Order Clerks
Machines can already do 55% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 79%. Most of the work is changing now.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Order Clerks in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 55% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 7% of them.
- Forecast: machines can already do half of its tasks, and 79% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 75,200 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $46,170 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 78% for contact with people.
- Also called: Hub Associate, Materials Specialist, Order Analyst, Order Clerk.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obtain customers' names, addresses, and billing information, product numbers, and specifications of items to be purchased, and enter this information on order forms | 18% | 55% to 85% | |
| Inform customers by mail or telephone of order information, such as unit prices, shipping dates, and any anticipated delays | 9% | 85% to 87% | |
| Verify customer and order information for correctness, checking it against previously obtained information as necessary | 8% | 25% to 65% | |
| Prepare invoices, shipping documents, and contracts | 8% | 70% to 95% | |
| Review orders for completeness according to reporting procedures and forward incomplete orders for further processing | 7% | 70% to 95% | |
| Receive and respond to customer complaints | 7% | 85% to 87% | |
| Check inventory records to determine availability of requested merchandise | 7% | 50% to 85% | |
| Confer with production, sales, shipping, warehouse, or common carrier personnel to expedite or trace shipments | 7% | 30% to 54% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills order clerks use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
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- Non-Destructive Testing Specialists70% of tasks by 2035 · US median $78,350
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Order Clerks?
Machines can already do half of its tasks. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of order clerks?
Machines can do 55% of the tasks of order clerks today and 79% by 2035. Most of the routine work moves to machines, and the people in the job move to oversight, judgement and client work.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 43-4151.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Order Clerks: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/order-clerks/