Clerical workers perform administrative and other basic tasks in an office, such as answering the phone and sending out memos. As a clerical worker you can expect to make around $30,000 a year and will need strong computer and office equipment skills in order to qualify for this position.
What are Clerical Skills?
What is clerical work? People interested in performing a variety of essential duties in an office environment might want to check out becoming a clerical worker. Clerical workers provide general office support that assists in the functioning of a company. They might work directly under an administrative assistant and be assigned basic tasks, such as filing or answering phones. Clerical workers should possess excellent communication skills, basic office competence, and a high school diploma.
Clerical Worker: Career Information
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Clerical workers are found working in numerous industries as office support for companies. A clerical worker is commonly an entry-level position, although senior-level clerical worker positions can exist and require more experience or advanced-level skills, such as computer software knowledge.
Obtaining a position as a general clerical worker commonly requires having a high school diploma, although holding an associate's degree might offer opportunities for advancement. Clerical workers should have basic typing and computer application skills and know how to operate common office equipment, such as fax machines.
| Required Education | High school diploma or GED |
| Required Skills | Computer and general office equipment skills |
| Projected Job Growth (2019-2029) | -5%* |
| Average Annual Salary (2019) | $36,360* |
Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Clerical Worker: Job Duties
Clerical workers perform a variety of duties that can change throughout the day. Typical duties of a clerical worker can include entering data into a computer, filing records, sending and receiving faxes, answering telephone calls and relaying messages, making copies, and other simple administrative duties.
Depending on the industry, clerical workers might perform tasks specific to that company. For example, clerks employed in a manufacturing company might assist in filling work orders or stamping envelopes for mass mailings.
Examples of Clerical Work
Clerical jobs involve performing basic functions that keep an office or company functioning. Some examples of specific types of clerical jobs and the clerical work performed are set out in the list below:
- Administrative Assistants: Administrative assistants work at a company or business and specialize in carrying out the administrative duties necessary to keep the business functioning. They may engage in clerical work when they answer phone calls, greet customers, file paperwork, or relay messages to their coworkers.
- Post Office Clerks: Post office clerks work the front desk at U.S. Postal Service offices. They carry out transactions with customers and sort mail to make sure it gets to the correct destination. Post office clerks use clerical work when they carry out transactions with customers and enter information on parcels into a computer database.
- Receptionists: Receptionists are similar to administrative assistants, but they focus on greeting customers or clients and answering phone calls. They use clerical work when having email and phone conversations with customers and clients and relaying information to their coworkers.
- Hospital Intake Specialist: Hospital intake specialists perform initial screening when a patient enters the hospital. They use clerical work when filling out paperwork about patients and when delivering messages to doctors and nurses.
Necessary Skills for Clerical Work
Clerical workers must have several important skills in order for their clerical work experience to be a positive one. Some of the most important skills for clerical workers are listed below.
- Communication: Clerical work often requires answering phone calls and delivering messages to other people, two tasks that require effective communication skills.
- Detail Orientation: Clerical work may involve entering information into a computer or other tasks that require careful attention to detail.
- Reliability: Clerical workers must be reliable because they often carry out tasks that are essential to the functioning of a business or company.
- Technological Experience: Clerical workers typically use computers and other forms of office technology, so it is important that they are able to do this effectively.
Clerical Worker Salary Information and Job Outlook
In May 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported clerical workers made an average salary of $36,360 a year. Figures from the BLS also showed that top employers for clerical workers included local government, colleges, employment services, schools, and hospitals, with average salary ranging from $33,570 to $38,450 that year.
Postal service, natural gas distributors, pipeline transportation of crude oil, electric power generation, transmission, and distribution, and monetary authorities were the five highest paying industries for clerical workers. Average wages for these industries ranged from $47,820 to $59,380 a year, based on 2019 BLS data.
The BLS states that employment opportunities in this field are projected to decline by 5% for the 10-year period of 2019-2029. Although overall employment rates for clerical workers are expected to be slow, some industries, such as healthcare, are likely to add jobs. Those with experience in computers and other electronic and technical office equipment might fare better, as well as those with more years of clerical work experience.
Performing clerical work often involves basic office-related tasks, but it's one way to break into a company and get your foot in the door. If either of these things interests you be sure to carefully review job duties, work environment and salary statistics before deciding if this is the career for you.
