SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Receive and process incoming orders for materials, merchandise, classified ads, or services such as repairs, installations, or rental of facilities. 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. Excludes “Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance” (43-5032) who both dispatch and take orders for services.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 43-4151.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $35,530 | $2,961 | $683 | $17.08 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $39,660 | $3,305 | $763 | $19.07 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $46,170 | $3,848 | $888 | $22.20 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $54,310 | $4,526 | $1,044 | $26.11 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $63,530 | $5,294 | $1,222 | $30.54 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Order Clerks is $46,170, which is 9% lower. Among the 54 occupations of the field Office and Administrative Support, it ranks number 35 by median pay. With 75,200 jobs, it makes up about 4.8 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Order Clerks pay by state
The highest median pay was in Massachusetts ($55,040), Oregon ($50,260) and Vermont ($49,950). The lowest was in Louisiana ($37,520), Alaska ($37,590) and Tennessee ($39,160). The most jobs were in California (12,390), Texas (5,180) and Washington (4,300). The occupation is most concentrated in Oklahoma, where its share of all jobs is 2.7 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 1,350 | $55,040 | $56,920 | $26.46 |
| Oregon | 790 | $50,260 | $52,330 | $24.17 |
| Vermont | not published | $49,950 | $50,750 | $24.02 |
| Colorado | 1,970 | $49,530 | $50,650 | $23.81 |
| Rhode Island | 170 | $49,410 | $50,260 | $23.75 |
| District of Columbia | 170 | $49,150 | $51,040 | $23.63 |
| Alabama | 80 | $48,840 | $47,570 | $23.48 |
| Arizona | 760 | $48,590 | $49,240 | $23.36 |
| New Hampshire | 390 | $48,540 | $50,130 | $23.34 |
| Minnesota | 1,150 | $48,400 | $49,770 | $23.27 |
| New York | 3,530 | $48,320 | $50,380 | $23.23 |
| South Dakota | 330 | $48,010 | $47,550 | $23.08 |
| Washington | 4,300 | $47,990 | $52,810 | $23.07 |
| Maine | 300 | $47,750 | $49,360 | $22.96 |
| Wisconsin | 1,540 | $47,750 | $50,830 | $22.96 |
| Maryland | 850 | $47,700 | $50,880 | $22.93 |
| Illinois | 3,540 | $47,670 | $48,390 | $22.92 |
| Connecticut | 710 | $47,500 | $50,670 | $22.84 |
| California | 12,390 | $47,290 | $50,760 | $22.74 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,570 | $46,840 | $47,390 | $22.52 |
| Hawaii | 210 | $46,760 | $48,330 | $22.48 |
| New Jersey | 2,640 | $46,270 | $51,910 | $22.25 |
| Ohio | 3,810 | $46,120 | $47,350 | $22.17 |
| North Carolina | 2,990 | $46,060 | $47,640 | $22.14 |
| Oklahoma | 2,210 | $45,850 | $45,180 | $22.04 |
| West Virginia | 100 | $45,320 | $48,010 | $21.79 |
| Kansas | 310 | $45,200 | $44,250 | $21.73 |
| Iowa | 680 | $44,980 | $46,280 | $21.63 |
| Florida | 3,270 | $44,380 | $46,460 | $21.34 |
| Indiana | 1,800 | $44,340 | $46,750 | $21.32 |
| Texas | 5,180 | $44,280 | $46,020 | $21.29 |
| Michigan | 2,290 | $44,240 | $46,030 | $21.27 |
| Nebraska | 440 | $44,060 | $44,880 | $21.18 |
| Mississippi | 470 | $43,040 | $42,200 | $20.69 |
| Virginia | 1,690 | $42,580 | $45,170 | $20.47 |
| Montana | 60 | $42,000 | $42,600 | $20.19 |
| Arkansas | 290 | $41,760 | $39,540 | $20.08 |
| South Carolina | 740 | $41,740 | $42,920 | $20.07 |
| Georgia | 1,750 | $41,720 | $44,060 | $20.06 |
| Delaware | 170 | $41,430 | $43,760 | $19.92 |
| New Mexico | 310 | $41,020 | $45,920 | $19.72 |
| Kentucky | 930 | $40,620 | $41,910 | $19.53 |
| Nevada | 740 | $40,560 | $42,920 | $19.50 |
| Utah | 880 | $40,260 | $40,880 | $19.36 |
| Idaho | 90 | $40,110 | $44,520 | $19.29 |
| Tennessee | 2,260 | $39,160 | $41,330 | $18.83 |
| Alaska | 70 | $37,590 | $41,390 | $18.07 |
| Louisiana | 660 | $37,520 | $40,870 | $18.04 |
| Missouri | 840 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Bill and Account Collectors$47,030 a year
- Correspondence Clerks$46,800 a year
- Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping$46,380 a year
- Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants$45,930 a year
- Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan$45,920 a year
- Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other$45,670 a year
Common questions
How much do Order Clerks earn in the United States?
The median pay was $46,170 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $35,530 and the highest-paid 10% more than $63,530.
How many people work as Order Clerks?
About 75,200 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.