, Order Clerk, Order Entry Administrator (Order Entry Admin), Order Entry Representative (Order Entry Rep), Order Processing Clerk, Order Taker, Warehouse Clerk, Warehouse Person.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do order clerks make?
The national median annual wage for order clerks was $46,170 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $35,530 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $63,530. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do order clerks need?
BLS lists some college, no degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and short-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is order clerks a growing career?
BLS projects employment of order clerks to change -17.5% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 6,300 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay order clerks the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Massachusetts ($55,040), Oregon ($50,260), Vermont ($49,950). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.