What They Do
General office clerks perform a variety of clerical tasks, including answering telephones, typing documents, and filing records.
Duties
General office clerks typically do the following:
- Answer and transfer telephone calls or take messages
- Sort and deliver incoming mail and send outgoing mail
- Schedule appointments and receive customers or visitors
- Provide general information to staff, clients, or the public
- Type, format, or edit routine memos or other reports
- Copy, file, and update paper and electronic documents
- Prepare and process bills and other office documents
- Collect information and perform data entry
Rather than performing a single specialized task, general office clerks have responsibilities that often change daily with the current needs of the employer.
Some clerks file documents or answer phones; others enter data into computers or perform other tasks using software applications. They also frequently use photocopiers, scanners, fax machines, and other office equipment.
The specific duties assigned to clerks will depend on the type of office in which they work. For example, a general office clerk at a college or university may process application materials and answer questions from prospective students, while a clerk at a hospital may file and retrieve medical records.
Work Environment
General office clerks held about 2.6 million jobs in 2024. The largest employers of general office clerks were as follows:
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 13% |
| Healthcare and social assistance | 11 |
| Construction | 10 |
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | 10 |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 8 |
General office clerks usually work in office settings.
Work Schedules
Most general office clerks work full time.
How to Become One
General office clerks typically need a high school diploma or equivalent. Most learn their skills on the job.
Pay
The median hourly wage for general office clerks was $20.97 in May 2024.
Job Outlook
Employment of general office clerks is projected to grow 7 percent from 2024 to 2034, decline.
About 282,400 openings for general office clerks are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.