The median pay for Office Clerks, General is $45,010 a year ($21.64/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to fall 6.0% through 2035, with about 249,000 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 43-9061
- Office and Administrative Support
- Last updated October 15, 2026
At a glance
Office Clerk, General in four numbers
- Median pay
- $45,010a year, or $21.64/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $30KTop 10% $65K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -6.0%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−6%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −6% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 249,0002,600,000 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 20252.6M
- Projected 20352.4M
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 2.6M Projected 2035 2.4M - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school1.5%
- High school40.6%
- Certificate6.5%
- Some college14.7%
- Associate's36.4%
- Bachelor's0.2%
Highest education held by office clerks, general Segment Value Less than high school 1.5% High school 40.6% Certificate 6.5% Some college 14.7% Associate's 36.4% Bachelor's 0.2%
Also advertised as: Administrative Clerk (Admin Clerk), Clerical Aide, Clerical Assistant, Clerk, General Clerk, Office Assistant.
Pay
How much do office clerks make?
Office Clerks, General earn a median of $45,010 a year ($21.64 an hour, or about $3,750 a month); the lowest-paid 10% earn less than $30,310 and the top 10% more than $64,680 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The best-paying state is District of Columbia, with a median of $55,040. See Office clerk, general salary in District of Columbia and every other state. By city, pay is highest around Boulder ($61,800 average): salary in every city.
Every office clerk, general in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$45,010
Middle half earn $36,350 to $54,300
- 10th
- $30,310
- 25th
- $36,350
- 75th
- $54,300
- 90th
- $64,680
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $30,310 |
| 25th | $36,350 |
| Median | $45,010 |
| 75th | $54,300 |
| 90th | $64,680 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $45,010
- Median hourly wage
- $21.64/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $46,420
- People employed
- 2,464,940
Versus all US occupations
At $45,010, Office Clerks, General earn 12% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $5,970 a year.
Versus office and administrative support occupations
Inside the Office and Administrative Support group, where the middle occupation pays $49,230, this is 9% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $64,680 or more while the bottom 10% earn $30,310, a gap of 2.1×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 12% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
District of Columbia posts the highest raw median ($55,040), but once local prices are taken into account North Dakota leads at $56,386 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay office clerks the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $55,040 | $50,081 | 5,670 |
| 2Colorado | $53,550 | $51,964 | 31,770 |
| 3Alaska | $51,890 | $50,694 | 3,440 |
| 4Washington | $50,500 | $47,191 | 49,050 |
| 5North Dakota | $50,160 | $56,386 | 8,440 |
| 6Massachusetts | $49,940 | $47,221 | 47,940 |
| 7Oregon | $49,910 | $48,287 | 27,980 |
| 8New Hampshire | $49,020 | $47,060 | 12,740 |
| 9New Jersey | $48,570 | $44,639 | 65,130 |
| 10California | $48,460 | $43,768 | 311,490 |
Job outlook
Is office clerk, general a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -6.0% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Office Clerks, General | −6% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Office Clerks, General to change -6.0% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 156,200 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 249,000 openings are projected each year, 9.6% of the 2,600,000 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
The continued use of technology that automates document preparation and other clerical tasks, such as automated phone systems, is expected to result in fewer general office clerks needed to perform this work. In addition, electronic filing systems and file sharing software allow other office workers to do the tasks previously done by general office clerks, further decreasing employment of office clerks. However, there will likely still be some demand for these workers to handle administrative tasks.
AI exposure: very high
BLS places this occupation in its very high relative AI exposure category, among the occupations most exposed to current AI.
Getting in
How to become an office clerk, general
General office clerks typically need a high school diploma or equivalent to enter the occupation. Most learn their skills on the job.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as office clerks, general.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)40.6%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree36.4%
- Some College Courses14.7%
- Post-Secondary Certificate6.5%
- Less than a High School Diploma1.5%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 40.6% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 36.4% |
| Some College Courses | 14.7% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 6.5% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 1.5% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does an office clerk, general do?
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.
General office clerks perform a variety of clerical tasks, including answering telephones, typing documents, and filing records.
Day-to-day tasks
- Operate office machines, such as photocopiers and scanners, facsimile machines, voice mail systems, and personal computers.
- Communicate with customers, employees, and other individuals to answer questions, disseminate or explain information, take orders, and address complaints.
- Answer telephones, direct calls, and take messages.
- 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.
- Deliver messages and run errands.
- Type, format, proofread, and edit correspondence and other documents, from notes or dictating machines, using computers or typewriters.
- Compute, record, and proofread data and other information, such as records or reports.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most general office clerks work full time, although part-time work is common.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Where office clerks, general work
Share of jobs by employer type
- Educational services; state, local, and private14%
- Healthcare and social assistance11%
- Construction10%
- Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals10%
- Professional, scientific, and technical services8%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 14% |
| Healthcare and social assistance | 11% |
| Construction | 10% |
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | 10% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 8% |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension3.8
- Active Listening3.8
- Speaking3.6
- Writing3.1
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Monitoring2.9
- Active Learning2.8
- Mathematics2.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 3.8 |
| Active Listening | 3.8 |
| Speaking | 3.6 |
| Writing | 3.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 2.9 |
| Active Learning | 2.8 |
| Mathematics | 2.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
- Coordination3.0
- Service Orientation3.0
- Time Management3.0
- Instructing2.8
- Judgment and Decision Making2.8
- Persuasion2.6
- Negotiation2.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Service Orientation | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
| Instructing | 2.8 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.8 |
| Persuasion | 2.6 |
| Negotiation | 2.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Medical software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
The workforce
Who works as an office clerk, general?
Women make up 80.5% of office clerks, general, against 47.1% of all employed people: a female-dominated occupation.
26.1% are 55 or older, close to the 23.2% across all jobs.
The median worker is 41.8 years old (all workers: 42.1).
- Women
- 80.5%All workers 47.1% · BLS CPS, 2025
- Median age
- 41.8All workers 42.1 · BLS CPS, 2025
- Aged 55+
- 26.1%All workers 23.2% · BLS CPS, 2025
- Employed (CPS)
- 1,436,000BLS CPS, 2025
| Group | Share of office clerks, general | All employed people |
|---|---|---|
| Women | 80.5% | 47.1% |
| White | 75.0% | 75.7% |
| Black or African American | 14.0% | 12.7% |
| Asian | 6.6% | 7.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 23.4% | 20.0% |
| Aged 55 and over | 26.1% | 23.2% |
| Aged 16 to 24 | 14.4% | 12.2% |
Current Population Survey annual averages, 2025 (BLS tables 11 and 11b). Race groups can overlap with Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, so they do not sum to 100%.
Personality fit
What personality type suits an office clerk, general?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Office Clerk, General |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 3 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 7 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
- Conventional6.8
- Enterprising3.2
- Social3.1
- Realistic2.9
- Investigative1.9
- Artistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Office Clerk, General
O*NET related occupations
- Office and Administrative Support
Secretary and Administrative Assistant, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
$47,540median a year
Most earn $33K to $66K
−6.0%High school - Office and Administrative Support
- Office and Administrative Support
- Management
- Office and Administrative Support
Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant
$45,930median a year
Most earn $36K to $61K
+4.8%High school - Office and Administrative Support
More office and administrative support careers
Median annual pay, with office clerks, general highlighted
- Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant$76,590
- Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant$55,570
- Public Safety Telecommunicator$53,040
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk$50,670
- Human Resources Assistant, Except Payroll and Timekeeping$50,610
- Secretary and Administrative Assistant, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive$47,540
- Office Clerk, General$45,010
- Teller$43,030
- Receptionist and Information Clerk$38,010
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant | $76,590 |
| Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant | $55,570 |
| Public Safety Telecommunicator | $53,040 |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk | $50,670 |
| Human Resources Assistant, Except Payroll and Timekeeping | $50,610 |
| Secretary and Administrative Assistant, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $47,540 |
| Office Clerk, General | $45,010 |
| Teller | $43,030 |
| Receptionist and Information Clerk | $38,010 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Office Clerk, General appears on
Questions
Office Clerk, General: frequently asked questions
How much do office clerks make?
Office Clerks, General earn a median of $45,010 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 12% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $21.64/hr. The middle half earn between $36,350 and $54,300. The top 10% earn $64,680 or more.
How much do office clerks make an hour?
The median hourly wage for office clerks, general is $21.64 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). On a full-year basis the $45,010 annual median works out to about $3,750 a month before tax.
What is the starting salary for an office clerk, general?
BLS does not publish a starting salary. The nearest measure is the low end of the pay range: the lowest-paid 10% of office clerks, general earn less than $30,310 a year and the bottom quarter less than $36,350 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). New workers often start near that end, but where a particular job starts depends on the employer, the state and the credentials you bring, so read these as the bottom of the range rather than a guaranteed entry wage.
Which states pay office clerks the most?
The highest state medians for Office Clerks, General are District of Columbia ($55,040), Colorado ($53,550), Alaska ($51,890) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, North Dakota moves to the top at $56,386.
What kind of office clerk, general earns the most?
BLS does not split office clerks, general' pay by specialty or employer, but its range shows how far the top end runs: the highest-paid 10% earn more than $64,680, against a median of $45,010 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Location moves pay the most in the published data: the best-paying states are District of Columbia ($55,040), Colorado ($53,550), Alaska ($51,890).
Do you need a degree to become an office clerk, general?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Office Clerks, General. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 40.6% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
How long does it take to become an office clerk, general?
BLS does not publish a fixed length; it depends on the route. What it does publish: the typical way in for office clerks is a high school diploma or equivalent. Once hired, BLS lists short-term on-the-job training as typical. O*NET classes the work as needing some preparation.
Is office clerk, general a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 6.0% over 2025–2035, a loss of 156,200 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 249,000 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an office clerk, general do?
General office clerks perform a variety of clerical tasks, including answering telephones, typing documents, and filing records. A core O*NET task: operate office machines, such as photocopiers and scanners, facsimile machines, voice mail systems, and personal computers. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Data base user interface and query software, Desktop publishing software.
Do office clerks work 40 hours a week?
Yes, for most. In O*NET's survey of people in the job, 15% of office clerks, general usually work more than 40 hours a week, 59% work exactly 40 and 26% work fewer. 99% say their schedule is regular and 1% irregular. Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, Work Context.
What personality type suits an office clerk, general?
O*NET scores Office Clerks, General highest on the Conventional, Enterprising and Social interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESTJ, ISFJ, ISTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.
What percentage of office clerks are women?
Women make up 80.5% of office clerks, general, against 47.1% of all employed people: a female-dominated occupation. 26.1% are 55 or older, close to the 23.2% across all jobs. The median worker is 41.8 years old (all workers: 42.1). Source: BLS Current Population Survey, 2025 annual averages.