Office Clerk salary

The median pay for an office clerk nationally is $21.64 an hour — about $45,010 a year full time. That figure comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for U.S. (2025). Half of the roles pay more than this and half pay less, so treat it as the middle of the market rather than a target.

Most office clerks nationally earn between $14.57 an hour and $31.10 an hour — that is the 10th to the 90th percentile. The spread usually reflects experience, shift, certifications and employer size more than anything else.

Pay at the bottom of the range — roughly what someone starting out can expect — is around $14.57 an hour. A quarter of office clerks earn below $17.48 an hour, so the first year or two typically sits in that band. This is a role employers routinely fill with people who have no prior experience.

The top 10% of office clerks nationally earn about $31.10 an hour or more, roughly 1.4× the median. Getting there usually means experience plus something specific — certifications, supervisory duties, specialised skills or premium shifts.

General office clerks handle the mixed administrative work that keeps an office running — filing, data entry, mail, phones and whatever else comes up. Day to day, that means file and maintain records, enter and verify data, handle mail, deliveries and supplies and answer phones and route enquiries.

The usual route is: (1) apply directly — a common entry-level office role, (2) learn the systems and processes thoroughly, (3) specialise in payroll, HR or accounts support, (4) move to administrative assistant or coordinator. Employers typically look for high school diploma typically, computer literacy and no experience required by many employers.

Usually not. Most employers hire office clerks without a specific licence, and train on the job.

Very large employment base across every sector. Software has absorbed routine tasks, so roles increasingly combine clerical work with customer or systems responsibility.