Understanding Standard Occupational Classification Codes

The Department of Labor stopped updating the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) after the 1991 update revision of the 1977 edition. The Fourth Edition will be 50 years old in 2027. The federal goverment started the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) in 1977. Major revisions to the SOC developed over the next 40+ years. The latest SOC is the 2018 revision. See, Standard Occupational Classificaiton Manual (U.S. 2018) (SOC Manual).  Keep that link open. We will refer to it throughout this discussion. 

Pages 38 to 220 set forth the definitions of each of the 23 major groups (xx-0000), 98 minor groups (xx-x000), 459 broad occupations (xx-xxx0). and 867 detailed occupations (xx-xxxx). Four zeroes describe major groups, three zeroes signify minor groups, a terminal zero describes a broad occupation, and the absence of a zero in the last digit points to a detailed occupation. All six-digit detailed occupations (the last digit is not a zero) have a:

(1) SOC code, 
(2) title, and 

(3) definition. 

All workers classified in an occupation are required to perform the duties described in 

(4) the first sentence(s) of each definition that do not start with “May.” 

Some definitions also have a 

(5) “May” statement, a .
(6) “Includes” statement, and/or a 
(7) “Excludes” statement. 

Almost all occupations have one or more 

(8) “Illustrative Examples.”

SOC Manual, page 13. Paragraph (4) is critical. All workers in a SOC are required to perform the non-may statements in the first sentence of the SOC definition. 

Application of that definition makes it concrete. Examine 53-7065 Stockers and Order Fillers. SOC Manual, page 211. The manual says:

53-7065 Stockers and Order Fillers 

Receive, store, and issue merchandise, materials, equipment, and other items from stockroom, warehouse, or storage yard to fill shelves, racks, tables, or customers’ orders. May operate power equipment to fill orders. May mark prices on merchandise and set up sales displays. Excludes “Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks” (43- 5071), “Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand” (53-7062), and “Packers and Packagers, Hand” (53-7064).

Illustrative examples: Night Stocker, Store Stocker, Warehouse Stocker

(Italics added to the first sentence). All stockers and order fillers receive, store, and issue merchandise, materials, equipment, and other itmes of stockroom, warehouse, or storage yard to fill shelves, racks, tables, or customers' orders. All. 

Marker, DOT 209.587-034, is a stocker and order filler occupation. The DOT defines marker:

209.587-034 MARKER (retail trade; wholesale tr.) alternate titles: marking clerk; merchandise marker; price marker; ticket maker 

Marks and attaches price tickets to articles of merchandise to record price and identifying information: Marks selling price by hand on boxes containing merchandise, or on price tickets. Ties, glues, sews, or staples price ticket to each article. Presses lever or plunger of mechanism that pins, pastes, ties, or staples ticket to article. May record number and types of articles marked and pack them in boxes. May compare printed price tickets with entries on purchase order to verify accuracy and notify supervisor of discrepancies. May print information on tickets, using ticket-printing machine [TICKETER (any industry); TICKET PRINTER AND TAGGER (garment)]. 

GOE: 05.09.03 STRENGTH: L GED: R2 M1 L1 SVP: 2 DLU: 77

The primary function of a marker  is the second "may" statement for stockers and order fillers. But all stockers and order fillers receive, store, and issue merchandise, materials, equipment, and other itmes of stockroom, warehouse, or storage yard to fill shelves, racks, tables, or customers' orders. All includes marker. 

Two observations flow from this revelation. Markers do have job duties to mark and attach price tickes to articles of merchandixe to record price and identifying information. That is the purpose statement of the DOT definition. Markers also receive, store, and issue merchandise, materials, equipment, and other itmes of stockroom, warehouse, or storage yard to fill shelves, racks, tables, or customers' orders. We know this because all stockers and order fillers receive, store, and issue merchandise, materials, equipment, and other itmes of stockroom, warehouse, or storage yard to fill shelves, racks, tables, or customers' orders. Stockers and order fillers includes markers. Marker, DOT 209.587-034. 

This epiphany explains the 2025 ORS statement that almost 75% of stockers and order fillers engage in medium exertion with another 14% engaged in light exertion (up to 25 pounds). At the 10th percentile, right in the middle of that light range, the maximum lift and carry is 25 pounds on both the 2025 and the 2023 ORS datasets. 

This type of analysis constitutes a weapon on the belt of the representative cross-examining on the identification of 20,000 to 120,000 marker jobs as meeting a light residual functional capacity. By definition, marking is not all that is required and the ORS functional data backs that up. 

Be informed.