Stockers and Order Fillers
53-7065.00
Bright Outlook Updated 2024

The occupation code you requested, 43-5081.04 (Order Fillers, Wholesale and Retail Sales), is no longer in use. In the future, please use 53-7065.00 (Stockers and Order Fillers) instead.

Receive, store, and issue merchandise, materials, equipment, and other items from stockroom, warehouse, or storage yard to fill shelves, racks, tables, or customers' orders. May operate power equipment to fill orders. May mark prices on merchandise and set up sales displays.

Sample of reported job titles: Checker Stocker, Inventory Specialist, Inventory Technician (Inventory Tech), Label Maker, Marking Clerk, Order Filler, Order Picker, Stock Clerk, Stocker, Warehouse Technician (Warehouse Tech)

Occupation-Specific Information

Tasks

  • Complete order receipts.
  • Answer customers' questions about merchandise and advise customers on merchandise selection.
  • Issue or distribute materials, products, parts, and supplies to customers or coworkers, based on information from incoming requisitions.
  • Keep records of out-going orders.
  • Stock shelves, racks, cases, bins, and tables with new or transferred merchandise.
  • Operate equipment such as forklifts.
  • Stamp, attach, or change price tags on merchandise, referring to price list.
  • Obtain merchandise from bins or shelves.
  • Receive and count stock items, and record data manually or on computer.
  • Read orders to ascertain catalog numbers, sizes, colors, and quantities of merchandise.
  • Receive, unload, open, unpack, or issue sales floor merchandise.
  • Pack customer purchases in bags or cartons.
  • Store items in an orderly and accessible manner in warehouses, tool rooms, supply rooms, or other areas.
  • Mark stock items, using identification tags, stamps, electric marking tools, or other labeling equipment.
  • Pack and unpack items to be stocked on shelves in stockrooms, warehouses, or storage yards.
  • Take inventory or examine merchandise to identify items to be reordered or replenished.
  • Clean display cases, shelves, and aisles.
  • Keep records on the use or damage of stock or stock-handling equipment.
  • Clean and maintain supplies, tools, equipment, and storage areas to ensure compliance with safety regulations.
  • Determine proper storage methods, identification, and stock location, based on turnover, environmental factors, and physical capabilities of facilities.
  • Dispose of damaged or defective items, or return them to vendors.
  • Recommend disposal of excess, defective, or obsolete stock.
  • Design and set up advertising signs and displays of merchandise on shelves, counters, or tables to attract customers and promote sales.
  • Provide assistance or direction to other stockroom, warehouse, or storage yard workers.
  • Examine and inspect stock items for wear or defects, reporting any damage to supervisors.
  • Compute prices of items or groups of items.
  • Itemize and total customer merchandise selection at checkout counter, using cash register, and accept cash or charge card for purchases.
  • Requisition merchandise from supplier, based on available space, merchandise on hand, customer demand, or advertised specials.
  • Compare merchandise invoices to items actually received to ensure that shipments are correct.
  • Transport packages to customers' vehicles.
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Technology Skills

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Occupational Requirements

Work Activities

  • Handling and Moving Objects — Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Performing General Physical Activities — Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
  • Working with Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

Detailed Work Activities

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Work Context

  • Face-to-Face Discussions — 90% responded “Every day.”
  • Contact With Others — 69% responded “Constant contact with others.”
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 78% responded “Every day.”
  • Work With Work Group or Team — 44% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Deal With External Customers — 57% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 37% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Spend Time Standing — 38% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
  • Telephone — 62% responded “Every day.”
  • Freedom to Make Decisions — 35% responded “A lot of freedom.”
  • Structured versus Unstructured Work — 33% responded “A lot of freedom.”
  • Importance of Repeating Same Tasks — 35% responded “Very important.”
  • Physical Proximity — 43% responded “Moderately close (at arm's length).”
  • Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions — 30% responded “More than half the time.”
  • Frequency of Decision Making — 40% responded “Every day.”
  • Time Pressure — 35% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
  • Coordinate or Lead Others — 42% responded “Important.”
  • Electronic Mail — 44% responded “Every day.”
  • Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — 28% responded “Important results.”
  • Spend Time Walking and Running — 25% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
  • Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People — 29% responded “Every day.”
  • Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls — 28% responded “Continually or almost continually.”

Experience Requirements

Job Zone

Title
Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed
Education
These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Related Experience
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Job Zone Examples
These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include orderlies, counter and rental clerks, customer service representatives, security guards, upholsterers, tellers, and dental laboratory technicians.
SVP Range
(4.0 to < 6.0)

Training & Credentials

State training
Local training
Certifications
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State licenses

Apprenticeship Opportunities

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Worker Requirements

Skills

  • Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Knowledge

  • Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Education

How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation? Respondents said:

  • 57%
     
    High school diploma or equivalent required
  • 30%
     
    Some college, no degree required
  • 8%
     
    Less than high school diploma required

Worker Characteristics

Abilities

  • Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Trunk Strength — The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
  • Extent Flexibility — The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
  • Manual Dexterity — The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
  • Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness — The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Multilimb Coordination — The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
  • Selective Attention — The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
  • Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Static Strength — The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.

Interests

Interest code: CRE
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  • Conventional — Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
  • Realistic — Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
  • Enterprising — Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.

Work Values

  • Relationships — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
  • Support — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
  • Independence — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

Work Styles

  • Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
  • Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
  • Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
  • Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.
  • Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
  • Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
  • Self-Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
  • Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
  • Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
  • Social Orientation — Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
  • Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
  • Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
  • Persistence — Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
  • Analytical Thinking — Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
  • Leadership — Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
  • Innovation — Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.

Workforce Characteristics

Wages & Employment Trends

Median wages (2023)
$17.50 hourly, $36,390 annual
State wages
Local wages
Employment (2023)
2,864,700 employees
Projected growth (2023-2033)
Faster than average (6% to 8%)
Projected job openings (2023-2033)
485,800
State trends
Top industries (2023)

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2023 wage data and 2023-2033 employment projections . “Projected growth” represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2023-2033). “Projected job openings” represent openings due to growth and replacement.

Job Openings on the Web

State job openings
Local job openings

More Information

Professional Associations

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