Office Clerk

Career OneStop Occupation Profile

Office Clerks, General

Description: what do 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, stenography, office machine operation, and filing.

Also known as:

Office Assistant, Administrative Assistant, Office Coordinator, Customer Service Representative, Administration Assistant, Secretary, Office Clerk, Clerk, Receptionist, Office Manager

Career video

https://cdn.careeronestop.org/OccVids/OccupationVideos/43-9061.00.mp4

Transcript: Transcript for this video is not available

Outlook: will there be jobs?

New job opportunities are very likely in the future.

Find job openings

Projected employment

California	United States
331,200 2014 Employment	3,062,500 2014 Employment
363,500 2024 Employment	3,158,200 2024 Employment
10% Percent change	3% Percent change
10,370 Annual projected job openings	75,620 Annual projected job openings

Compare projected employment

Typical wages
Annual wages for Office Clerks, General in California

Location	California	United States
10%	$21,220	$19,300
25%	$24,550	$23,300
Median	$32,810	$30,580
75%	$42,410	$39,530
90%	$52,920	$50,410

Education and experience: to get started

People starting in this career usually have:

• High school diploma or equivalent
• No work experience
• Less than 1 month on-the-job training

Programs that can prepare you:

• General Office Occupations and Clerical Services

Typical education

How much education do most people in this career have?

Certifications: show your skills

Let employers know you have the skills to do well at this job.
Earning a certification can help you:

• Get a job
• Get a promotion

Find certifications
Licenses: do you need one?

Some states require an occupational license to work in this career.
Find license details for your state

Apprenticeships: learn on the job

Apprenticeships combine paid on-the-job-training with classroom lessons.
Find apprenticeship sponsors

Activities: what you might do in a day

• Operate office equipment.
• Answer telephones to direct calls or provide information.
• Maintain inventory records.
• Prepare cash for deposit or disbursement.
• Collect deposits, payments or fees.
• Execute sales or other financial transactions.
• Send information, materials or documentation.
• Respond to customer problems or complaints.
• Confer with coworkers to coordinate work activities.
• Distribute incoming mail.
• Sort mail.
• Compile data or documentation.
• File documents or records.
• Prepare documentation for contracts, transactions, or regulatory compliance.
• Proofread documents, records, or other files to ensure accuracy.
• Check data for recording errors.
• Supervise clerical or administrative personnel.
• Schedule appointments.
• Prepare employee work schedules.
• Search files, databases or reference materials to obtain needed information.
• Make travel, accommodations, or entertainment arrangements for others.
• Provide information to coworkers.
• Monitor inventories of products or materials.
• Train personnel.
• Record information from meetings or other formal proceedings.
• Transcribe spoken or written information.
• Maintain office equipment in proper operating condition.

Knowledge

People in this career often know a lot about:

• Clerical – Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
• Customer and Personal Service – Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• English Language – Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Skills

People in this career often have these skills:

• Active Listening – Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Reading Comprehension – Reading work-related information.
• Speaking – Talking to others.

Abilities

People in this career often have talent in:

• Oral Expression – Communicating by speaking.
• Oral Comprehension – Listening and understanding what people say.
• Speech Clarity – Speaking clearly.
• Written Comprehension – Reading and understanding what is written.
• Written Expression – Communicating by writing.
• Speech Recognition – Recognizing spoken words.
• Near Vision – Seeing details up close.

Related occupations

• Receptionists and Information Clerks
• License Clerks
• Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
• Medical Records and Health Information Technicians
• Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks
•  Word Processors and Typists
• Insurance Claims Clerks
• Medical Secretaries
• Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service
• Bill and Account Collectors

This information was retrieved on 2/10/2018 at 8:24 PM Eastern Time from Occupation Profile at CareerOneStop (www.CareerOneStop.org), sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. https://www.CareerOneStop.org/Toolkit
/Careers/Occupations/occupation-profile.aspx
Wage information comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics Program. (https://www.bls.gov/oes/home.htm)
Education information comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections. (https://www.bls.gov/emp/)
Information on Occupational Description, Interests and Tasks comes from the Occupation Information Network. (https://www.onetonline.org/)