How to hire an order processing clerk

How to hire an order processing clerk, step by step

Here's a step-by-step order processing clerk 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 processing clerk job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new order processing clerk
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an order processing clerk, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   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 processing clerk 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.

   This list presents order processing clerk salaries for various positions.

   Type of Order Processing Clerk	Description	Hourly rate
   Order Processing Clerk	Information clerks perform routine clerical duties such as maintaining records, collecting data, and providing information to customers.	$12-19
   Contractor Buyer	A contractor buyer is responsible for acquiring materials and resources for construction and manufacturing processes that meet the quality standards and budget limitations. Contractor buyers negotiate offers with trusted suppliers and vendors for cost-effective materials based on design specifications and requirements... Show more	$15-24
   Data Entry/Data Coordinator	A data entry/data coordinator is responsible for overseeing and coordinating the data management procedures of a company. They develop plans through extensive research and analyses, perform assessments and evaluations to ensure systems adhere to standards and regulations, coordinate with external parties to procure supplies, and fulfill data requests... Show more	$11-20

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Pallets
   • RF
   • Customer Orders
   • Order Entry
   • Purchase Orders
   • Data Entry
   • Sales Orders
   • Invoice
   • Inventory Control
   • QuickBooks
   • Computer System
   • Cycle Counts
   • Customer Inquiries
   • Customer Complaints

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage accounts payable (a/p) team, ensuring daily goals are met (500-1000 invoices/day).
   • Secure HIPAA compliant authorizations to include cumulative dates of injury and protect health information.
   • Maintain objectivity when conducting outbound telephone surveys for various QVC departments to existing customers.

   More order processing clerk duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the order processing clerk job description is a good way to get more applicants. An order processing clerk salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an order processing clerk in Missouri may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level order processing clerk. Additionally, an order processing clerk with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average order processing clerk salary

   $16.16hourly

   $33,610 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level order processing clerk salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average order processing clerk salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$43,434	$21
   2	California	$39,198	$19
   3	Washington	$38,114	$18
   4	New York	$38,111	$18
   5	Minnesota	$33,364	$16
   6	Florida	$33,068	$16
   7	Texas	$31,565	$15

   Average order processing clerk salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Stanley Black & Decker	$38,842	$18.67	7
   2	Costco Wholesale	$37,912	$18.23	1,620
   3	CTG	$36,166	$17.39	2
   4	EFI Global	$33,955	$16.32
   5	Rush Enterprises	$33,508	$16.11	9
   6	Mattel	$33,307	$16.01	1
   7	FullBeauty Brands	$32,909	$15.82
   8	Volt Information Sciences	$32,894	$15.81
   9	Randstad North America, Inc.	$32,538	$15.64	22
   10	Kelly Services	$32,360	$15.56	44
   11	Robert Half	$31,787	$15.28	628
   12	ManpowerGroup	$31,399	$15.10	65
   13	Ross Stores	$30,139	$14.49	8

4. Writing an order processing clerk job description

   A job description for an order processing clerk 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 processing clerk job description:

   Order processing clerk job description example

   **Welcome to Ross Stores, Inc\., where our differences make us stronger...** At Ross and dd's, inclusion is a way of life\. We care about our Associates and the communities we serve and we value their differences\. We are committed to building diverse teams and an inclusive culture\. We respect and celebrate the diversity of backgrounds, identities, and ideas of those who work and shop with us\. Come join us as we continue our diversity, equality and inclusion journey\!
   **Order Processing Clerk**
   
   **About Ross Stores, Inc\.**
   
   Welcome to Ross Stores, Inc\. Since 1982, our focus has been on bringing our customers a constant stream of high quality brands and trends at extraordinary savings, while providing a fun and exciting treasure hunt experience\. We believe in keeping things simple: no expensive signage, displays or fancy fixtures \- to us, it's far more meaningful to pass greater savings on to our customers with on trend apparel, accessories, footwear, and home furnishings\. With more than 1,800 stores, including Ross Dress for Less and dd's DISCOUNTS, we are the nation's largest off\-price retail chain, and we continue to grow at a rate far outpacing traditional retail\.
   
   With corporate headquarters located in Dublin, CA, we have three buying offices positioned in key markets in New York City, Los Angeles, and Boston, as well as six state\-of\-the\-art distribution centers across the country\. With FY2019 revenues of $16 billion, we are a Fortune 500, S&P 500, and Nasdaq 100 Company, committed to offering an inclusive, safe and positive workplace\. Come see what's in store\.
   
   At Ross you will find an organization that invites you to be your authentic self\. As part of the Ross family you will experience:
   
   + A respectful culture embedded with collaborative partnerships and humility
   + Opportunities to give back to your community through national charities, local volunteer initiatives, and our Ross Cares Fund
   + A significant investment in your career through extensive onboarding programs, continuous learning opportunities, ongoing development and the opportunity to work with engaged and knowledgeable industry leaders
   
   Additional information is available at: https://jobs\.rossstores\.com/creative/about
   
   **About this opportunity \.\.\.\.**
   
   The Order Processing Clerk \(OPC\) role is an administrative function that supports the Merchandising Division by producing / organizing purchase orders and reports\. Supports the purchase order cycle \(writing orders, order edits, vendor follow up, etc\.\)\. The OPC is dedicated to specific businesses, supporting multiple merchants\. Emphasis placed on analyzing/editing spreadsheets and purchase orders\.
   
   **Responsibilities**
   
   + Responsible for purchase order \(PO\) entry/updates \(including re\-orders and "Close Outs"\)\. Receive order information from Merchants and enter into PO system in an accurate and timely fashion\. This includes writing orders, order edits, cancellations and necessary follow\-up \(as directed by Buying Team\) to ensure key shipments are delivered and processed\.
   + Displays the ability to proficiently utilize merchandising systems\.
   + Produce an on\-going set of weekly reports \(e\.g\. On Order Report, Item Sales Report, Sales Recaps\) as well as ad hoc business reports as directed by Merchants; responsible for formatting\.
   + Meet departmental standards for quality, quantity and turnaround time expectations\.
   + Work closely with buyer and team to gain and maintain understanding of specified business area via frequent touch bases, including key vendors, preferred report formats, etc\.
   + Responsible for Stock Keeping Unit \(SKU\) maintenance\. Add/delete SKU's as needed, as directed by Buying Team\.
   
   **Who you are \.\.\.**
   
   + You have intermediate Microsoft Office Suite skills, with an emphasis on MS Excel and Outlook
   + You possess strong organizational, time management and prioritization skills, attention to detail and accuracy\.
   
   + You must be a team player, exhibiting strong communication skills and flexibility
   + You have earned a high school diploma
   
   **Perks and Benefits of joining our team\.\.\.\.**
   
   Our Associates are at the heart of everything we do and we're proud to offer a range of benefits that reflect how much we value their contributions\. Here's a peek into what you can expect as an eligible Ross Associate:
   
   + A broad range of affordable health insurance options\*, 401\(k\) with employer match\*, life insurance\*
   + Ample PTO, paid holidays, and Summer Fridays, as well as the opportunity to purchase additional vacation\*
   + Employee stock purchase plan\*
   + Charitable donations matched by Ross Stores Foundation
   + Enhanced maternity and bonding leaves with 100% income replacement\*
   + Parent support programs
   + And more\.\.\.\.
   
   \* eligibility may vary based on level and tenure, subject to change
   
   At Ross & dd's we care about our Associates and the communities we serve\. We are committed to building diverse teams and an inclusive culture that respects, values and celebrates the diversity of backgrounds, identities, and ideas of those who work and shop with us\.
   
   \#LI\-PP1
   
   \#LI\-Hybrid

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find order processing clerks for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit order processing clerks, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   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 processing clerk

   Once you have selected a candidate for the order processing clerk position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new order processing clerk. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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