How to hire an order entry representative

How to hire an order entry representative, step by step

Here's a step-by-step order entry representative hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an order entry representative job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new order entry representative
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an order entry representative do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The order entry representative hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect order entry representative also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of order entry representative salaries for various roles:

   Type of Order Entry Representative	Description	Hourly rate
   Order Entry Representative	Information clerks perform routine clerical duties such as maintaining records, collecting data, and providing information to customers.	$13-20
   Account Services Representative	An account services representative is responsible for responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns regarding their financial accounts and statements. Account services representatives also offer new products and services from the financial institution, handling customers' complaints, assist in developing marketing strategies and promotional offers, and identify business opportunities to generate more revenues and attract potential clients... Show more	$12-19
   Inbound Sale Representative	An inbound sales representative is in charge of securing sales by responding to calls and correspondence from clients, ensuring efficiency and customer satisfaction. They may arrange appointments, answer inquiries, offer products and services, and discuss product specifications... Show more	$12-36

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Order Entry
   • Data Entry
   • Customer Service
   • Order Processing
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Inbound Calls
   • Outbound Calls
   • Customer Complaints
   • Customer Inquiries
   • Computer System
   • Place Customer Orders
   • Allergies
   • Product Knowledge
   • Sales Orders

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage Facebook and patient communication programs.
   • Create and maintain records of sales and assets in Microsoft GP, CRM, Salesforce and the SolidWorks VRC.
   • Key numeric and alphabetic characters into the AS400 system.
   • Contribute extensive UAT for new regional ERP launch and enhancements.
   • Handle high call volume during the transition of an ERP system.
   • Resolve outstanding issues with sales and finance to expedite cohesive bookings.

   More order entry representative duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your order entry representative job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An order entry representative can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, order entry representatives' average salary in tennessee is 46% less than in rhode island.
   • Seniority. Entry-level order entry representatives 33% less than senior-level order entry representatives.
   • Certifications. An order entry representative with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an order entry representative's salary.

   Average order entry representative salary

   $16.56hourly

   $34,443 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level order entry representative salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average order entry representative salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$44,235	$21
   2	California	$39,672	$19
   3	Illinois	$38,532	$19
   4	Colorado	$37,362	$18
   5	Florida	$35,710	$17
   6	Wisconsin	$35,417	$17
   7	Ohio	$34,342	$17
   8	Arizona	$33,903	$16
   9	Minnesota	$33,608	$16
   10	Indiana	$33,482	$16
   11	Pennsylvania	$32,674	$16
   12	Arkansas	$32,576	$16
   13	Texas	$32,301	$16
   14	Michigan	$31,072	$15
   15	Maryland	$29,698	$14
   16	South Carolina	$27,393	$13

   Average order entry representative salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Simpson Manufacturing Co	$40,537	$19.49
   2	Lippert Components	$39,971	$19.22	1
   3	Twin City Fan Companies	$38,902	$18.70	1
   4	JTM Food Group	$37,918	$18.23
   5	vesco oil	$36,845	$17.71
   6	Oldcastle Infrastructure	$36,734	$17.66	33
   7	Associated Materials Group, Inc.	$36,351	$17.48	3
   8	Wisconsin Building Supply	$36,099	$17.36
   9	Praxair	$36,085	$17.35
   10	Baptist Health	$36,072	$17.34	3
   11	Wolters Kluwer	$35,884	$17.25	5
   12	AGCO	$35,814	$17.22	3
   13	US LBM	$35,622	$17.13
   14	Global Furniture Group	$35,179	$16.91
   15	Randstad North America, Inc.	$34,551	$16.61	35
   16	Ajilon Consulting	$34,461	$16.57
   17	Forum Extended Care Services	$34,374	$16.53
   18	Robert Half	$34,266	$16.47	271
   19	American Leather	$34,213	$16.45	1
   20	Kelly Services	$34,111	$16.40	33

4. Writing an order entry representative job description

   A job description for an order entry representative role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an order entry representative job description:

   Order entry representative job description example

   Toshiba International Corporation is a world leader in the design and manufacture of motors, motor controls and power electronics products. Many of these products are designed, built and tested in our 1,000,000 square foot state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Houston, TX. We have developed a totally integrated manufacturing process from research and development, design, engineering, production and manufacturing to after-market service and sales marketing. Toshiba differentiates itself from its competitors through its commitment to quality and reliability. We build products to perform in the most difficult conditions. From raw material to the finished product, we assure exacting quality, engineering excellence and stringent testing to meet domestic and international performance standards.
   
   The Order Entry Representative (OER) will be responsible for all aspects of the order-processing function. They will daily acknowledge customer purchase orders, enter new orders; reconcile open orders, release orders for shipment, provide orders acknowledge, etc. The OER will also provide ongoing communication to the customer as to the accurate status of the customer`s orders in a timely manner.
   Responsibilities:
   
   Answer inbound calls and emails, and make outbound calls as appropriate Process customer order by following order-processing procedure Communicate and coordinate with internal teams to ensure the timeliness of orders Performs inquiries such as: inventory availability and lead-time, freight charges, shipment tracking numbers, production cycles by component, etc. Works very closely with other team members keeping them abreast of any current or potential issue(s). Pays attention to accuracy, communication, timeliness, and responsiveness.
   
   Travel: 0-10%
   
   Requirements
   
   EDUCATION/CERTIFICATION REQUIRED:
   
   High School graduate or equivalent; some college a plus
   
   SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
   
   Knowledge of computer system and ability to navigate email Experience with Microsoft Office applications such as Excel and Word Experience with Order Entry and ERP planning systems Experience with high volume of data entry Must be very detail oriented and have a passion for accuracy and data integrity Must have the ability to communicate professionally and in writing Must have the ability to follow process and procedure
   
   Additional Information
   
   Toshiba International Corporation is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of any legally protected status or characteristic: Race/Color/Gender/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/Religion/National Origin/Disability/Veteran.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right order entry representative for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with order entry representatives they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit order entry representatives who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your order entry representative job on Zippia to find and recruit order entry representative candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting order entry representatives requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new order entry representative

   Once you've selected the best order entry representative candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new order entry representative. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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