Office Clerks, General

Pay and outlook

Median annual wage, May 2025

$45,010

Half earn more, half earn less

Middle half earn

$36,350 – $54,300

25th to 75th percentile

People employed, May 2025

2,464,940

Wage and salary jobs (OEWS)

Projected change, 2025–35

-6%

Shrinking (below 0%)

Openings a year (projected)

249,000

New jobs plus replacing people who leave

Typical education to enter

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS

• All figures are for the United States as a whole. Pay varies a lot by state and city.
• Wages are for everyone working in the occupation in May 2025, at every career stage. They are not starting salaries or figures for new graduates.
• Growth and openings are BLS projections for 2025–35. They are estimates, not promises. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or change occupation, not just new jobs.

What the work involves

Perform duties too varied and diverse to be classified in any specific office clerical occupation, requiring knowledge of office systems and procedures. Clerical duties may be assigned in accordance with the office procedures of individual establishments and may include a combination of answering telephones, bookkeeping, typing or word processing, office machine operation, and filing.

Main tasks

• Operate office machines, such as photocopiers and scanners, facsimile machines, voice mail systems, and personal computers.
• Answer telephones, direct calls, and take messages.
• Communicate with customers, employees, and other individuals to answer questions, disseminate or explain information, take orders, and address complaints.
• Maintain and update filing, inventory, mailing, and database systems, either manually or using a computer.
• Compile, copy, sort, and file records of office activities, business transactions, and other activities.
• Review files, records, and other documents to obtain information to respond to requests.
• Open, sort, and route incoming mail, answer correspondence, and prepare outgoing mail.
• Compute, record, and proofread data and other information, such as records or reports.

Description and tasks from the O*NET® 31.0 Database.

Getting in

Typical education to enter (BLS)

High school diploma or equivalent

Training once hired: short-term on-the-job training

O*NET Job Zone 1–2

Little to some preparation

Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Fields of study that lead here

From the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, which links 1 programme to this occupation. A link means the programme prepares people for this kind of work. It doesn't mean the programme is required, or that it's the only route.

Related careers

Related occupations from the O*NET database, in its order.

• Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive

  $47,540 median · -6% projected

• File Clerks

  $43,600 median · -15.8% projected

• Receptionists and Information Clerks

  $38,010 median · -1.7% projected

• Administrative Services Managers

  $114,130 median · +5.2% projected

• Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

  $45,930 median · +4.8% projected

• Correspondence Clerks

  $46,800 median · -5.6% projected