Order Clerks
Also called: Ad Taker (Advertising Taker), Advertising Clerk (Ad Clerk), Advertising Space Clerk (Ad Space Clerk), Back Order Clerk, Blood Bank Credit Clerk, Blood Bank Order Control Clerk, Catalogue Clerk, Classified Ad Clerk (Classified Advertisement Clerk)
Receive and process incoming orders for materials, merchandise, classified ads, or services such as repairs, installations, or rental of facilities.
What order clerks do
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.
- Inform customers by mail or telephone of order information, such as unit prices, shipping dates, and any anticipated delays.
- 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.
- Prepare invoices, shipping documents, and contracts.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Order Clerks salary
The median annual wage for order clerks is $46,170 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $35,530 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $63,530. The mean annual wage is $48,220.
The mean hourly wage of $23.00 is 3.2× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Order Clerks (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $46,170 → in 3 years $48,100 → in 5 years $49,400 → in 10 years $52,800 (10-year range $45,400–$61,400). The model assumes pay growth of +1.4% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Order Clerks
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Order Clerks? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Order Clerks
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
Skills, education and requirements for Order Clerks
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become order clerks
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as order clerks
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.