Flag an order missing an address
Scan the item codes and buyer details, and flag any order missing an address before it moves on.
Career profile
Order Clerk
Order clerks turn customer requests into accurate orders, then chase down whatever holds them up.
Catching a missing shipping address before an order moves on is one possible save. Careful checkers who like giving clear answers should look closer.
A day in the life
Warn a buyer about a delay
Search the stock records, and if a requested item will arrive late, let the buyer know.
Enter shipping and payment details
Type the buyer's shipping address and payment details into the order system and answer their billing questions.
Locate a late shipment
You contact shipping staff or the carrier to locate a late order, then update the buyer.
Quick facts
Schooling + job training
United States · 2025–2026
$46,170 a year
United States · May 2025
17.5% fewer jobs projected
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Schooling + job trainingTypical preparation includes some college without a degree and short-term job training; some employers accept a high-school diploma.
Pay
$46,170 a yearNational median for order clerks in May 2025—about $22.20 an hour.
Outlook
17.5% fewer jobs projectedEmployment is projected to decline from 2025 to 2035, with about 6,300 openings annually.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You notice when two records do not match.
- You can stay careful through repeated checks.
- You like helping callers get a clear next step.
Things to weigh
- Expect repeated computer work, plenty of sitting, and pressure to keep orders moving.
- Customers may be frustrated when you speak with them, especially about delays or mistakes.
Where AI may help
Online ordering lets customers enter requests themselves. Order software keeps account details and order notes together.
What people still lead
You help resolve conflicting details and involve sales or operations when an order needs more than a routine response.
What we can’t predict yet
How much checking and follow-up will become self-service remains uncertain. More online ordering is already reducing demand for clerks.
Pay in context
Earnings
Use the national median as a reference point. The employer, location, and kind of order work can make the offer different.
The national midpoint
The May 2025 median was $46,170 annually, equivalent to about $22.20 an hour over 2,080 hours. Half of order clerks earned more and half earned less; this is not a starting-pay promise.
The national spread
In May 2025, the 10th-percentile annual wage was $35,530 and the 90th-percentile wage was $63,530. These are wage percentiles, not starting and senior salaries.
Workplace differences
In May 2023, order clerks averaged $42,440 in warehousing and storage, compared with $46,270 at professional and commercial equipment wholesalers. These historical averages describe groups of jobs, not what switching employers would add to your pay.
Openings in a shrinking field
About 6,300 openings are projected each year during 2025–2035, even as employment falls 17.5%. Openings can come from replacing departing workers rather than adding jobs.
Getting started
Start in order administration
- What the route involves
- Apply for entry roles accepting a high-school diploma or equivalent. Learn the employer’s order software and procedures on the job.
- What it can lead to
- Begin handling routine requests and account updates, with complex problems passed to experienced coworkers.
- What to check
- Basic computer and communication skills matter; previous office or customer-service experience may be preferred.
Bring experience or a relevant degree
- What the route involves
- For some technical steel-order roles, qualify with a high-school diploma plus two years of customer-support experience, or an associate degree in business, marketing, engineering, or a related field.
- What it can lead to
- Meet an entry requirement for work that checks customer specifications against manufacturing needs.
- What to check
- These alternatives are employer-specific, not requirements for every order-clerk job.
Read the requirements closely: basic order administration and technical manufacturing orders can have different entry routes.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get established
Learn the order screens and keep account notes accurate. Know who can resolve a problem you cannot finish yourself.
Handle harder orders
In manufacturing, build product knowledge so you can spot specification problems and clarify them before processing the order.
Take on broader office work
A possible next move is administrative assistant work, with more responsibility for organizing records and supporting office operations.
Where you can work
Industrial hardware supplier
A customer-facing office role can mean watching a shared inbox, answering calls, and connecting customers with sales, finance, or operations. Several requests may need attention at once.
- Indoors
- Office
Steel-company order office
Orders can require close reading of contracts and product specifications. You work with sales colleagues to clarify details and learn what the manufacturing process can deliver.
- Indoors
- Office
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Make a pretend stock list and three customer orders in a spreadsheet. Include one unavailable item and one missing delivery address. Check each order, total its cost, and write the customer a short clarification. Notice whether you enjoy both the checking and the explanation.
Stay safe: Use invented customer details; no purchase is needed.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. 43-4151.00 — Order Clerks. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Information Clerks — Occupational Outlook Handbook. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025–35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023 — Order Clerks. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Sierra Pacific Engineering and Products. Order Entry Administrator — February 2026 job description. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Metallus. Order Entry Representative I — Canton, Ohio. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, national estimates. Accessed 2026-09-29.