Procurement Clerks: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)

Procurement Clerks fall under the Office and Administrative Support category in the U.S. occupational classification. Procurement Clerks earn a median salary of $48,510 per year, ranking in the top 67% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects -8.7% job growth through 2034, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Entry into this field typically requires a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, certifications, or postsecondary credentials, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.

What do procurement clerks earn?

The median annual wage for procurement clerks is $48,510. That puts procurement clerks at #542 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is around or below the U.S. median for individual workers, so career growth often depends on advancement into supervisory roles, specialization, or additional credentials. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.

Is procurement clerks a growing career?

The 10-year outlook for procurement clerks is -8.7%, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Employment is projected to move from approximately 61K positions in 2024 to 56K in 2034, a net change of -5K. A declining outlook does not mean the field is disappearing; it means automation, demographics, or substitution effects are shrinking the pool of openings. Students entering a declining field should plan for adjacent skills that transfer to growing roles.

What do procurement clerks do every day?

According to O*NET task surveys of working procurement clerks, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.

1. 1.Track the status of requisitions, contracts, and orders.
2. 2.Perform buying duties when necessary.
3. 3.Prepare purchase orders and send copies to suppliers and to departments originating requests.
4. 4.Compare prices, specifications, and delivery dates to determine the best bid among potential suppliers.
5. 5.Maintain knowledge of all organizational and governmental rules affecting purchases, and provide information about these rules to organization staff members and to vendors.
6. 6.Review requisition orders to verify accuracy, terminology, and specifications.
7. 7.Calculate costs of orders, and charge or forward invoices to appropriate accounts.
8. 8.Check shipments when they arrive to ensure that orders have been filled correctly and that goods meet specifications.

Top skills for procurement clerks

O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.

What education does my child need to become procurement clerk?

Many procurement clerks enter the field with a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, though employers increasingly favor candidates with certifications or some postsecondary coursework. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.

Related careers your child might also consider

• Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants
  $74,260 median
• First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers
  $66,140 median
• Brokerage Clerks
  $62,940 median
• Postal Service Clerks
  $61,630 median
• Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks
  $57,770 median
• Postal Service Mail Carriers
  $57,490 median

Common questions parents ask about procurement clerks