Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

43-4151 Order Clerks

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. Excludes "Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance" (43-5032) who both dispatch and take orders for services.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
215,390 1.3 % $14.76 $30,690 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $8.81 $10.71 $13.91 $17.86 $22.30
Annual Wage (2) $18,320 $22,280 $28,940 $37,150 $46,380


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses 29,800 11.61 $12.75 $26,530
Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers 12,770 1.53 $15.72 $32,700
Department Stores 9,540 0.62 $10.69 $22,240
Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 8,900 1.45 $15.94 $33,150
Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 8,430 1.37 $16.66 $34,650

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses 29,800 11.61 $12.75 $26,530
Furniture and Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers 2,250 2.45 $15.76 $32,780
Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 4,550 2.07 $17.48 $36,370
Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers 2,850 2.06 $14.98 $31,150
Cable and Other Subscription Programming 1,440 1.83 $16.01 $33,310

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing 150 0.18 $24.52 $51,010
Support Activities for Water Transportation 50 0.05 $21.08 $43,850
Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing 50 0.06 $20.72 $43,100
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 80 0.02 $20.34 $42,300
Scheduled Air Transportation (8) (8) $20.16 $41,940


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 31,190 2.22 1.32 $16.21 $33,720
Florida 18,130 2.54 1.51 $13.49 $28,050
Texas 12,920 1.25 0.75 $13.79 $28,680
Pennsylvania 12,610 2.27 1.35 $13.80 $28,710
Wisconsin 9,660 3.65 2.18 $14.45 $30,060




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Maine 3,500 6.07 3.62 $12.72 $26,460
Nebraska 3,910 4.32 2.57 $12.78 $26,580
Vermont 1,130 3.87 2.31 $13.79 $28,690
Wisconsin 9,660 3.65 2.18 $14.45 $30,060
Washington 7,410 2.72 1.62 $16.74 $34,830




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Connecticut 2,350 1.46 0.87 $17.64 $36,690
Alaska 230 0.72 0.43 $17.19 $35,750
Washington 7,410 2.72 1.62 $16.74 $34,830
Massachusetts 4,550 1.44 0.86 $16.58 $34,490
District of Columbia 250 0.39 0.24 $16.56 $34,440





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 10,820 2.83 1.69 $15.30 $31,820
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 6,260 1.24 0.74 $16.88 $35,120
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 5,270 1.47 0.88 $15.93 $33,140
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 4,440 3.24 1.93 $17.90 $37,240
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 3,910 2.82 1.68 $17.32 $36,030
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 3,890 2.15 1.28 $14.74 $30,650
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 3,850 1.88 1.12 $14.01 $29,130
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 3,460 1.36 0.81 $14.61 $30,400
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 3,440 1.54 0.92 $14.86 $30,910
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 3,310 1.93 1.15 $17.13 $35,630




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Appleton, WI 1,090 9.52 5.67 $13.21 $27,470
Jefferson City, MO 520 7.27 4.33 $10.92 $22,710
Port St. Lucie, FL 750 6.38 3.80 $13.33 $27,730
Lynchburg, VA 490 5.09 3.03 $10.13 $21,070
Springfield, MO 840 4.66 2.77 $9.08 $18,880
Madison, WI 1,530 4.65 2.77 $15.13 $31,470
Oshkosh-Neenah, WI 400 4.49 2.67 $12.83 $26,680
Janesville, WI 250 4.24 2.52 $12.31 $25,610
Spokane, WA 790 4.04 2.41 $13.48 $28,040
Cedar Rapids, IA 550 4.02 2.39 $13.85 $28,810




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 1,440 1.64 0.98 $21.18 $44,050
Waterbury, CT 80 1.28 0.76 $20.03 $41,660
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 670 1.64 0.98 $19.43 $40,420
Napa, CA 150 2.47 1.47 $19.39 $40,330
Framingham, MA NECTA Division 290 1.83 1.09 $19.15 $39,830
Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA 240 2.10 1.25 $18.86 $39,230
Charleston, WV 210 1.46 0.87 $18.62 $38,740
Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, MA-NH NECTA Division 110 1.00 0.59 $18.59 $38,660
Boise City-Nampa, ID 570 2.22 1.32 $18.52 $38,520
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 1,500 1.57 0.93 $18.50 $38,470

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 970 7.07 4.21 $10.55 $21,940
Central Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 920 9.01 5.36 $10.79 $22,440
North Missouri nonmetropolitan area 870 9.90 5.90 $8.66 $18,020
West Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 620 3.63 2.16 $14.77 $30,730
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 570 2.58 1.54 $15.44 $32,120

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Missouri nonmetropolitan area 870 9.90 5.90 $8.66 $18,020
Central Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 920 9.01 5.36 $10.79 $22,440
South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 970 7.07 4.21 $10.55 $21,940
East Idaho nonmetropolitan area 300 6.25 3.72 $9.02 $18,750
Western Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 490 6.24 3.72 $10.13 $21,060

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northeastern Nebraska nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $18.87 $39,260
Central Washington nonmetropolitan area 80 1.22 0.73 $17.57 $36,550
Northwest Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 40 1.37 0.82 $17.14 $35,640
Northwestern Washington nonmetropolitan area 60 1.27 0.76 $16.87 $35,100
Southwestern New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 130 3.27 1.95 $16.30 $33,900


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012