Order Clerks
SOC 43-4151 · 2024-2034
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.
How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.
Shrinking -17.9%
California projects this job will shrink over the next ten years. Fewer openings may mean a harder search.
What California expects of this job
- Typical pay in California
- $48,409per year
- Projected openings
- 11,760
- Projected change
- -17.9%
- Usually needs
- Some college, no degree
Skills this work uses most
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, rates how important each of these is to this work, and they are listed in that order, most important first. The ratings themselves are not shown, because the data carries the number without the scale it was measured on. The names are as published, in English.
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Service Orientation
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Monitoring
Pay by region
| Region | Typical pay in California | Projected openings |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA (San Benito and Santa Clara Counties) | $61,231 | 590 |
| Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) | $58,054 | 730 |
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD (San Francisco and San Mateo Counties) | $50,941 | 640 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA (El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties) | $50,372 | 530 |
| El Centro MSA (Imperial County) | $50,066 | 20 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma MSA (Sonoma County) | $50,035 | 140 |
| Napa MSA (Napa County) | $49,545 | 30 |
| Bakersfield-Delano MSA (Kern County) | $48,983 | 180 |
| Chico MSA (Butte County) | $48,962 | 50 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region (Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Plumas, Sierra, Siskiyou, Tehama, and Trinity Counties) | $48,799 | 40 |
| Redding MSA (Shasta County) | $48,748 | 20 |
| Visalia MSA (Tulare County) | $48,635 | 80 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA (San Diego County) | $48,268 | 990 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA (Santa Barbara County) | $48,155 | 140 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA (Ventura County) | $47,910 | 210 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) | $46,957 | 1,420 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles MSA (San Luis Obispo County) | $46,899 | 60 |
| Vallejo MSA (Solano County) | $46,899 | 90 |
| Stockton-Lodi MSA (San Joaquin County) | $46,766 | 170 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville MSA (Santa Cruz County) | $46,654 | 60 |
| North Coast Region (Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, and Mendocino Counties) | $46,102 | 40 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $45,661 | 4,020 |
| Merced MSA (Merced County) | $45,581 | 30 |
| Modesto MSA (Stanislaus County) | $45,581 | 150 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | $45,346 | 1,400 |
| Fresno MSA (Fresno and Madera Counties) | $44,641 | 290 |
| San Rafael MD (Marin County) | Not reported | 70 |
What the pay actually ranges across
- The lowest-paid tenth earn under
- $38,050
- A quarter earn under
- $41,673
- Half earn under
- $48,409
- Three quarters earn under
- $58,359
- The highest-paid tenth earn over
- $68,155
A median is one point. These are the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for California, and they say how far apart the people doing this job actually are. Read them as the spread across everyone already in the work — not as a starting wage and not as a promise about where anyone lands.
Similar work
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, names these as occupations involving work similar to this one — its own reading of the job, not a grouping by code. They keep O*NET's order, and only those California publishes a projection for are shown.
| Occupation | Typical pay in California | Projected openings | Projected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks | $47,621 | 75,500 | -5.2% |
| Postal Service Clerks | $65,156 | 5,010 | -6.3% |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $81,587 | 164,660 | +4.7% |
| Customer Service Representatives | $50,733 | 219,040 | -5.6% |
| Procurement Clerks | $57,489 | 5,540 | -6.9% |
| Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks | $64,491 | 51,650 | 0% |