Order Clerks
Also called: Materials Specialist, Order Clerk, Warehouse Clerk, Warehouse PersonReceive 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.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 15 of its 19 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 17.5% by 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 6.3% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.8 hires for every 10 job openings in wholesale trade, which employs about 30% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.8 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $48,840 | $45,590 to $51,010 | 80 |
| Alaska | $37,590 | $36,230 to $43,930 | 70 |
| Arizona | $48,590 | $43,740 to $51,870 | 760 |
| Arkansas | $41,760 | $36,790 to $44,490 | 290 |
| California | $47,290 | $40,710 to $57,010 | 12,390 |
| Colorado | $49,530 | $41,150 to $58,680 | 1,970 |
| Connecticut | $47,500 | $40,780 to $58,850 | 710 |
| Delaware | $41,430 | $35,360 to $49,560 | 170 |
| District of Columbia | $49,150 | $45,380 to $57,210 | 170 |
| Florida | $44,380 | $38,830 to $50,960 | 3,270 |
| Georgia | $41,720 | $37,250 to $48,790 | 1,750 |
| Hawaii | $46,760 | $38,240 to $62,400 | 210 |
| Idaho | $40,110 | $37,720 to $52,920 | 90 |
| Illinois | $47,670 | $42,590 to $51,410 | 3,540 |
| Indiana | $44,340 | $38,980 to $51,020 | 1,800 |
| Iowa | $44,980 | $38,550 to $53,590 | 680 |
| Kansas | $45,200 | $36,780 to $48,440 | 310 |
| Kentucky | $40,620 | $35,740 to $46,570 | 930 |
| Louisiana | $37,520 | $32,020 to $47,460 | 660 |
| Maine | $47,750 | $43,210 to $52,180 | 300 |
| Maryland | $47,700 | $43,220 to $55,210 | 850 |
| Massachusetts | $55,040 | $48,140 to $63,390 | 1,350 |
| Michigan | $44,240 | $37,430 to $51,430 | 2,290 |
| Minnesota | $48,400 | $43,860 to $57,480 | 1,150 |
| Mississippi | $43,040 | $36,230 to $45,780 | 470 |
| Missouri | not published | not published | 840 |
| Montana | $42,000 | $36,400 to $48,630 | 60 |
| Nebraska | $44,060 | $37,290 to $49,190 | 440 |
| Nevada | $40,560 | $38,380 to $46,620 | 740 |
| New Hampshire | $48,540 | $45,970 to $55,550 | 390 |
| New Jersey | $46,270 | $42,660 to $57,520 | 2,640 |
| New Mexico | $41,020 | $38,470 to $52,920 | 310 |
| New York | $48,320 | $41,960 to $57,230 | 3,530 |
| North Carolina | $46,060 | $39,340 to $54,900 | 2,990 |
| Ohio | $46,120 | $38,790 to $52,910 | 3,810 |
| Oklahoma | $45,850 | $45,800 to $45,850 | 2,210 |
| Oregon | $50,260 | $43,260 to $59,190 | 790 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,840 | $40,690 to $51,410 | 2,570 |
| Rhode Island | $49,410 | $46,640 to $52,590 | 170 |
| South Carolina | $41,740 | $36,010 to $46,630 | 740 |
| South Dakota | $48,010 | $44,340 to $50,780 | 330 |
| Tennessee | $39,160 | $34,150 to $46,320 | 2,260 |
| Texas | $44,280 | $37,440 to $52,000 | 5,180 |
| Utah | $40,260 | $30,520 to $45,980 | 880 |
| Vermont | $49,950 | $46,900 to $56,620 | not published |
| Virginia | $42,580 | $36,970 to $49,080 | 1,690 |
| Washington | $47,990 | $45,070 to $63,450 | 4,300 |
| West Virginia | $45,320 | $34,400 to $57,560 | 100 |
| Wisconsin | $47,750 | $37,750 to $62,030 | 1,540 |
Nationally: $46,170. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 15 of its 19 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI alone | Receive and respond to customer complaints. | 0.02% |
| AI + software | Obtain customers' names, addresses, and billing information, product numbers, and specifications of items to be purchased, and enter this information on order forms. | Not published |
| Not much | Review orders for completeness according to reporting procedures and forward incomplete orders for further processing. | Not published |
| Not much | Verify customer and order information for correctness, checking it against previously obtained information as necessary. | Not published |
| AI alone | Recommend merchandise or services that will meet customers' needs. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Inspect outgoing work for compliance with customers' specifications. | Not published |
See all 19 tasks
| AI + software | Inform customers by mail or telephone of order information, such as unit prices, shipping dates, and any anticipated delays. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Check inventory records to determine availability of requested merchandise. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | File copies of orders received, or post orders on records. | Not published |
| AI + software | Compute total charges for merchandise or services and shipping charges. | Not published |
| AI alone | Prepare invoices, shipping documents, and contracts. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Notify departments when supplies of specific items are low, or when orders would deplete available supplies. | Not published |
| AI + software | Confer with production, sales, shipping, warehouse, or common carrier personnel to expedite or trace shipments. | Not published |
| AI alone | Direct specified departments or units to prepare and ship orders to designated locations. | Not published |
| AI + software | Adjust inventory records to reflect product movement. | Not published |
| AI alone | Recommend type of packing or labeling needed on order. | Not published |
| AI alone | Attempt to sell additional merchandise or services to prospective or current customers by telephone or through visits. | Not published |
| AI + software | Calculate and compile order-related statistics, and prepare reports for management. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Collect payment for merchandise, record transactions, and send items, such as checks or money orders for further processing. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 6 of the 19 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 19 tasks fall under 20 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #3 Respond to customer problems or inquiries
- #7 Explain technical details of products or services
- #11 Provide information to guests, clients, or customers
- and 4 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Respond to customer problems or inquiries | |||
| Explain technical details of products or services | |||
| Provide information to guests, clients, or customers | |||
| Perform administrative or clerical activities | |||
| Compile records, documentation, or other data | |||
| Determine values or prices of goods or services | |||
| Calculate financial data |
Show all 20 activities
| Evaluate the quality or accuracy of data | |||
| Promote products, services, or programs | |||
| Advise others on business or operational matters | |||
| Prepare documentation for contracts, applications, or permits | |||
| Inspect characteristics or conditions of materials or products | |||
| Collect data about consumer needs or opinions | |||
| Inspect completed work or finished products | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures | |||
| Monitor resources or inventories | |||
| Process shipments or mail | |||
| Collect fares or payments |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Advice or a recommendation32%
- An email or message23%
- An explanation or answer17%
- A document or report4%
- An analysis or summary3%
How they worked with Claude
37% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for order clerks specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 17,484 moves out
- 1 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 7%
- 2 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 5%
- 3 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 4 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 3%
- 5 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Very high -0.9% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 17,790 moves in
- 1 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 8%
- 2 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 6%
- 3 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 5%
- 4 Cashiers High -6.5% 4%
- 5 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 63% high school
- 24% postsecondary certificate
- 1% some college
- 12% bachelor's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 16 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 12% less than high school
- 34% high school
- 23% some college
- 8% associate's
- 18% bachelor's
- 5% master's
- 1% professional degree
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 716 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
3 programs: Receptionist, General Office Occupations and Clerical Services and Customer Service Support/Call Center/Teleservice Operation.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
1.4% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a certification | <0.5% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
| a license | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/43-4151.00