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Career

File Clerks

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipLower pressure

What they do

File correspondence, cards, invoices, receipts, and other records in alphabetical or numerical order or according to the filing system used. Locate and remove material from file when requested.

Kinds of work

  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

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 $43,600 Median per year · $20.96/hr Most earn $31,200–$63,490

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Scan or read incoming materials to determine how and where they should be classified or filed.
  • Gather materials to be filed from departments or employees.
  • Assign and record or stamp identification numbers or codes to index materials for filing.
  • Add new material to file records or create new records as necessary.
  • Perform periodic inspections of materials or files to ensure correct placement, legibility, or proper condition.
  • Perform general office activities, such as typing, answering telephones, operating office machines, processing mail, or securing confidential materials.

Job outlook

United States
16% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 5,600 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

  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals19.3%
  • Legal services10.8%
  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools4.1%
  • Offices of physicians3.5%
  • Elementary and secondary schools3.1%

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

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 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: 1 to 2 years

File Clerk is an entry-level job. People usually spend about 1 to 2 years in other office work first, so it can take a year or two after high school to get here.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Build reading, writing, math, and computer skills, which are the basics every office records job needs.

  2. General Office Clerk

    1-2 years

    Handle mail, data, phones, and paperwork, learning how records are organized and how an office runs before you specialize.

  3. File Clerk

    Career stage

    File correspondence, invoices, and records in alphabetical or numerical order and pull files when they are requested.

Where it can lead

  1. Medical Records Specialist

    1-2 years of experience first

    Move into health records, which usually requires a certificate or training in medical terminology and privacy rules, and pays attention to accuracy and confidentiality.

  2. Administrative Services Manager

    2-4 years of experience first

    Lead records and office staff, plan how the office runs, and manage budgets and schedules; this usually takes years of office experience and often some supervising experience.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take business or keyboarding classesTyping speed and comfort with computers help you move quickly into office work.
  • Take math and English classesSorting, numbering, and clear writing are used every day in records and correspondence work.
  • Join a club like FBLA or a student government office teamOrganizing events and keeping records builds the same organized habits employers want.
  • Volunteer in a school or community officeHelping with sign-in sheets, files, or forms gives you real experience with records.
  • Get a starter job or summer job in a store or officeHandling paperwork, receipts, or schedules shows you can keep things organized under pressure.

In college

  • Take courses in office technology or records managementClasses on filing systems, databases, and office software prepare you directly for file and records work.
  • Earn a basic office software certificationA certificate in common spreadsheet and word processing tools is a simple way to show employers your skills.
  • Take a part-time campus office jobWorking in a department office, library, or registrar's office gives you hands-on filing and records experience.
  • Look at medical or legal office training if you like specialized recordsCourses in medical terminology or legal document handling can lead to more specialized records roles.
  • Join a student organization that handles budgets or schedulesKeeping track of paperwork for a group builds the organization and follow-through this career needs.

Tips for getting started

  • Get comfortable with spreadsheets and basic office software now, since many filing jobs also involve entering and searching records on a computer.
  • Pay close attention to detail and practice alphabetizing and sorting; accuracy is the main skill employers look for in this work.
  • Look for part-time or summer office work, even unpaid volunteer office help, so you can show you can handle paperwork and follow a filing system.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

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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