Answer a caller's question
Hear the caller out, find the matching record, and answer yourself or pass a clear note along.
Career profile
General Office Clerk
Office clerks keep workplaces running smoothly by answering questions, updating records and routing paperwork.
Your day can jump from a phone caller's question to a backlog of filing to outgoing mail, and that variety is what draws people in.
A day in the life
Scan and file a document
You scan the pages, update the database entry, and file the paper where others can find it later.
Catch mismatched amounts on a list
Compare the list against its source forms, and recheck the form before you correct any amount that disagrees.
Sort mail and assemble packets
Sort the incoming envelopes by destination, copy documents, and assemble the pages your coworkers need.
Quick facts
High school diploma or equivalent
United States · 2025–2035
$21.64/hour
United States · May 2025
6% employment decline
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
High school diploma or equivalentTypical preparation includes short-term training on the job.
Pay
$21.64/hourNational median; the annual equivalent is $45,010.
Outlook
6% employment declineAbout 249,000 openings annually are projected despite fewer jobs overall. Openings include replacing workers who leave.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You like putting information in order.
- You can stay courteous while answering repeated questions.
- You notice small errors without losing track of the task.
Things to weigh
- The mix still includes repetitive copying and data entry, with long stretches at a desk.
- In personnel offices, you may handle private employee information that you cannot discuss casually.
Where AI may help
A spreadsheet can sort a list by name or date, saving you from rearranging entries by hand.
What people still lead
You still clarify requests and investigate confusing records.
What we can’t predict yet
Automation and shared files are reducing clerical work. How much of an office’s remaining task mix moves to software or other staff will vary.
Pay in context
Earnings
The national median was $45,010 a year, or $21.64 an hour, in May 2025. It is not a starting-pay promise.
The pay spread
The lowest-paid 10% earned under $14.57/hour; the highest-paid 10% earned over $31.10/hour. These are wage percentiles, not beginner and experienced pay rates.
Workplace differences
Hourly medians were $22.66 in construction, $21.12 in healthcare and social assistance, and $19.17 in educational services, including public and private employers.
Getting started
Learn in an entry clerk job
- What the route involves
- Learn filing, data entry, and department procedures with a supervisor checking your work.
- What it can lead to
- As you learn the procedures, you can handle routine work with less immediate help.
- What to check
- Typical entry preparation is a high school diploma or equivalent; check each employer’s requirements.
Build skills in an office program
- What the route involves
- Practice keyboarding, digital document skills, filing, and business communication in a program such as Pasadena City College’s General Office Clerk program.
- What it can lead to
- You gain preparation for office work and a foundation for further credit-based business study.
A high school diploma or equivalent is the typical starting point. You can learn procedures at work or build office skills first.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get established
Learn the office’s filing rules and software until you can finish routine requests without repeated help.
Broaden your work
Build confidence with records and department procedures. In a business office, you might learn contract filing or become backup for payroll paperwork.
Take on more responsibility
With experience, you may move into an administrative assistant position.
Where you can work
County department offices
Some jobs provide temporary or seasonal help during heavy workloads. You may spend more time sorting records for coworkers than serving the public.
- Indoors
- Office
Education business offices
You may support payroll and personnel staff, maintain stored documents, and organize department travel. Some roles include meetings outside regular office hours.
- Indoors
- Office
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Make a pretend office inbox with a phone message, five forms, and a mailing list. Log each item, catch one deliberately wrong entry, and leave a clear handoff note. Notice whether you enjoy switching tasks while keeping details straight.
Stay safe: Use invented names and information.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. 43-9061.00 — Office Clerks, General. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. General Office Clerks — Occupational Outlook Handbook. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Table 1.2 Occupational projections and worker characteristics, 2025–2035. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- City of Beverly Hills. Office Clerk (Part-Time Hourly) — Class Specification. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Montgomery County Government. Office Clerk — Class Specification 009277. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Modoc County Office of Education. Office Clerk — Job Description. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Pasadena City College. General Office Clerk — Certificate of Competency, 2026–2027 Catalog. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Microsoft. Sort data in a range or table in Excel. Accessed 2026-10-02.