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Office Clerks, General

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.

Median pay
$45,010

a year

Doing it now
2,600,000

across the country

By 2035
Down 6%

249,000 openings a year

Usually needs
High school diploma or equivalent

to get in

What the work involves

  • 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.
  • Compile, copy, sort, and file records of office activities, business transactions, and other activities.
  • Operate office machines, such as photocopiers and scanners, facsimile machines, voice mail systems, and personal computers.
  • Compute, record, and proofread data and other information, such as records or reports.
  • Maintain and update filing, inventory, mailing, and database systems, either manually or using a computer.
  • Open, sort, and route incoming mail, answer correspondence, and prepare outgoing mail.

What to study

The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.

Who it suits

O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.

  • Organised and precise

  • Leading and persuading

  • Helping and teaching

Answer 24 questions and see whether this is a fit for you

Careers like this one

Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $45,010 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.