Occupation Profile for Order Fillers, Wholesale and Retail Sales
Fill customers' mail and telephone orders from stored merchandise in accordance with specifications on sales slips or order forms. Duties include computing prices of items, completing order receipts, keeping records of out-going orders, and requisitioning additional materials, supplies, and equipment.
Signficant Points
- Stock clerks and order fillers generally are entry-level workers who learn through short-term on-the-job training.
- Despite the projected decline in employment due to the use of automation in factories, warehouses, and stores, numerous job openings are expected due to replacement needs.
- Because of automation, applicants who are familiar with computers and other electronic office and business equipment will have the best job prospects.
Earnings
In May 2006, median annual wage-and-salary earnings of stock clerks and order fillers in were $20,440. The middle 50 percent earned between $16,670 and $26,440. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $14,490, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $34,200.
These workers usually receive the same benefits as most other workers. If uniforms are required, employers generally provide them or offer an allowance to purchase them.
Job Outlook
Employment of stock clerks and order fillers is projected to decline as a result of automation in factories, warehouses, and stores. However, numerous job openings will occur each year due to the need to replace workers who leave the occupation, which is a characteristic of very large occupations with limited training requirements. Because of automation, applicants who are familiar with computers and other electronic office and business equipment will have the best job prospects.
Employment change. Employment of stock clerks and order fillers is expected to decline moderately by 8 percent over the 2006 to 2016 period. The growing use of computers for inventory control and the installation of new, automated equipment are expected to inhibit growth in demand for stock clerks and order fillers, especially in manufacturing and wholesale trade industries, where operations are most easily automated. In addition to using computerized inventory control systems to sort goods more efficiently, firms in these industries are relying more on sophisticated conveyor belts and automatic high stackers to store and retrieve goods. Also, expanded use of battery-powered, driverless, automatically guided vehicles can be expected.
The increasing role of large retail outlets and warehouses, as well as catalog, mail, telephone, and Internet shopping services, however, should bolster employment of stock clerks and order fillers in these sectors of retail trade.
Job prospects. Despite declining employment, numerous job openings will occur each year due to replacement needs. Because of automation, applicants who are familiar with computers and other electronic office and business equipment will have the best job prospects. Since much of the work of stock clerks and order fillers who work in grocery, general merchandise, apparel, accessory, and department stores is done manually and is difficult to automate, workers in these industries should be less affected by automation than workers in manufacturing.
Employment
Stock clerks and order fillers held about 1.7 million jobs in 2006. About 78 percent work in wholesale and retail trade. The greatest numbers are found in department stores, followed by grocery stores. Jobs for stock clerks are found in all parts of the country, but most work in large urban areas that have many large suburban shopping centers, warehouses, and factories.