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Career

Correspondence Clerks

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipLower pressure

What they do

Compose letters or electronic correspondence in reply to requests for merchandise, damage claims, credit and other information, delinquent accounts, incorrect billings, or unsatisfactory services. Duties may include gathering data to formulate reply and preparing correspondence.

Kinds of work

  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $46,800 Median per year · $22.50/hr Most earn $33,300–$64,510

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Route correspondence to other departments for reply.
  • Read incoming correspondence to ascertain nature of writers' concerns and to determine disposition of correspondence.
  • Gather records pertinent to specific problems, review them for completeness and accuracy, and attach records to correspondence as necessary.
  • Confer with company personnel regarding feasibility of complying with writers' requests.
  • Prepare records for shipment by certified mail.
  • Compute costs of records furnished to requesters, and write letters to obtain payment.

Job outlook

United States
6% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 500 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Automobile dealers7.9%
  • Direct health and medical insurance carriers6.5%
  • Business support services5.9%
  • Management of companies and enterprises5.1%
  • Self-employed (their own business)4.3%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Correspondence Clerk is usually not a straight-out-of-school job. Most people first work 2 to 4 years in office or customer service roles, where they learn to communicate clearly and handle requests, before moving into it.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Build strong reading, writing, and typing skills, which are the core of writing replies to customers and businesses. A diploma is the usual starting point for the office roles that lead here.

  2. Office Clerk, General

    1-2 years

    You handle mail, records, data entry, and phone calls, and you learn how an office runs. This experience shows employers you are dependable and organized.

  3. Customer Service Representative

    1-2 years

    You answer customer questions, solve complaints, and write or type follow-up messages. This is where you gain the experience with difficult requests and unhappy customers that correspondence work depends on.

  4. Correspondence Clerk

    Career goal

    You write letters and electronic replies to requests for merchandise, damage claims, billing errors, and delinquent accounts, gathering the facts needed for each reply.

Where it can lead

  1. Executive Secretary

    2-4 years of experience first

    You move from answering one type of request to supporting managers and running their schedules, documents, and projects. Strong organization and often an associate degree help you get there.

  2. Customer Service Supervisor

    2-4 years of experience first

    You lead a team of clerks or representatives, check the quality of their written replies, and handle the hardest escalated cases. Showing good judgment and training others is what usually earns the promotion.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take English and writing classesClear, accurate writing is the main skill this job uses every day.
  • Take a keyboarding or computer applications classFast, accurate typing and familiarity with office software help you work efficiently in any office role.
  • Get a part-time job in customer service or retailHelping real customers with questions and complaints builds the experience employers look for.
  • Join a debate, yearbook, or school newspaper clubThese activities help you practice organizing facts and explaining them clearly in writing.
  • Volunteer in an office or with a community groupFiling, scheduling, and answering messages give you early office experience and a reference.

In college

  • Take business communication or English composition coursesLearning to write professional letters and emails directly prepares you for drafting customer and business replies.
  • Earn an office software or administrative certificate at your schoolA certificate in office or computer applications can show employers you have the practical skills this job needs.
  • Work a campus job in an office, help desk, or student servicesAnswering questions and handling requests on campus builds the 2 to 4 years of related experience this career usually requires.
  • Seek an internship in customer service or business operationsAn internship gives you workplace experience and a chance to see how correspondence and billing issues are handled.
  • Join a student organization that involves writing or eventsRoles like secretary or newsletter editor give you practice with organized, professional written communication.

Tips for getting started

  • Practice writing clear, polite emails and letters. Correspondence work is mostly about explaining facts calmly and accurately, so strong writing is your main tool.
  • Look for part-time or summer jobs in customer service, retail returns, or office support. Those roles give you the 2 to 4 years of experience employers often expect.
  • Get comfortable with word processing, spreadsheets, and typing speed. Most correspondence work is done on a computer, so these skills make you a stronger candidate.

Related jobs that often lead here

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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