Procurement Clerks: Career Overview
Compile information and records to draw up purchase orders for procurement of materials and services.
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What Do Procurement Clerks Do?
The day-to-day responsibilities of procurement clerks cover:
- Track the status of requisitions, contracts, and orders.
- Perform buying duties when necessary.
- Prepare purchase orders and send copies to suppliers and to departments originating requests.
- Calculate costs of orders, and charge or forward invoices to appropriate accounts.
- Compare prices, specifications, and delivery dates to determine the best bid among potential suppliers.
- Approve and pay bills.
- Maintain knowledge of all organizational and governmental rules affecting purchases, and provide information about these rules to organization staff members and to vendors.
- Determine if inventory quantities are sufficient for needs, ordering more materials when necessary.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful procurement clerks draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Types of Procurement Clerks Jobs
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Buyer
- Departmental Buyer
- Expeditor
- Film Replacement Orderer
- Procurement Agent
- Procurement Analyst
- Procurement Assistant
- Procurement Clerk
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 252,510 procurement clerks working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +9.9% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Procurement Clerks Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $40,067 |
| Hourly median | $19.26 |
| 10th percentile | $23,539 |
| 25th percentile | $31,803 |
| 75th percentile | $48,331 |
| 90th percentile | $56,594 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Procurement Clerks Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $63,610 |
| Massachusetts | $57,950 |
| New Hampshire | $57,220 |
| Connecticut | $55,000 |
| Alaska | $54,800 |
| Maryland | $54,790 |
| California | $53,700 |
| Colorado | $53,650 |
| Minnesota | $53,270 |
| New Jersey | $53,130 |
| Virginia | $52,310 |
| Hawaii | $52,000 |
| New York | $51,910 |
| Rhode Island | $51,410 |
| Oklahoma | $50,900 |
| Washington | $50,010 |
| Oregon | $49,970 |
| Pennsylvania | $49,920 |
| Alabama | $49,920 |
| Wyoming | $49,730 |
| Maine | $49,140 |
| Idaho | $49,000 |
| Utah | $49,000 |
| New Mexico | $49,000 |
| North Dakota | $49,000 |
| Wisconsin | $48,060 |
| North Carolina | $47,850 |
| Nebraska | $47,510 |
| Iowa | $47,490 |
| Louisiana | $47,480 |
| Georgia | $47,380 |
| Kentucky | $47,220 |
| Texas | $46,840 |
| Arizona | $46,820 |
| Indiana | $46,610 |
| South Carolina | $46,600 |
| Vermont | $46,570 |
| Michigan | $46,470 |
| Illinois | $46,320 |
| Missouri | $46,300 |
| Ohio | $46,180 |
| Kansas | $46,020 |
| Montana | $45,970 |
| Mississippi | $45,470 |
| Florida | $45,300 |
| Arkansas | $45,100 |
| Delaware | $44,710 |
| South Dakota | $44,510 |
| West Virginia | $43,590 |
| Nevada | $42,470 |
| Tennessee | $37,580 |
| Guam | $34,520 |
| Puerto Rico | $23,450 |
Where Procurement Clerks Earn the Most
Compensation for procurement clerks differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| New England | $53,461 | 2.5% | 0.85 |
| Middle Atlantic | $52,190 | 16.9% | 1.22 |
| Far Western US | $52,049 | 18.4% | 1.13 |
| Rocky Mountains | $50,607 | 3.6% | 0.93 |
| Plains States | $47,933 | 6.2% | 1.22 |
| Southwest | $47,444 | 10.9% | 0.89 |
| Great Lakes | $46,615 | 12.8% | 0.92 |
| Southeast | $44,605 | 27.5% | 1.55 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salinas, CA | CA | $63,440 | 70 |
| Huntsville, AL | AL | $62,840 | 40 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | CA | $62,290 | 80 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | WA | $62,210 | 140 |
| York-Hanover, PA | PA | $62,070 | 200 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $59,550 | 570 |
| Vineland, NJ | NJ | $58,690 | 50 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $58,670 | 860 |
Top Industries Employing Procurement Clerks
Most procurement clerks are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 8,640 | $48,870 |
| Wholesale Trade | 8,610 | $45,330 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 4,760 | $44,610 |
| Retail Trade | 4,380 | $43,570 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3,180 | $49,910 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 2,960 | $51,580 |
| Construction | 2,770 | $46,020 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 2,370 | $48,710 |
Procurement Clerks work in the following industries:
Software Procurement Clerks Use
- Accounting software: Intuit QuickBooks (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Document management software: Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Oracle Database (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Oracle PeopleSoft (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
Work Environment
Daily working conditions for procurement clerks reflects the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Contact With Others
- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
Getting Started in This Career
Typical procurement clerks positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Purchasing Managers (Supplemental)
- Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (Supplemental)
- Supply Chain Managers (Supplemental)
- Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products (Primary-Short)
- Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products (Primary-Short)
- Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products (Supplemental)
- Logisticians (Supplemental)
- Logistics Analysts (Supplemental)
Degree Programs
Students preparing for procurement clerks commonly pursue programs in:
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
1 programs across 1 majors
References
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 43-3061.00 (Procurement Clerks).
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