Stockers and Order Fillers
Also called: Order Filler, Stock Clerk, Stocker, Warehouse WorkerReceive, store, and issue merchandise, materials, equipment, and other items from stockroom, warehouse, or storage yard to fill shelves, racks, tables, or customers' orders. May operate power equipment to fill orders. May mark prices on merchandise and set up sales displays.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 8 of its 30 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 8.9% by 2035. 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, 7.9% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 9.1 hires for every 10 job openings in retail trade, which employs about 65% 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.9.1 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 | $34,290 | $30,050 to $38,480 | 46,580 |
| Alaska | $40,310 | $37,060 to $47,660 | 6,770 |
| Arizona | $37,500 | $35,090 to $45,640 | 57,510 |
| Arkansas | $34,700 | $30,020 to $37,980 | 28,350 |
| California | $42,870 | $37,630 to $45,820 | 310,870 |
| Colorado | $42,350 | $38,590 to $46,620 | 55,520 |
| Connecticut | $40,590 | $36,410 to $43,840 | 35,490 |
| Delaware | $37,420 | $34,340 to $45,210 | 7,080 |
| District of Columbia | $39,640 | $38,910 to $46,000 | 3,150 |
| Florida | $36,400 | $31,830 to $43,730 | 171,380 |
| Georgia | $35,620 | $31,360 to $42,470 | 86,660 |
| Guam | $22,910 | $21,560 to $27,100 | 1,200 |
| Hawaii | $39,300 | $36,860 to $45,260 | 8,830 |
| Idaho | $37,310 | $33,760 to $40,710 | 12,450 |
| Illinois | $37,680 | $35,400 to $44,530 | 109,240 |
| Indiana | $36,250 | $31,630 to $39,430 | 66,420 |
| Iowa | $36,640 | $31,780 to $44,060 | 26,770 |
| Kansas | $35,450 | $30,550 to $38,390 | 26,750 |
| Kentucky | $36,810 | $31,480 to $43,610 | 47,730 |
| Louisiana | $34,490 | $30,100 to $37,210 | 31,710 |
| Maine | $37,220 | $35,210 to $44,410 | 11,950 |
| Maryland | $37,690 | $35,510 to $44,920 | 34,980 |
| Massachusetts | $37,540 | $35,750 to $44,330 | 49,760 |
| Michigan | $35,930 | $31,750 to $42,250 | 82,730 |
| Minnesota | $37,120 | $35,150 to $44,380 | 40,270 |
| Mississippi | $34,270 | $30,140 to $37,810 | 23,420 |
| Missouri | $36,710 | $31,570 to $44,600 | 67,390 |
| Montana | $39,050 | $36,250 to $45,380 | 8,900 |
| Nebraska | $35,920 | $31,490 to $39,780 | 17,980 |
| Nevada | $37,380 | $35,410 to $44,850 | 31,270 |
| New Hampshire | $36,780 | $34,870 to $43,230 | 14,400 |
| New Jersey | $37,250 | $34,880 to $44,720 | 64,070 |
| New Mexico | $35,830 | $32,740 to $40,890 | 16,540 |
| New York | $39,030 | $35,760 to $46,080 | 146,140 |
| North Carolina | $35,950 | $31,010 to $39,780 | 87,510 |
| North Dakota | $36,790 | $35,470 to $43,890 | 5,240 |
| Ohio | $37,130 | $32,130 to $44,000 | 129,760 |
| Oklahoma | $34,790 | $30,130 to $36,540 | 32,910 |
| Oregon | $43,480 | $37,500 to $46,640 | 42,690 |
| Pennsylvania | $36,640 | $31,530 to $44,680 | 119,840 |
| Puerto Rico | $25,030 | $21,920 to $28,560 | 19,230 |
| Rhode Island | $36,470 | $34,720 to $43,580 | 6,660 |
| South Carolina | $36,020 | $31,340 to $38,640 | 41,800 |
| South Dakota | $37,650 | $31,830 to $39,540 | 11,460 |
| Tennessee | $36,140 | $31,530 to $40,290 | 60,130 |
| Texas | $36,840 | $33,220 to $45,080 | 322,710 |
| Utah | $37,690 | $34,430 to $42,070 | 26,730 |
| Vermont | $37,130 | $35,580 to $44,870 | 5,360 |
| Virgin Islands | $28,130 | $25,090 to $29,490 | 410 |
| Virginia | $36,380 | $31,500 to $42,360 | 69,660 |
| Washington | $44,620 | $38,980 to $48,290 | 57,370 |
| West Virginia | $34,510 | $30,020 to $36,990 | 12,520 |
| Wisconsin | $35,000 | $31,120 to $41,350 | 47,580 |
| Wyoming | $39,580 | $37,570 to $47,120 | 4,800 |
Nationally: $37,330. 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 8 of its 30 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Receive, unload, open, unpack, or issue sales floor merchandise. | Not published |
| Not much | Pack and unpack items to be stocked on shelves in stockrooms, warehouses, or storage yards. | Not published |
| Not much | Stock shelves, racks, cases, bins, and tables with new or transferred merchandise. | Not published |
| Not much | Store items in an orderly and accessible manner in warehouses, tool rooms, supply rooms, or other areas. | Not published |
| Not much | Obtain merchandise from bins or shelves. | Not published |
| Not much | Take inventory or examine merchandise to identify items to be reordered or replenished. | Not published |
See all 30 tasks
| AI alone | Answer customers' questions about merchandise and advise customers on merchandise selection. | 0.05% |
| Not much | Examine and inspect stock items for wear or defects, reporting any damage to supervisors. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean and maintain supplies, tools, equipment, and storage areas to ensure compliance with safety regulations. | Not published |
| AI + software | Recommend disposal of excess, defective, or obsolete stock. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Dispose of damaged or defective items, or return them to vendors. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean display cases, shelves, and aisles. | Not published |
| Not much | Receive and count stock items, and record data manually or on computer. | Not published |
| Not much | Provide assistance or direction to other stockroom, warehouse, or storage yard workers. | Not published |
| Not much | Determine proper storage methods, identification, and stock location, based on turnover, environmental factors, and physical capabilities of facilities. | Not published |
| Not much | Mark stock items, using identification tags, stamps, electric marking tools, or other labeling equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Requisition merchandise from supplier, based on available space, merchandise on hand, customer demand, or advertised specials. | Not published |
| Not much | Issue or distribute materials, products, parts, and supplies to customers or coworkers, based on information from incoming requisitions. | Not published |
| AI + software | Read orders to ascertain catalog numbers, sizes, colors, and quantities of merchandise. | Not published |
| Not much | Compare merchandise invoices to items actually received to ensure that shipments are correct. | Not published |
| AI + software | Keep records on the use or damage of stock or stock-handling equipment. | Not published |
| AI + software | Compute prices of items or groups of items. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Design and set up advertising signs and displays of merchandise on shelves, counters, or tables to attract customers and promote sales. | Not published |
| Not much | Stamp, attach, or change price tags on merchandise, referring to price list. | Not published |
| Not much | Pack customer purchases in bags or cartons. | Not published |
| Not much | Itemize and total customer merchandise selection at checkout counter, using cash register, and accept cash or charge card for purchases. | Not published |
| Not much | Operate equipment such as forklifts. | Not published |
| AI + software | Keep records of out-going orders. | Not published |
| AI alone | Complete order receipts. | Not published |
| Not much | Transport packages to customers' vehicles. | 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. 3 of the 30 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 30 tasks fall under 22 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.
- #7 Explain technical details of products or services
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- #36 Purchase goods or services
- and 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock supplies or products | |||
| Process shipments or mail | |||
| Determine values or prices of goods or services | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Mark materials or objects for identification | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Package objects | |||
| Load products, materials, or equipment for transportation or further processing |
Show all 22 activities
| Explain technical details of products or services | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Purchase goods or services | |||
| Advise others on business or operational matters | |||
| Prepare documentation for contracts, applications, or permits | |||
| Arrange displays or decorations | |||
| Inspect characteristics or conditions of materials or products | |||
| Inspect completed work or finished products | |||
| Dispose of waste or debris | |||
| Monitor resources or inventories | |||
| Distribute materials, supplies, or resources | |||
| Move materials, equipment, or supplies | |||
| Collect fares or payments | |||
| Operate lifting or moving equipment |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An explanation or answer55%
- Advice or a recommendation17%
- Math or a calculation7%
- An analysis or summary7%
- Data or a spreadsheet3%
How they worked with Claude
12% 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 stockers and order fillers 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 231,941 moves out
- 1 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 5%
- 2 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 4%
- 3 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers High -3.7% 4%
- 4 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 4%
- 5 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
Where people moved in from
of 181,365 moves in
- 1 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 6%
- 2 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 6%
- 3 Cashiers High -6.5% 5%
- 4 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 5%
- 5 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers High -3.7% 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 14% less than high school
- 44% high school
- 23% some college
- 7% associate's
- 9% bachelor's
- 2% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 17,497 people surveyed.
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
25.6% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a certification | 1.0% | 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
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 1 registered apprenticeship in this occupation (Warehouse Technician (NOF)). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Stockers and Order Fillers” there.
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
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