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Career

Office Clerks, General

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipLower pressure Bright Outlook

What they 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.

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 $45,010 Median per year · $21.64/hr Most earn $30,310–$64,680

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Process and prepare documents, such as business or government forms and expense reports.
  • Answer telephones, direct calls, and take messages.
  • Compile, copy, sort, and file records of office activities, business transactions, and other activities.
  • Collect, count, and disburse money, do basic bookkeeping, and complete banking transactions.
  • Compute, record, and proofread data and other information, such as records or reports.
  • Prepare meeting agendas, attend meetings, and record and transcribe minutes.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Numerous Job Openings

United States
6% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 249,000 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

  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools7.0%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals5.5%
  • Elementary and secondary schools4.9%
  • Real estate3.4%
  • State government, excluding education and hospitals2.4%

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

General Office Clerk is an entry-level job. You can often start right after high school or a short training program, and people usually spend about 1 to 2 years in related clerical work before they feel fully ready for the role.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Build basic reading, writing, math, and computer skills, which are the foundation for almost every office task.

  2. Office skills certificate or on-the-job training

    Under 1 year

    Learn office software, filing systems, and office equipment, either through a short certificate program or training on the job, which prepares you for a first clerical job.

  3. Receptionist and Information Clerk

    1-2 years

    Answer phones, greet visitors, handle mail, and do filing and data entry, which gives you experience with many different office tasks.

  4. General Office Clerk

    Career

    Handle a mix of duties such as bookkeeping, typing, filing, and machine operation, following each office's own procedures.

Where it can lead

  1. First-Line Supervisor of Office and Administrative Support Workers

    4-6 years of experience first

    You move from doing the work to overseeing a team, scheduling tasks, and training others, which usually requires showing strong organization and reliability over several years.

  2. Administrative Services Manager

    2-4 years of experience first

    You manage broader office operations such as supplies, facilities, records, and budgets, which builds on supervisory experience and knowledge of how an organization runs.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take typing and computer classesFast, accurate typing and comfort with computers are core skills for nearly every office clerk.
  • Join a business or career clubClubs like these teach professional habits, teamwork, and basic office skills, and many hold skill competitions.
  • Volunteer at a front desk or officeHelping at your school office, library, or a local nonprofit gives you real practice answering phones, filing, and greeting people.
  • Get a part-time job that involves organizing or customer serviceRetail or food service jobs build the reliability, communication, and multitasking that office employers value.

In college

  • Take office software and business coursesClasses in word processing, spreadsheets, and basic accounting prepare you for the mix of duties clerks handle.
  • Look into a short office administration certificate at a community collegeCertificate programs in office skills match the typical training path for this job and can make your résumé stronger.
  • Work a campus job as a front desk or office assistantCampus offices need help with phones, filing, and records, which gives you relevant experience while you study.
  • Seek an internship or part-time office jobHands-on experience in a real office helps you learn office procedures and build references for future jobs.

Tips for getting started

  • Take typing and word processing seriously. Fast, accurate typing is a skill employers look for in almost every clerical job.
  • Get comfortable with spreadsheets and common office software like Word and Excel, since many clerk tasks involve them.
  • Look for any paid or volunteer job that involves answering phones, filing, or handling records. Even a small amount of this experience helps you get your first office role.

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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