How to hire an order processing specialist

How to hire an order processing specialist, step by step

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

What does an order processing specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an order processing specialist, 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an order processing specialist to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an order processing specialist that fits the bill.

   This list presents order processing specialist salaries for various positions.

   Type of Order Processing Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Order Processing Specialist	Information clerks perform routine clerical duties such as maintaining records, collecting data, and providing information to customers.	$12-25
   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
   Order Entry Clerk	An Order Entry Clerk is primarily in charge of receiving and processing customer orders, ensuring accuracy and timeliness. Upon receiving orders, an order entry clerk is responsible for entering customer information into databases such as names, billing details, address, and item specifications... Show more	$13-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Data Entry
   • Purchase Orders
   • Order Entry
   • Inbound Calls
   • Sales Orders
   • Quality Standards
   • ERP
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Payment Processing
   • Customer Inquiries
   • Customer Accounts
   • Customer Care
   • Customer Orders

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage escalations and expedites process in support of shorten interval requests.
   • Review order enter by other CSR's and correct orders as needed.
   • Create invoices, process return requests, issue RMA's, provide order status.
   • Forward customer relate issues to appropriate CSR, enter all quotes into the system in a timely manner.
   • Process payroll transactions timely and accurately which result in being cost-effective.
   • Provide ancillary support including vendor payroll, vendor processing and payment acquisition.

   More order processing specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the order processing specialist job description is a good way to get more applicants. An order processing specialist 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 specialist in Missouri may be lower than in Rhode Island, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level order processing specialist. Additionally, an order processing specialist with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average order processing specialist salary

   $37,540yearly

   $18.05 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level order processing specialist salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average order processing specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$47,425	$23
   2	Nevada	$44,892	$22
   3	California	$44,198	$21
   4	New York	$42,732	$21
   5	Washington	$41,214	$20
   6	Colorado	$37,427	$18
   7	Ohio	$35,586	$17
   8	Utah	$35,042	$17
   9	Michigan	$34,989	$17
   10	Minnesota	$34,919	$17
   11	Arizona	$34,721	$17
   12	Florida	$33,941	$16
   13	Iowa	$32,132	$15
   14	Kansas	$31,350	$15
   15	Texas	$31,235	$15
   16	Maryland	$30,951	$15
   17	Wisconsin	$28,728	$14
   18	Georgia	$28,089	$14
   19	Missouri	$27,032	$13

   Average order processing specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Schneider Electric Industrial Services	$65,203	$31.35	4
   2	Coalfire Systems Inc.	$48,475	$23.31
   3	American Woodmark	$45,247	$21.75
   4	Toro	$42,029	$20.21
   5	Dice	$41,565	$19.98
   6	Nationwide Power	$41,417	$19.91
   7	Pharmaceutical Product Development	$41,269	$19.84
   8	Netwrix	$40,881	$19.65
   9	Murray	$40,758	$19.60
   10	Pure Storage	$40,502	$19.47	2
   11	Vanguard Packaging	$38,995	$18.75
   12	Lee Hecht Harrison	$36,645	$17.62	1
   13	Nelson Labs	$36,635	$17.61
   14	Oldcastle Infrastructure	$36,576	$17.58	9
   15	Les Olson Company	$36,483	$17.54
   16	Xometry	$36,483	$17.54
   17	American Red Cross	$36,023	$17.32
   18	Gibson	$36,003	$17.31
   19	Park Hudson	$35,542	$17.09
   20	Randstad North America, Inc.	$35,383	$17.01	2

4. Writing an order processing specialist job description

   A good order processing specialist job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an order processing specialist job description:

   Order processing specialist job description example

   * $3500 Sign On Bonus (Payouts at 30, 90 & 180 days)!!!*
   
   * Schedule: Full Time, Monday - Friday (1st shift - Days)
   
   * Pay Range: $15.37 to $23.06 per hour
   
   * Excellent Medical, Dental and Vision Benefits
   
   * 401k Retirement Savings Plan w/company match
   
   (Please note that internal applicants/current employees) would not qualify for the Hiring Bonus)
   
   Major Function
   
   Performs logistics and administrative support for the Plymouth Distribution Center. Works directly with warehouse staff, order entry, inventory control, and Toro Bookloads, with responsibility for accurate and up-to-date orders, international shipment information, and bill of ladings at Toro's Worldwide Distribution Center.
   
   Duties & Responsibilities
   
   * Assists with general telephone reception and inquiries regarding order status via email.
   * Assists with the processing and flow of daily customer orders.
   * Prepare and process shipments for Domestic customers via small parcel and LTL modes
   * Release and Process international orders, preparing required documentation for accurate and timely shipments.
   * Develops a working knowledge of all Toro parts office operations responsibilities.
   * Develops working knowledge of voice picking system.
   * Configures shipments using a variety of vendor portal systems.
   * Carries out special tasks and projects as needed or assigned by management.
   * Obtain hazardous shipping certifications, process hazardous shipments in all modes.
   
   Specifications -
   
   * High school education required; college education preferred
   * Minimum of one (1) year customer service, administrative assistant, or similar experience, preferably in a warehouse environment
   * Strong computer skills - Outlook (email), Internet, Microsoft Excel, Word and TEAMS
   * Knowledge and/or ability to learn and utilize UPS Worldship, SAP, TMS, and CMS
   * Excellent written and verbal communication skills to effectively and diplomatically interact with and meet customer needs (internal and external)
   * Excellent phone skills
   * Tactful in conflict resolution situations
   * Ability to manage large workload and excel at prioritizing and organizing tasks
   * Strong data entry and system navigation skills required
   * Must be able to work effectively in high pressure situations in a fast paced environment
   * Aptitiude to learn rapidly and adapt quickly to changing situations
   * Must be accurate and organized
   
   We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation, military service, or other non-merit based factors. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find order processing specialists 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 specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit order processing specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting order processing specialists 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.

   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 specialist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the order processing specialist 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.

   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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new order processing specialist. 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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How much does it cost to hire an order processing specialist?