Procurement Clerks earn a median of $50,580 per year ($24.32/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to fall 8.1% through 2035, with about 3,700 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 43-3061
- Office and Administrative Support
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Procurement Clerk in four numbers
- Median pay
- $50,580a year, or $24.32/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $38KTop 10% $69K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -8.1%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−8.1%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −8.1% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 3,70056,900 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202556.9K
- Projected 203552.3K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 56.9K Projected 2035 52.3K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school48.2%
- Some college16.8%
- Associate's2.3%
- Bachelor's32.7%
Highest education held by procurement clerks Segment Value High school 48.2% Some college 16.8% Associate's 2.3% Bachelor's 32.7%
Also advertised as: Buyer, Procurement Assistant, Procurement Officer, Procurement Specialist, Purchasing Assistant, Purchasing Associate.
Pay
How much do Procurement Clerks make?
Every procurement clerk in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$50,580
Middle half earn $43,420 to $60,080
- 10th
- $38,040
- 25th
- $43,420
- 75th
- $60,080
- 90th
- $68,620
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $38,040 |
| 25th | $43,420 |
| Median | $50,580 |
| 75th | $60,080 |
| 90th | $68,620 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $50,580
- Median hourly wage
- $24.32/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $52,370
- People employed
- 55,810
Versus all US occupations
At $50,580, the median for Procurement Clerks sits in line with the $50,980 median across all US occupations.
Versus office and administrative support occupations
Inside the Office and Administrative Support group, where the middle occupation pays $49,230, this is 3% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $68,620 or more while the bottom 10% earn $38,040, a gap of 1.8×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 23% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
District of Columbia posts the highest raw median ($62,880), but once local prices are taken into account Alabama leads at $59,602 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Procurement Clerks the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $62,880 | $57,215 | 220 |
| 2Massachusetts | $60,110 | $56,838 | 520 |
| 3New Hampshire | $58,830 | $56,478 | 190 |
| 4Minnesota | $58,100 | $58,912 | 790 |
| 5New Jersey | $57,460 | $52,810 | 2,370 |
| 6California | $56,160 | $50,723 | 7,080 |
| 7Colorado | $55,210 | $53,575 | 830 |
| 8Utah | $54,950 | $55,581 | 540 |
| 9Virginia | $54,660 | $54,063 | 930 |
| 10Alaska | $54,100 | $52,853 | 230 |
Job outlook
Is Procurement Clerk a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -8.1% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Procurement Clerks | −8.1% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Procurement Clerks to change -8.1% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 4,600 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 3,700 openings are projected each year, 6.5% of the 56,900 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of financial clerks is projected to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035, decline.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
The availability of online tools, which allow financial customers to perform many tasks themselves, is expected to reduce demand for occupations such as new accounts clerks; procurement clerks; and credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks. Similarly, productivity-enhancing technology is expected to limit demand for other clerks, such as payroll and timekeeping clerks, loan interviewers and clerks, brokerage clerks, and insurance claims and policy processing clerks.
Getting in
How to become a Procurement Clerk
A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required for most financial clerk jobs. These workers typically learn their duties through on-the-job training.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as procurement clerks.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)48.2%
- Bachelor's Degree32.7%
- Some College Courses16.8%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree2.3%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 48.2% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 32.7% |
| Some College Courses | 16.8% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 2.3% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Procurement Clerk do?
Compile information and records to draw up purchase orders for procurement of materials and services.
Financial clerks do administrative work for many types of organizations. They keep records, help customers, and carry out transactions that involve money.
Day-to-day tasks
- Track the status of requisitions, contracts, and orders.
- Perform buying duties when necessary.
- Prepare, maintain, and review purchasing files, reports and price lists.
- Determine if inventory quantities are sufficient for needs, ordering more materials when necessary.
- Prepare purchase orders and send copies to suppliers and to departments originating requests.
- Contact suppliers to schedule or expedite deliveries and to resolve shortages, missed or late deliveries, and other problems.
- Calculate costs of orders, and charge or forward invoices to appropriate accounts.
- Respond to customer and supplier inquiries about order status, changes, or cancellations.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most financial clerks work full time.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Active Listening3.9
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Writing3.6
- Monitoring3.6
- Active Learning3.3
- Mathematics3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 |
| Writing | 3.6 |
| Monitoring | 3.6 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 |
| Mathematics | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness3.6
- Complex Problem Solving3.5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.5
- Coordination3.1
- Service Orientation3.1
- Time Management3.0
- Persuasion2.9
- Negotiation2.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.6 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.5 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.5 |
| Coordination | 3.1 |
| Service Orientation | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
| Persuasion | 2.9 |
| Negotiation | 2.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Enterprise application integration software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Procurement Clerk?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Procurement Clerk |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 3 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 4 |
| Conventional | 7 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
- Conventional7.0
- Enterprising4.1
- Realistic3.2
- Investigative1.7
- Social1.6
- Artistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Procurement Clerk
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More office and administrative support careers
Median annual pay, with procurement clerks highlighted
- Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant$76,590
- Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant$55,570
- Public Safety Telecommunicator$53,040
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk$50,670
- Human Resources Assistant, Except Payroll and Timekeeping$50,610
- Procurement Clerk$50,580
- Secretary and Administrative Assistant, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive$47,540
- Teller$43,030
- Receptionist and Information Clerk$38,010
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant | $76,590 |
| Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant | $55,570 |
| Public Safety Telecommunicator | $53,040 |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk | $50,670 |
| Human Resources Assistant, Except Payroll and Timekeeping | $50,610 |
| Procurement Clerk | $50,580 |
| Secretary and Administrative Assistant, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $47,540 |
| Teller | $43,030 |
| Receptionist and Information Clerk | $38,010 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Procurement Clerk appears on
Questions
Procurement Clerk: frequently asked questions
How much do Procurement Clerks make?
Procurement Clerks earn a median of $50,580 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), close to the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $24.32/hr. The middle half earn between $43,420 and $60,080. The top 10% earn $68,620 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Procurement Clerk?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Procurement Clerks. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 48.2% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Procurement Clerk a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 8.1% over 2025–2035, a loss of 4,600 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 3,700 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Procurement Clerk do?
Financial clerks do administrative work for many types of organizations. A core O*NET task: track the status of requisitions, contracts, and orders. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Data base user interface and query software, Document management software.
Which states pay Procurement Clerks the most?
The highest state medians for Procurement Clerks are District of Columbia ($62,880), Massachusetts ($60,110), New Hampshire ($58,830) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Alabama moves to the top at $59,602.
What personality type suits a Procurement Clerk?
O*NET scores Procurement Clerks highest on the Conventional, Enterprising and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESTJ, ISTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.