Purchasing Clerk Career Guide

Purchasing Clerk

M-09

M Other Estimating, projects and operations jobs · Start level · O*NET 43-3061.00

Texas median whole occupation, 2025: $47,660
work over 40 h a week: 34%
load index from O*NET data: 1.4/5
preparation O*NET: Job Zone 2

Pay

This level's pay

No published pay record names this level: no public record found in sources S1-S7 that names this rung. The occupation-wide figure below is for all experience levels.

Whole occupation: all Procurement Clerks, Texas
BLS OEWS May 2025
Series OEUS480000000000043306113 (median), Texas, May 2025, read 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Base pay (straight-time, excludes overtime).
Based on an estimated 3,740 jobs in Texas (series OEUS480000000000043306101).

Half of all Procurement Clerks in Texas earn more than $47,660; the bottom 10% earned less than $35,100 and the top 10% more than $64,400 (May 2025, base pay, about 3,740 jobs). U.S. median $50,580.

Outlook 2024 to 2034, all Procurement Clerks, not level-specific
BLS
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03

Texas: No Texas projection is published for this occupation.
United States: -8.6% jobs · about 4,600 openings a year (61,900 jobs in 2024)

Openings include people retiring or changing jobs, not only growth.

Hours
ONET 31.0
Duration of Typical Work Week (4.C.3.d.8), ONET Work Context, data 08/2022, n = 20 respondents, O*NET OnLine

About 1 in 3 work more than 40 hours a week (34%).

Schedule: regular 93% · irregular 7% · seasonal 0%

Striped: O*NET marks the estimate "Recommend suppress" (low precision).

Physical load 1.4 of 5, our index from ONET
Method
Engineer Tsai index (et_physical_v1): mean of a body index (1.56, 6 measures) and an exposure index (1.29, 7 measures), built from ONET Work Context means, 1 to 5: Spend Time Standing; Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles; Spend Time Walking or Running; Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling; Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance; Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body; Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions; Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures; Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions; Exposed to High Places; Exposed to Hazardous Conditions; Exposed to Hazardous Equipment; Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection.
O*NET OnLine

Body

Standing2.07
Walking or running2.03
Keeping balance1.39
Bending or twisting1.38
Kneeling or crawling1.36
Climbing ladders1.14

Exposure

Very hot or cold2.25
Cramped space1.4
Outdoors, all weather1.33
Hazardous conditions1.02
High places1.01
Hazardous equipment1.01
Protective gear1.01

Body 1.56 · exposure 1.29. O*NET Work Context means, 1 = never, 5 = continually or every day.

Getting in

License: No license for this job title at the 8 Texas and federal licensing agencies read on 2026-10-03 (TDLR, TSBPE, TCEQ, TCFP, TEA, TBPELS, NRC and EPA).
Degree: 33% hold a bachelor's or higher; most common: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years of related experience is the most common answer (28% of workers).
O*NET
O*NET Related Work Experience, Procurement Clerks, O*NET OnLine
Preparation: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Why this level: Start: O*NET Job Zone 2 (1-2 start, 3-4 skilled, 5 senior).

Moves to the side 6

M Production Planner O*NET lists Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.83.
M Purchasing Agent O*NET lists Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.90.
M Purchasing Manager O*NET lists Purchasing Managers as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.90.
M Logistician O*NET lists Logisticians as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.89.

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What the work is 6 core tasks

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

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.

Core tasks ranked by O*NET task Importance (IM, 1-5), top 6.

Top skills

Reading Comprehension
Speaking
Active Listening
Critical Thinking
Monitoring
Social Perceptiveness
Writing
Complex Problem Solving

Sources (3)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, Texas, series OEUS480000000000043306113, read 2026-10-03
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), 43-3061.00 Procurement Clerks, read 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Engineer Tsai has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 · O*NET license

Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Base pay; excludes overtime. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034 (United States) and Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections 2024-2034, read through Projections Central.

Purchasing Clerk