Occupations · Office and Administrative Support
Procurement Clerks
Compile information and records to draw up purchase orders for procurement of materials and services.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 43-3061.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 61% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $54,490 | 3,720 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $52,600 | 3,010 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $46,520 | 1,610 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $49,230 | 1,230 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $48,320 | 1,190 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $46,270 | 1,020 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $45,950 | 970 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $50,400 | 930 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $58,670 | 860 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $46,710 | 830 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | $46,410 | 810 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $44,890 | 770 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- 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.
- Check shipments when they arrive to ensure that orders have been filled correctly and that goods meet specifications.
- Prepare, maintain, and review purchasing files, reports and price lists.
- Contact suppliers to schedule or expedite deliveries and to resolve shortages, missed or late deliveries, and other problems.
- Review requisition orders to verify accuracy, terminology, and specifications.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2022-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2022-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 2 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
Now listed 7
No longer listed 2
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| costume buyer | 3323.1 | close |
| purchaser | 3323.2 | close |
| purchase planner | 3323.2.3 | broader |
| ICT buyer | 3323.2.2 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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