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Order Clerks in California
Want to work as an Order Clerks in California? Below are the key facts. 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.
What do Order Clerks Make in California?
The order clerks working in California, the typical annual salary is $46,620 per year (or about $22.41/hour).Earnings range from $37,270 at the 10th percentile to $64,340 at the 90th percentile.
| Wage Statistic | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,270 | $17.92 |
| 25th percentile | $40,360 | $19.41 |
| Median (50th) | $46,620 | $22.41 |
| 75th percentile | $55,420 | $26.64 |
| 90th percentile | $64,340 | $30.93 |
The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in California compared to the national average — is 1.35, suggesting that order clerks are more concentrated here than the national average.
National Wage Comparison
Nationally, order clerks earn a median of $58,253 per year ($28.01/hour), lower than the California median.
Employment Outlook
Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 1,253,974 order clerks across the United States. In California alone, about 13,240 people work in this role. That puts the state above the typical state, which employs around 950 order clerks.
Top California Metros for Order Clerks
These are the California metros with the most order clerks in California.
| Metro Area | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 5,540 | $44,890 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 1,460 | $51,180 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 1,270 | $44,390 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 960 | $47,250 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 560 | $59,940 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 490 | $49,310 |
| Fresno, CA | 260 | $43,700 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 200 | $46,900 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 170 | $47,950 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 170 | $45,780 |
| Modesto, CA | 150 | $46,480 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 150 | $48,980 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 130 | $47,140 |
| Vallejo, CA | 110 | $45,910 |
| Visalia, CA | 80 | $47,610 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 70 | $45,910 |
| Chico, CA | 50 | $47,930 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 50 | $45,670 |
| Napa, CA | 40 | $48,500 |
| Salinas, CA | 40 | $49,370 |
Top States for Order Clerks Employment
View the states that employ the most order clerks work.
| State | Number Employed |
|---|---|
| California | 13,240 |
| Texas | 6,140 |
| Washington | 5,110 |
| Ohio | 4,700 |
| Florida | 4,250 |
| Illinois | 4,150 |
| New Jersey | 3,640 |
| New York | 3,610 |
| Pennsylvania | 3,150 |
| North Carolina | 2,880 |
| Oklahoma | 2,170 |
| Michigan | 2,100 |
| Tennessee | 2,100 |
| Colorado | 1,820 |
| Indiana | 1,790 |
| Wisconsin | 1,780 |
| Georgia | 1,720 |
| Virginia | 1,500 |
| Missouri | 1,280 |
| Maryland | 1,230 |
Highest-Paying States for Order Clerks
The highest-paying states for order clerks.
| State | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $54,350 |
| Vermont | $49,810 |
| New Hampshire | $49,200 |
| Oregon | $48,530 |
| Rhode Island | $48,080 |
| District of Columbia | $47,930 |
| Colorado | $47,100 |
| Minnesota | $47,020 |
| New York | $47,010 |
| Washington | $46,740 |
Skills
Top order clerks skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Key knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Abilities
The abilities that matter most for order clerks, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Daily Tasks
Common tasks include:
- 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.
Work Activities
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Getting Information
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
- Processing Information
- Performing Administrative Activities
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Working with Computers
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
- Training and Teaching Others
Tools & Technology
Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Adobe Acrobat, Apple Safari In-demand technologies: Microsoft Excel
Related Careers
Related occupations to order clerks include:
- Purchasing Managers
- Postmasters and Mail Superintendents
- Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products
- Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products
- First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers
- Cashiers
Also Known As
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), Classified Ad Taker (Classified Advertisement Taker), Clerical Order Filler, Compliance Clerk, Contact Clerk, Contact Worker, Film Rental Clerk, Food and Beverage Order Clerk.
References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
- BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- O*NET-SOC code: 43-4151.00