Stocker job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 1-2 of 5

very little to some preparation

Typical entry education

No formal educational credential

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$37,330

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Stockers and Order Fillers (O*NET-SOC 53-7065.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Take inventory or examine merchandise to identify items to be reordered or replenished. importance 4.2 of 5
2. Answer customers' questions about merchandise and advise customers on merchandise selection. importance 4.2 of 5
3. Receive and count stock items, and record data manually or on computer. importance 4.2 of 5
4. Receive, unload, open, unpack, or issue sales floor merchandise. importance 4.0 of 5
5. Stock shelves, racks, cases, bins, and tables with new or transferred merchandise. importance 4.0 of 5
6. Pack and unpack items to be stocked on shelves in stockrooms, warehouses, or storage yards. importance 4.0 of 5
7. Mark stock items, using identification tags, stamps, electric marking tools, or other labeling equipment. importance 4.0 of 5
8. Store items in an orderly and accessible manner in warehouses, tool rooms, supply rooms, or other areas. importance 3.9 of 5
9. Requisition merchandise from supplier, based on available space, merchandise on hand, customer demand, or advertised specials. importance 3.9 of 5
10. Compare merchandise invoices to items actually received to ensure that shipments are correct. importance 3.9 of 5
11. Obtain merchandise from bins or shelves. importance 3.9 of 5
12. Issue or distribute materials, products, parts, and supplies to customers or coworkers, based on information from incoming requisitions. importance 3.9 of 5
13. Read orders to ascertain catalog numbers, sizes, colors, and quantities of merchandise. importance 3.8 of 5
14. Recommend disposal of excess, defective, or obsolete stock. importance 3.8 of 5
15. Clean and maintain supplies, tools, equipment, and storage areas to ensure compliance with safety regulations. importance 3.7 of 5
16. Dispose of damaged or defective items, or return them to vendors. importance 3.7 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Handling and Moving Objects, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Performing General Physical Activities, Getting Information and Performing for or Working Directly with the Public.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Compute prices of items or groups of items.
• Operate equipment such as forklifts.
• 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.
• Stamp, attach, or change price tags on merchandise, referring to price list.
• Pack customer purchases in bags or cartons.

Knowledge areas: Customer and Personal Service and English Language.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Apple Safari, Google Docs, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists short-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 1-2 of 5 (very little to some preparation). Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board.

Most stockers surveyed by O*NET (78%) name a high school diploma or equivalent as the education the job requires.

Job title: Stocker
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Stocker to receive, store, and issue merchandise, materials, equipment, and other items from stockroom, warehouse, or storage yard to fill shelves, racks, tables, or customers' orders.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Take inventory or examine merchandise to identify items to be reordered or replenished.
- Answer customers' questions about merchandise and advise customers on merchandise selection.
- Receive and count stock items, and record data manually or on computer.
- Receive, unload, open, unpack, or issue sales floor merchandise.
- Stock shelves, racks, cases, bins, and tables with new or transferred merchandise.
- Pack and unpack items to be stocked on shelves in stockrooms, warehouses, or storage yards.
- Mark stock items, using identification tags, stamps, electric marking tools, or other labeling equipment.
- Store items in an orderly and accessible manner in warehouses, tool rooms, supply rooms, or other areas.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists no formal educational credential as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in active listening, reading comprehension and social perceptiveness
- Working knowledge of Customer and Personal Service and English Language
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Apple Safari or Google Docs]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $37,330 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $17.95. BLS estimates about 2,833,810 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Stockers and Order Fillers to grow 8.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 430,700 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

• Read a real stocker posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Take inventory or examine merchandise to identify items to be…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only stocker work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (active listening and reading comprehension); stocker interview questions turns them into practice questions.