Procurement Clerks
Procurement Clerks (SOC 43-3061) earn a median $50,580 a year ($24.32 an hour) in the United States, with 55,810 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is District of Columbia.
What procurement clerks do
Procurement clerks compile information and records to draw up purchase orders for materials and services. They prepare orders and send copies to suppliers and to the departments that requested the items, then track the status of requisitions, contracts, and orders. To pick a supplier they compare prices, specifications, and delivery dates and determine the best bid. They calculate the cost of an order and charge or forward invoices to the right accounts, and some approve and pay bills. They also check whether inventory quantities are enough for current needs and order more materials when necessary. Clerks keep up with the organizational and governmental rules that affect purchases and pass that information on to staff and vendors. When necessary they perform buying duties themselves. Wholesale and retail buyers have their own code and make buying decisions as their main job, which sets them apart.
Typical entry: O*NET survey respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the education level for this occupation.
Also called: Buyer, Departmental Buyer, Expeditor, Film Replacement Orderer, Procurement Agent.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $18.29 | $20.88 | $24.32 | $28.89 | $32.99 | $25.18 | 55,810 |
| Annual | $38,040 | $43,420 | $50,580 | $60,080 | $68,620 | $52,370 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where procurement clerks earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $22.92 | $25.55 | $30.23 | $35.72 | $42.71 | $31.81 | 220 | 0.31 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $47,670 | $53,140 | $62,880 | $74,300 | $88,850 | $66,170 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $22.37 | $24.96 | $28.90 | $30.56 | $34.72 | $28.81 | 520 | 0.14 | 0.40 |
| Annual | $46,520 | $51,910 | $60,110 | $63,570 | $72,210 | $59,930 | ||||
| New Hampshire | Hourly | $20.59 | $24.62 | $28.28 | $32.04 | $37.48 | $28.34 | 190 | 0.27 | 0.76 |
| Annual | $42,820 | $51,210 | $58,830 | $66,640 | $77,950 | $58,960 | ||||
| Minnesota | Hourly | $20.41 | $22.90 | $27.93 | $30.21 | $32.99 | $27.13 | 790 | 0.27 | 0.75 |
| Annual | $42,450 | $47,620 | $58,100 | $62,830 | $68,620 | $56,430 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $19.08 | $23.44 | $27.62 | $30.56 | $34.93 | $27.30 | 2,370 | 0.55 | 1.54 |
| Annual | $39,690 | $48,750 | $57,460 | $63,560 | $72,660 | $56,780 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $19.28 | $22.54 | $27.00 | $31.29 | $36.11 | $27.43 | 7,080 | 0.39 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $40,100 | $46,890 | $56,160 | $65,070 | $75,110 | $57,060 | ||||
| Tennessee | Hourly | $17.67 | $18.60 | $18.61 | $22.99 | $27.78 | $20.80 | 3,900 | 1.19 | 3.32 |
| Annual | $36,750 | $38,690 | $38,710 | $47,810 | $57,790 | $43,270 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $16.88 | $19.27 | $22.91 | $27.22 | $30.96 | $23.46 | 3,740 | 0.27 | 0.74 |
| Annual | $35,100 | $40,080 | $47,660 | $56,620 | $64,400 | $48,790 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $18.26 | $20.68 | $23.42 | $26.42 | $30.12 | $24.02 | 2,890 | 0.29 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $37,990 | $43,010 | $48,710 | $54,950 | $62,650 | $49,960 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $19.53 | $22.43 | $26.00 | $30.34 | $35.59 | $26.88 | 2,680 | 0.28 | 0.77 |
| Annual | $40,630 | $46,660 | $54,080 | $63,100 | $74,030 | $55,910 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Chambersburg, PA | Hourly | $24.03 | $27.59 | $31.14 | $33.89 | $34.81 | $30.17 | 30 | 0.57 | 1.59 |
| Annual | $49,990 | $57,380 | $64,770 | $70,490 | $72,400 | $62,760 | ||||
| York-Hanover, PA | Hourly | $22.39 | $28.39 | $31.14 | $34.81 | $35.72 | $30.54 | 170 | 0.92 | 2.55 |
| Annual | $46,570 | $59,050 | $64,770 | $72,400 | $74,300 | $63,530 | ||||
| Salinas, CA | Hourly | $21.53 | $25.98 | $31.02 | $35.60 | $36.03 | $30.25 | 60 | 0.32 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $44,770 | $54,030 | $64,520 | $74,050 | $74,940 | $62,920 | ||||
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | Hourly | $23.76 | $26.99 | $30.59 | $33.29 | $35.09 | $30.03 | 130 | 1.42 | 3.96 |
| Annual | $49,420 | $56,140 | $63,630 | $69,240 | $72,990 | $62,450 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $21.53 | $25.04 | $29.96 | $36.13 | $43.96 | $31.41 | 310 | 0.27 | 0.76 |
| Annual | $44,780 | $52,080 | $62,310 | $75,150 | $91,430 | $65,330 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $20.40 | $23.41 | $27.91 | $31.56 | $35.85 | $28.08 | 3,110 | 0.33 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $42,440 | $48,690 | $58,050 | $65,640 | $74,570 | $58,410 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $19.00 | $22.26 | $26.21 | $31.07 | $36.11 | $27.03 | 2,810 | 0.45 | 1.25 |
| Annual | $39,530 | $46,300 | $54,510 | $64,630 | $75,110 | $56,220 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $18.41 | $19.73 | $23.71 | $27.71 | $31.23 | $24.30 | 1,410 | 0.31 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $38,300 | $41,040 | $49,320 | $57,630 | $64,960 | $50,550 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $19.99 | $22.58 | $25.34 | $29.47 | $32.70 | $26.13 | 1,000 | 0.35 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $41,570 | $46,960 | $52,700 | $61,290 | $68,020 | $54,350 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $18.00 | $20.53 | $23.25 | $30.23 | $32.22 | $24.76 | 970 | 0.24 | 0.67 |
| Annual | $37,430 | $42,710 | $48,360 | $62,880 | $67,020 | $51,490 | ||||
Top industries employing procurement clerks
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) employ 14.9% of procurement clerks nationally (8,340 jobs) at a median $56,240 a year ($27.04 an hour), followed by Management of Companies and Enterprises (5.4%) and General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (5.0%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999100 | 8,340 | 14.9% | $56,240 | $27.04 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises NAICS 551100 | 3,040 | 5.4% | $55,310 | $26.59 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals NAICS 622100 | 2,790 | 5.0% | $46,000 | $22.11 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 2,460 | 4.4% | $56,690 | $27.25 |
| Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers NAICS 424300 | 1,980 | 3.5% | $38,710 | $18.61 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (55,810). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $45,150 for procurement clerks in May 2021 and $50,580 in May 2025, with employment of 61,930 and 55,810.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $45,150 | $21.71 | 61,930 |
| May 2022 | $45,240 | $21.75 | 63,340 |
| May 2023 | $46,670 | $22.44 | 61,580 |
| May 2024 | $48,510 | $23.32 | 59,900 |
| May 2025 | $50,580 | $24.32 | 55,810 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia profile | $30.23 | $62,880 | $47,670 | $88,850 | 220 | 0.31 | 0.87 |
| 2 | Massachusetts profile | $28.90 | $60,110 | $46,520 | $72,210 | 520 | 0.14 | 0.40 |
| 3 | New Hampshire profile | $28.28 | $58,830 | $42,820 | $77,950 | 190 | 0.27 | 0.76 |
| 4 | Minnesota profile | $27.93 | $58,100 | $42,450 | $68,620 | 790 | 0.27 | 0.75 |
| 5 | New Jersey profile | $27.62 | $57,460 | $39,690 | $72,660 | 2,370 | 0.55 | 1.54 |
| 6 | California profile | $27.00 | $56,160 | $40,100 | $75,110 | 7,080 | 0.39 | 1.08 |
| 7 | Colorado profile | $26.54 | $55,210 | $39,270 | $71,100 | 830 | 0.29 | 0.80 |
| 8 | Utah profile | $26.42 | $54,950 | $36,360 | $73,510 | 540 | 0.31 | 0.86 |
| 9 | Virginia profile | $26.28 | $54,660 | $42,120 | $69,240 | 930 | 0.23 | 0.63 |
| 10 | Alaska profile | $26.01 | $54,100 | $43,260 | $71,390 | 230 | 0.69 | 1.93 |
| 11 | New York profile | $26.00 | $54,080 | $40,630 | $74,030 | 2,680 | 0.28 | 0.77 |
| 12 | Rhode Island profile | $25.95 | $53,980 | $41,280 | $75,080 | 210 | 0.42 | 1.17 |
| 13 | Maryland profile | $25.94 | $53,960 | $38,530 | $76,900 | 1,230 | 0.45 | 1.24 |
| 14 | Hawaii profile | $25.91 | $53,890 | $42,100 | $67,810 | 330 | 0.53 | 1.47 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania profile | $25.87 | $53,800 | $41,400 | $71,550 | 2,360 | 0.39 | 1.09 |
| 16 | Maine profile | $25.52 | $53,070 | $41,550 | $72,220 | 320 | 0.51 | 1.41 |
| 17 | Alabama profile | $25.45 | $52,940 | $38,790 | $65,600 | 260 | 0.12 | 0.34 |
| 18 | Washington profile | $25.44 | $52,910 | $43,760 | $69,240 | 1,750 | 0.49 | 1.38 |
| 19 | Oregon profile | $25.34 | $52,700 | $40,630 | $67,280 | 510 | 0.26 | 0.73 |
| 20 | North Dakota profile | $24.82 | $51,630 | $37,200 | $77,250 | 90 | 0.21 | 0.59 |
| 21 | Nevada profile | $24.77 | $51,530 | $35,080 | $72,890 | 580 | 0.37 | 1.04 |
| 22 | New Mexico profile | $24.56 | $51,080 | $38,210 | $71,480 | 460 | 0.53 | 1.48 |
| 23 | Georgia profile | $24.39 | $50,730 | $33,870 | $67,090 | 1,800 | 0.37 | 1.02 |
| 24 | Kentucky profile | $24.33 | $50,610 | $37,060 | $64,410 | 810 | 0.41 | 1.13 |
| 25 | Connecticut profile | $24.29 | $50,510 | $34,010 | $70,640 | 710 | 0.42 | 1.16 |
| 26 | North Carolina profile | $24.23 | $50,390 | $37,990 | $64,330 | 1,460 | 0.30 | 0.82 |
| 27 | Wyoming profile | $24.22 | $50,380 | $40,780 | $70,080 | 120 | 0.42 | 1.17 |
| 28 | Idaho profile | $24.19 | $50,310 | $38,200 | $65,000 | 470 | 0.55 | 1.53 |
| 29 | Michigan profile | $24.03 | $49,980 | $39,390 | $65,550 | 1,220 | 0.28 | 0.77 |
| 30 | Oklahoma profile | $24.01 | $49,940 | $37,620 | $64,940 | 830 | 0.49 | 1.36 |
| 31 | Ohio profile | $23.98 | $49,880 | $37,330 | $64,360 | 1,350 | 0.24 | 0.68 |
| 32 | South Carolina profile | $23.95 | $49,810 | $36,980 | $72,080 | 900 | 0.39 | 1.08 |
| 33 | Louisiana profile | $23.88 | $49,680 | $38,100 | $66,290 | 760 | 0.39 | 1.09 |
| 34 | Montana profile | $23.83 | $49,560 | $39,030 | $61,610 | 150 | 0.30 | 0.84 |
| 35 | Wisconsin profile | $23.76 | $49,410 | $40,090 | $64,440 | 1,050 | 0.36 | 0.99 |
| 36 | Indiana profile | $23.66 | $49,210 | $36,150 | $64,250 | 1,110 | 0.35 | 0.96 |
| 37 | Iowa profile | $23.50 | $48,870 | $38,370 | $62,540 | 680 | 0.44 | 1.21 |
| 38 | Missouri profile | $23.47 | $48,820 | $33,480 | $66,580 | 630 | 0.21 | 0.59 |
| 39 | Florida profile | $23.42 | $48,710 | $37,990 | $62,650 | 2,890 | 0.29 | 0.81 |
| 40 | West Virginia profile | $23.10 | $48,050 | $36,110 | $63,840 | 520 | 0.74 | 2.07 |
| 41 | Arizona profile | $23.06 | $47,970 | $37,250 | $64,940 | 1,300 | 0.40 | 1.12 |
| 42 | Vermont profile | $23.06 | $47,960 | $39,400 | $61,170 | 90 | 0.30 | 0.85 |
| 43 | Nebraska profile | $23.05 | $47,950 | $37,900 | $64,940 | 910 | 0.89 | 2.47 |
| 44 | Illinois profile | $22.97 | $47,770 | $37,490 | $64,500 | 1,950 | 0.32 | 0.89 |
| 45 | Arkansas profile | $22.96 | $47,760 | $37,040 | $70,110 | 400 | 0.30 | 0.85 |
| 46 | Kansas profile | $22.95 | $47,730 | $36,330 | $62,200 | 430 | 0.30 | 0.83 |
| 47 | Texas profile | $22.91 | $47,660 | $35,100 | $64,400 | 3,740 | 0.27 | 0.74 |
| 48 | Delaware profile | $22.82 | $47,470 | $39,060 | $64,210 | 140 | 0.28 | 0.78 |
| 49 | South Dakota profile | $22.45 | $46,690 | $34,870 | $59,800 | 170 | 0.36 | 1.01 |
| 50 | Mississippi profile | $22.25 | $46,270 | $31,510 | $64,530 | 860 | 0.74 | 2.07 |
| 51 | Tennessee profile | $18.61 | $38,710 | $36,750 | $57,790 | 3,900 | 1.19 | 3.32 |
Part of Office and Administrative Support Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 43-3061 Procurement Clerks.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 43-3061, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 43-3061.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.