Procurement Clerks

What the job really is

Compile information and records to draw up purchase orders for procurement of materials and services.

At a glance

• Sector: Office & Administrative
• O*NET-SOC code: 43-3061
• O*NET job zone: 2 — some preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Track the status of requisitions, contracts, and orders.
• Perform buying duties when necessary.
• Prepare purchase orders and send copies to suppliers and to departments originating requests.
• Calculate costs of orders, and charge or forward invoices to appropriate accounts.
• Compare prices, specifications, and delivery dates to determine the best bid among potential suppliers.
• Approve and pay bills.
• Maintain knowledge of all organizational and governmental rules affecting purchases, and provide information about these rules to organization staff members and to vendors.
• Determine if inventory quantities are sufficient for needs, ordering more materials when necessary.
• Check shipments when they arrive to ensure that orders have been filled correctly and that goods meet specifications.
• Contact suppliers to schedule or expedite deliveries and to resolve shortages, missed or late deliveries, and other problems.
• Prepare, maintain, and review purchasing files, reports and price lists.
• Review requisition orders to verify accuracy, terminology, and specifications.

Tools and technology

Intuit QuickBooks, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Word, Oracle Database, Oracle PeopleSoft, SAP software

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products
• Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks
• Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks
• Stockers and Order Fillers
• Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products
• Order Clerks
• Customer Service Representatives
• Billing and Posting Clerks

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 2 (some preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

Browse the verified job sources directory, or explore more occupations.

Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Procurement Clerks — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.