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Career

Procurement Clerks

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipLower pressure

What they do

Compile information and records to draw up purchase orders for procurement of materials and services.

Kinds of work

  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $50,580 Median per year · $24.32/hr Most earn $38,040–$68,620

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Perform buying duties when necessary.
  • Maintain knowledge of all organizational and governmental rules affecting purchases, and provide information about these rules to organization staff members and to vendors.
  • Train and supervise subordinates and other staff.
  • Monitor contractor performance, recommending contract modifications when necessary.
  • Prepare purchase orders and send copies to suppliers and to departments originating requests.
  • Prepare purchase orders and send copies to suppliers and to departments originating requests.

Job outlook

United States
8% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 3,700 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Federal government, excluding postal service15.7%
  • General medical and surgical hospitals5.0%
  • Management of companies and enterprises5.0%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals4.6%
  • Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods3.7%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Procurement Clerk is usually a job you can reach without a four-year degree. Most people start with a high school diploma, work 1 to 2 years in an entry-level office or order role, and then move into procurement work.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Build basic math, writing, and computer skills, which you will use every day to read records, check numbers, and write purchase orders.

  2. Order Clerk

    1-2 years

    You learn to process orders, check quantities and prices, and keep accurate records, which is the core of preparing purchase orders.

  3. Procurement Clerk

    Ongoing career

    You compile information and records to draw up purchase orders for materials and services, usually with help from a certificate or on-the-job training.

Where it can lead

  1. Buyer

    2-4 years of experience first

    Buyers choose suppliers, negotiate terms, and decide what to buy, which goes beyond paperwork. Moving up usually means building strong vendor knowledge and taking on more responsibility for spending decisions.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take math and business or computer classesStrong math and spreadsheet skills are used daily when you check quantities, costs, and totals on purchase orders.
  • Join a DECA or Future Business Leaders of America chapterIf your school has one of these clubs, you'll practice business basics like organizing records and presenting information clearly.
  • Get a starter job in a store or warehouseWorking with inventory, orders, or stock shows you how materials move from supplier to customer.
  • Practice typing and learn spreadsheet basicsFast, accurate typing and comfort with spreadsheets will help you in any clerk role.
  • Volunteer to keep records for a club or groupTracking budgets, receipts, or supplies for a club gives you real experience with careful record-keeping.

In college

  • Take accounting, business, or office administration coursesThese classes teach how purchasing, budgets, and business records fit together, which is what procurement work depends on.
  • Earn a spreadsheet or office software certificateCertifications in tools like Excel show employers you can handle the data work that clerks do every day.
  • Apply for a campus job in a bookstore, supply office, or department officeOrdering supplies, tracking stock, or processing requests gives you hands-on experience with purchase-style tasks.
  • Pursue a summer or part-time internship in purchasing, supply chain, or office administrationAn internship lets you see how purchase orders are created and approved, and it builds experience that counts toward entry-level roles.
  • Join a business or supply chain student clubClubs help you build professional skills, meet people in the field, and learn about career options.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask whether your school or local community college offers a business, office administration, or purchasing certificate. Since this job's typical training is a certificate or apprenticeship, one can help you stand out.
  • Get comfortable with spreadsheets. Being able to sort, total, and check data is a skill employers look for in clerk roles.
  • Look for part-time or summer jobs in stores, warehouses, or offices where you handle orders, inventory, or paperwork. That experience counts toward the 1 to 2 years most employers expect.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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