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Correspondence Clerks vs Procurement Clerks: what changes?

Consider Correspondence Clerks if you want to compose letters or electronic correspondence in reply to requests for merchandise, damage claims, credit and other information, delinquent accounts, incorrect billings, or unsatisfactory services. Consider Procurement Clerks if you would rather compile information and records to draw up purchase orders for procurement of materials and services. Both list high school diploma or equivalent; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Correspondence Clerks and Procurement Clerks. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences
What this means in practice

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Start with earnings, the route into the job, training, available openings, and a day-to-day reality.

Correspondence Clerks

National median pay (2025)
$46,800
Route into the job
High school diploma or equivalent; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate
Maintain files and control records to show correspondence activities.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
500
Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 5.6% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Correspondence Clerks brief

Procurement Clerks

National median pay (2025)
$50,580
Route into the job
High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate
Track the status of requisitions, contracts, and orders.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
3,700
Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 8.1% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Procurement Clerks brief
See scores, detailed data, and how the comparison works

How the national numbers differ

1

Procurement Clerks has the edge on annual openings

Procurement Clerks is at 3,700 annual openings, compared with 500 annual openings for Correspondence Clerks.

2

Procurement Clerks has the edge on median pay

Procurement Clerks is at $50,580, compared with $46,800 for Correspondence Clerks.

3

Correspondence Clerks has the edge on projected growth

Correspondence Clerks is at -5.6% projected growth, compared with -8.1% projected growth for Procurement Clerks.

24.4/ 100

Correspondence Clerks

vs
37.6/ 100

Procurement Clerks

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Correspondence Clerks vs Procurement Clerks

DimensionCorrespondence ClerksProcurement Clerks
Median pay (2025)$46,800$50,580
Pay percentile22.7 percentile34 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)-5.6%-8.1%
Annual openings (2025–2035)5003,700
2025 employment4,80056,900
How you qualifyHigh school diploma or equivalent; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensingHigh school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation groupJob Zone 2Job Zone 2
Related work experienceNo prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job trainingOne month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.