Mid-Level

Sales and Distribution Clerk

Sales and Distribution Clerks handle the operational and clerical work of sales and distribution operations โ€” order processing, customer service, contributing to distribution workflows. The work tends to be detail-oriented and built on the steady rhythm of B2B order operations.

Career Level
Junior
Mid
Senior
Director
VP
Executive
Work Personality
C
R
E
S
A
I
Conventionalorganizing, detail-oriented
Realistichands-on, practical
Based on Holland Code framework
Industries that often hire Sales and Distribution Clerks
Job markets for Sales and Distribution Clerks
Employment concentration ยท ~325 areas
Based on employment in related occupations
Mapped SOC categories:
BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
What it's like

What it's like to be a Sales and Distribution Clerk

Most days mix order processing, customer service, and operations โ€” processing customer orders, handling customer service inquiries, supporting distribution workflows, contributing to documentation and reporting, and partnering with sales and operations teams. You're often working in B2B distribution, wholesale operations, manufacturing customer service, or specialty distribution organizations, and the product line and customer base shape daily work.

What tends to be harder than people expect is the volume and detail rigor combined with deadline pressure. Order accuracy, inventory checks, and customer follow-up all matter, and deadline pressure during high-volume periods is real. System fluency (ERP, distribution platforms), specialty product knowledge, and mentorship quality shape career growth.

People who tend to thrive here are detail-oriented, organized, comfortable with steady operational work, and quietly precise about orders. If you want analytical work, that lives in different roles. If you like the steady operational work of sales and distribution, the role offers durable demand and a clear path toward senior clerk, distribution coordinator, or specialty operations roles.

RelationshipsModerate
SupportModerate
Working ConditionsLower
IndependenceLower
RecognitionLower
AchievementLower
O*NET Work Values survey
โœฆ Editorial โ€” written by Truest from industry research and career patterns
Career Paths

Where this role sits in the broader career landscape โ€” and where it can take you.

$239K$179K$119K$60K$0KLower paying387 metro areas, sorted by salary level
All experience levels1
This level's estimated range
INDUSTRIES PAYING ABOVE AVERAGE
1 BLS OEWS May 2024 covers all Sales and Distribution Clerks (SOC 43-5051.00), not just this title ยท BEA RPP 2023
* Top salaries exceed this figure. BLS caps reported wages at ~$240K to protect individual privacy in high-earning roles.
Exploring the Sales and Distribution Clerk career path? Truest helps you figure out if it's the right fit โ€” and plan your path forward.
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โœฆ Editorial โ€” career progression and interview guidance based on industry patterns
The Broader Landscape

Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape โ€” helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.

$43Kโ€“$74K
Salary Range
10th โ€“ 90th percentile
78K
U.S. Employment
-3.5%
10yr Growth
6K
Annual Openings

How this category is changing

$64K$61K$58K$55K$52K201920202021202220232024$52K$64K
BLS OEWS May 2024 ยท BLS Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034

Skills & Requirements

Active ListeningSpeakingReading ComprehensionService OrientationSocial PerceptivenessMonitoringTime ManagementCritical ThinkingJudgment and Decision MakingWriting
O*NET OnLine ยท Bureau of Labor Statistics
43-5051.00

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Federal data: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (May 2024) ยท BLS Employment Projections ยท O*NET OnLine
Truest editorial: Fit check, role profile, things that vary, advancement analysis, lateral moves, interview questions.