Career profile for Order Clerk

What does an Order Clerk do?

Order Clerks receive and process incoming orders for materials, merchandise, classified ads, or services such as repairs, installations, or rental of facilities.

In addition, Order Clerks

generally receives orders via mail, phone, fax, or other electronic means,
duties include informing customers of receipt, prices, shipping dates, and delays; preparing contracts; and handling complaints.

What kind of tasks does an Order Clerk perform regularly?

Order Clerks are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:

Verify customer and order information for correctness, checking it against previously obtained information as necessary.
Receive and respond to customer complaints.
Review orders for completeness according to reporting procedures and forward incomplete orders for further processing.
Inform customers by mail or telephone of order information, such as unit prices, shipping dates, and any anticipated delays.
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.
Prepare invoices, shipping documents, and contracts.
Confer with production, sales, shipping, warehouse, or common carrier personnel to expedite or trace shipments.
Compute total charges for merchandise or services and shipping charges.
Direct specified departments or units to prepare and ship orders to designated locations.
Inspect outgoing work for compliance with customers' specifications.
Check inventory records to determine availability of requested merchandise.
Collect payment for merchandise, record transactions, and send items, such as checks or money orders for further processing.
Attempt to sell additional merchandise or services to prospective or current customers by telephone or through visits.
File copies of orders received, or post orders on records.
Notify departments when supplies of specific items are low, or when orders would deplete available supplies.

The above responsibilities are specific to Order Clerks. More generally, Order Clerks are involved in several broader types of activities:

Activities	Importance	Details
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates		Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Getting Information		Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Working with Computers		Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Performing Administrative Activities		Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings		Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates

Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Getting Information

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Working with Computers

Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

Performing Administrative Activities

Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.

Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings

Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

What is an Order Clerk salary?

The median salary for an Order Clerk is $35,590, and the average salary is $37,660. Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Order Clerk salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.

Many Order Clerks earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors. About 10% of Order Clerks earn less than $24,820 per year, 25% earn less than $28,900, 75% earn less than $44,440, and 90% earn less than $54,450.

Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Order Clerks is expected to change by -18.2%, and there should be roughly 10,400 open positions for Order Clerks every year.

Median annual salary: $35,590
Typical salary range: $24,820 - $54,450
Projected growth (2020 - 2030): -18.2%

What personality traits are common among Order Clerks?

Interests

Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.

Compared to most occupations, those who work as an Order Clerk are usually higher in their Conventional, Enterprising, and Social interests.

Order Clerks typically have very strong Conventional interests. Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Also, Order Clerks typically have strong Enterprising interests. Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Lastly, Order Clerks typically have moderate Social interests. Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Values

People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Compared to most people, those working as an Order Clerk tend to value Support, Independence, and Working Conditions.

Most importantly, Order Clerks moderately value Support. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Second, Order Clerks moderately value Independence. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

Lastly, Order Clerks moderately value Working Conditions. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions.

Psychological Demands

Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.

In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Order Clerks must consistently demonstrate qualities such as attention to detail, cooperation, and dependability.

Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Order Clerks, ranked by importance:

Demands	Importance	Details
Attention to Detail		Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Cooperation		Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Dependability		Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Persistence		Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Initiative		Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

Attention to Detail

Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Cooperation

Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Dependability

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Persistence

Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.

Initiative

Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

What education and training do Order Clerks need?

Working as an Order Clerk usually requires a high school diploma.

Order Clerks need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with this occupation.

Educational degrees among Order Clerks

7.0% did not complete high school or secondary school
34.3% completed high school or secondary school
26.7% completed some college coursework
10.5% earned a Associate's degree
18.0% earned a Bachelor's degree
2.8% earned a Master's degree
0.7% earned a doctorate or professional degree

Knowledge and expertise required by Order Clerks

Order Clerks may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as customer and personal service, administrative, or computers and electronics knowledge.

The list below shows several areas in which most Order Clerks might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.

Knowledge areas	Importance	Details
Customer and Personal Service		Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Administrative		Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Computers and Electronics		Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Sales and Marketing		Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Production and Processing		Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Customer and Personal Service

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Administrative

Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

Computers and Electronics

Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Sales and Marketing

Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

Production and Processing

Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Important Abilities needed by Order Clerks

Order Clerks must develop a particular set of abilities to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.

For example, Order Clerks need abilities such as oral comprehension, written comprehension, and oral expression in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Order Clerks, ranked by their relative importance.

Abilities	Importance	Details
Oral Comprehension		The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Written Comprehension		The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Oral Expression		The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Near Vision		The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Speech Clarity		The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Oral Comprehension

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Written Comprehension

The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Oral Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Near Vision

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Speech Clarity

The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Critical Skills needed by Order Clerks

Skills are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.

Order Clerks frequently use skills like active listening, reading comprehension, and speaking to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Order Clerks, ranked by their relative importance.

Skills	Importance	Details
Active Listening		Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension		Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Speaking		Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Service Orientation		Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness		Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Service Orientation

Actively looking for ways to help people.

Social Perceptiveness

Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

What is the source of this information?

The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.

Career profile Order Clerk

Order Clerk

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