How to hire procurement clerks
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Approve and pay bills. • 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. • Determine if inventory quantities are sufficient for needs, ordering more materials when necessary. • Maintain knowledge of all organizational and governmental rules affecting purchases, and provide information about these rules to organization staff members and to vendors. • Perform buying duties when necessary. • Prepare purchase orders and send copies to suppliers and to departments originating requests. • Track the status of requisitions, contracts, and orders. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent] • Strong reading comprehension, speaking, active listening, critical thinking, monitoring and writing skills • Working knowledge of English Language, administrative and customer and personal service • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $24.32 an hour ($50,580 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for procurement clerks
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to approve and pay bills. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to calculate costs of orders, and charge or forward invoices to appropriate accounts. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to compare prices, specifications, and delivery dates to determine the best bid among potential suppliers. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to determine if inventory quantities are sufficient for needs, ordering more materials when necessary. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What procurement clerks do
- Approve and pay bills.
- 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.
- Determine if inventory quantities are sufficient for needs, ordering more materials when necessary.
- Maintain knowledge of all organizational and governmental rules affecting purchases, and provide information about these rules to organization staff members and to vendors.
- Perform buying duties when necessary.
- Prepare purchase orders and send copies to suppliers and to departments originating requests.
- Track the status of requisitions, contracts, and orders.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for procurement clerks
- Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 1 to 2 years (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: -8.1% over ten years, declining · about 3,700 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay procurement clerks
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $60,110 |
| Minnesota | $58,100 |
| New Jersey | $57,460 |
| California | $56,160 |
| Colorado | $55,210 |
| Texas | $47,660 |
| Mississippi | $46,270 |
| Tennessee | $38,710 |
See procurement clerks pay in every state
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Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.