Career Profile: Stockers and Order Fillers

Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 2,472,700 people employed as stockers and order fillers in the United States. The median annual salary is $30,110. Entry level employees earn approximately $23,460 per year and senior employees earn approximately $45,770 per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

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

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