Office Clerks, General
Office Clerks, General (SOC 43-9061) earn a median $45,010 a year ($21.64 an hour) in the United States, with 2,464,940 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is District of Columbia.
What office clerks, general do
General office clerks do work too wide-ranging to fit any single office clerical occupation, and the work calls for an understanding of office systems and procedures. Clerical duties are assigned according to the office procedures of the individual establishment and may combine telephone answering, bookkeeping, typing or word processing, running office machines, and filing. A clerk may operate photocopiers, scanners, fax machines, voice mail systems, and personal computers, take calls and messages, and talk with customers, employees, and others to answer questions, explain information, take orders, and address complaints. Clerks open and sort incoming mail and send it where it belongs, reply to correspondence, and get outgoing mail ready. They also maintain and update filing, inventory, mailing, and database systems, compile, copy, sort, and file records of business transactions, review files to respond to requests, and compute, record, and proofread data. Alternate titles include administrative clerk, attendance clerk, and animal shelter clerk. Specialized clerks, such as billing, filing, or mail clerks, have their own codes.
Typical entry: O*NET survey respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the education level for this occupation.
Also called: Administration Clerk, Administrative Clerk (Admin Clerk), Administrative Support Specialist, Administrative Technician (Admin Tech), Agent-Licensing Clerk.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $14.57 | $17.48 | $21.64 | $26.11 | $31.10 | $22.32 | 2,464,940 |
| Annual | $30,310 | $36,350 | $45,010 | $54,300 | $64,680 | $46,420 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where office clerks, general earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $18.92 | $22.37 | $26.46 | $31.52 | $36.52 | $27.76 | 5,670 | 8.08 | 0.51 |
| Annual | $39,350 | $46,530 | $55,040 | $65,570 | $75,960 | $57,730 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $18.34 | $22.28 | $25.75 | $31.30 | $37.95 | $27.35 | 31,770 | 11.06 | 0.70 |
| Annual | $38,160 | $46,340 | $53,550 | $65,100 | $78,930 | $56,890 | ||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $17.94 | $20.83 | $24.95 | $30.10 | $35.00 | $25.68 | 3,440 | 10.58 | 0.67 |
| Annual | $37,320 | $43,320 | $51,890 | $62,610 | $72,800 | $53,410 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $18.56 | $21.49 | $24.28 | $29.48 | $35.16 | $25.93 | 49,050 | 13.81 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $38,600 | $44,700 | $50,500 | $61,320 | $73,140 | $53,940 | ||||
| North Dakota | Hourly | $16.15 | $20.52 | $24.11 | $29.86 | $35.93 | $25.35 | 8,440 | 19.66 | 1.24 |
| Annual | $33,590 | $42,680 | $50,160 | $62,100 | $74,740 | $52,730 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $17.40 | $19.44 | $23.30 | $28.90 | $35.20 | $24.94 | 311,490 | 17.10 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $36,190 | $40,430 | $48,460 | $60,110 | $73,220 | $51,880 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $11.81 | $14.78 | $18.75 | $23.42 | $29.42 | $20.10 | 218,470 | 15.53 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $24,570 | $30,750 | $39,000 | $48,720 | $61,190 | $41,810 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $14.85 | $17.34 | $21.37 | $25.94 | $31.30 | $22.37 | 189,700 | 19.10 | 1.21 |
| Annual | $30,880 | $36,070 | $44,450 | $53,950 | $65,110 | $46,530 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $16.48 | $17.71 | $22.06 | $26.10 | $31.15 | $23.08 | 134,280 | 13.86 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $34,270 | $36,840 | $45,890 | $54,280 | $64,800 | $48,010 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $14.25 | $17.75 | $21.61 | $25.33 | $30.04 | $21.90 | 107,500 | 17.73 | 1.12 |
| Annual | $29,640 | $36,910 | $44,950 | $52,690 | $62,480 | $45,550 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Boulder, CO | Hourly | $19.71 | $22.94 | $28.77 | $35.74 | $40.15 | $29.71 | 1,510 | 7.84 | 0.49 |
| Annual | $41,010 | $47,720 | $59,840 | $74,340 | $83,510 | $61,790 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $20.04 | $22.71 | $28.29 | $35.25 | $40.18 | $29.52 | 13,470 | 11.87 | 0.75 |
| Annual | $41,690 | $47,230 | $58,840 | $73,310 | $83,580 | $61,400 | ||||
| Greeley, CO | Hourly | $18.47 | $22.08 | $26.94 | $29.64 | $35.92 | $26.83 | 1,570 | 13.17 | 0.83 |
| Annual | $38,420 | $45,920 | $56,030 | $61,660 | $74,710 | $55,810 | ||||
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | Hourly | $18.01 | $22.46 | $26.90 | $31.19 | $36.29 | $27.28 | 2,030 | 12.00 | 0.76 |
| Annual | $37,450 | $46,720 | $55,960 | $64,880 | $75,480 | $56,750 | ||||
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | Hourly | $18.43 | $21.68 | $26.74 | $31.03 | $38.23 | $28.20 | 3,630 | 18.06 | 1.14 |
| Annual | $38,320 | $45,100 | $55,620 | $64,530 | $79,510 | $58,660 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $16.65 | $18.20 | $22.92 | $28.07 | $33.90 | $24.08 | 136,580 | 14.39 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $34,640 | $37,850 | $47,670 | $58,380 | $70,520 | $50,080 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.36 | $19.03 | $23.13 | $28.50 | $34.01 | $24.51 | 112,270 | 17.90 | 1.13 |
| Annual | $36,120 | $39,590 | $48,100 | $59,270 | $70,740 | $50,980 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $15.66 | $18.13 | $22.28 | $27.79 | $35.05 | $23.86 | 66,840 | 14.81 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $32,580 | $37,710 | $46,330 | $57,790 | $72,910 | $49,620 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $14.85 | $16.93 | $21.51 | $26.08 | $32.18 | $22.48 | 61,160 | 21.69 | 1.37 |
| Annual | $30,880 | $35,210 | $44,730 | $54,250 | $66,930 | $46,750 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $13.83 | $17.45 | $21.18 | $24.38 | $30.83 | $21.83 | 52,740 | 13.02 | 0.82 |
| Annual | $28,770 | $36,290 | $44,060 | $50,720 | $64,120 | $45,400 | ||||
Top industries employing office clerks, general
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools employ 5.8% of office clerks, general nationally (143,230 jobs) at a median $39,880 a year ($19.17 an hour), followed by Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (5.7%) and Elementary and Secondary Schools (5.2%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 143,230 | 5.8% | $39,880 | $19.17 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 140,140 | 5.7% | $47,830 | $23.00 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools NAICS 611100 | 127,260 | 5.2% | $43,010 | $20.68 |
| Building Equipment Contractors NAICS 238200 | 89,310 | 3.6% | $47,300 | $22.74 |
| Real Estate NAICS 531000 | 86,200 | 3.5% | $43,970 | $21.14 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (2,464,940). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $37,030 for office clerks, general in May 2021 and $45,010 in May 2025, with employment of 2,578,180 and 2,464,940.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $37,030 | $17.81 | 2,578,180 |
| May 2022 | $38,040 | $18.29 | 2,517,350 |
| May 2023 | $40,480 | $19.46 | 2,496,370 |
| May 2024 | $43,630 | $20.97 | 2,510,550 |
| May 2025 | $45,010 | $21.64 | 2,464,940 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia profile | $26.46 | $55,040 | $39,350 | $75,960 | 5,670 | 8.08 | 0.51 |
| 2 | Colorado profile | $25.75 | $53,550 | $38,160 | $78,930 | 31,770 | 11.06 | 0.70 |
| 3 | Alaska profile | $24.95 | $51,890 | $37,320 | $72,800 | 3,440 | 10.58 | 0.67 |
| 4 | Washington profile | $24.28 | $50,500 | $38,600 | $73,140 | 49,050 | 13.81 | 0.87 |
| 5 | North Dakota profile | $24.11 | $50,160 | $33,590 | $74,740 | 8,440 | 19.66 | 1.24 |
| 6 | Massachusetts profile | $24.01 | $49,940 | $35,750 | $69,770 | 47,940 | 13.18 | 0.83 |
| 7 | Oregon profile | $23.99 | $49,910 | $36,120 | $67,370 | 27,980 | 14.22 | 0.90 |
| 8 | New Hampshire profile | $23.57 | $49,020 | $32,550 | $71,470 | 12,740 | 18.65 | 1.18 |
| 9 | New Jersey profile | $23.35 | $48,570 | $34,810 | $71,230 | 65,130 | 15.20 | 0.96 |
| 10 | California profile | $23.30 | $48,460 | $36,190 | $73,220 | 311,490 | 17.10 | 1.08 |
| 11 | Vermont profile | $23.23 | $48,310 | $36,940 | $63,750 | 5,100 | 16.80 | 1.06 |
| 12 | Connecticut profile | $23.21 | $48,280 | $35,570 | $66,790 | 23,190 | 13.67 | 0.86 |
| 13 | Minnesota profile | $23.00 | $47,840 | $33,710 | $66,170 | 55,530 | 18.83 | 1.19 |
| 14 | Rhode Island profile | $23.00 | $47,830 | $34,050 | $66,930 | 7,700 | 15.36 | 0.97 |
| 15 | Maryland profile | $22.73 | $47,270 | $33,650 | $72,800 | 27,290 | 9.88 | 0.62 |
| 16 | Montana profile | $22.35 | $46,480 | $32,200 | $65,090 | 10,390 | 20.32 | 1.28 |
| 17 | Arizona profile | $22.32 | $46,420 | $34,650 | $65,880 | 52,710 | 16.27 | 1.03 |
| 18 | Virginia profile | $22.31 | $46,410 | $31,710 | $66,110 | 66,550 | 16.19 | 1.02 |
| 19 | New York profile | $22.06 | $45,890 | $34,270 | $64,800 | 134,280 | 13.86 | 0.87 |
| 20 | Illinois profile | $21.99 | $45,730 | $31,560 | $68,490 | 95,980 | 15.74 | 0.99 |
| 21 | Nevada profile | $21.86 | $45,460 | $29,640 | $64,760 | 20,430 | 13.17 | 0.83 |
| 22 | Maine profile | $21.78 | $45,300 | $34,430 | $60,010 | 11,260 | 17.57 | 1.11 |
| 23 | Wisconsin profile | $21.63 | $44,980 | $27,130 | $61,760 | 51,440 | 17.49 | 1.10 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania profile | $21.61 | $44,950 | $29,640 | $62,480 | 107,500 | 17.73 | 1.12 |
| 25 | Idaho profile | $21.55 | $44,830 | $29,530 | $63,190 | 20,790 | 24.24 | 1.53 |
| 26 | Michigan profile | $21.55 | $44,820 | $30,880 | $62,090 | 88,030 | 19.99 | 1.26 |
| 27 | Indiana profile | $21.40 | $44,520 | $28,510 | $63,920 | 58,480 | 18.27 | 1.15 |
| 28 | Florida profile | $21.37 | $44,450 | $30,880 | $65,110 | 189,700 | 19.10 | 1.21 |
| 29 | Iowa profile | $21.30 | $44,310 | $29,660 | $61,410 | 23,120 | 14.83 | 0.94 |
| 30 | Utah profile | $21.18 | $44,060 | $28,600 | $65,320 | 36,470 | 21.02 | 1.33 |
| 31 | Ohio profile | $21.00 | $43,680 | $27,770 | $63,190 | 89,310 | 16.09 | 1.02 |
| 32 | Wyoming profile | $20.60 | $42,840 | $29,030 | $64,260 | 6,670 | 23.75 | 1.50 |
| 33 | Delaware profile | $20.55 | $42,740 | $31,200 | $59,550 | 7,230 | 14.91 | 0.94 |
| 34 | Missouri profile | $20.37 | $42,370 | $29,900 | $62,710 | 56,050 | 19.09 | 1.20 |
| 35 | Hawaii profile | $20.35 | $42,340 | $31,050 | $62,040 | 12,930 | 20.60 | 1.30 |
| 36 | North Carolina profile | $20.08 | $41,770 | $27,660 | $60,170 | 67,930 | 13.75 | 0.87 |
| 37 | Georgia profile | $19.51 | $40,590 | $27,770 | $58,510 | 75,390 | 15.42 | 0.97 |
| 38 | Texas profile | $18.75 | $39,000 | $24,570 | $61,190 | 218,470 | 15.53 | 0.98 |
| 39 | Tennessee profile | $18.68 | $38,860 | $26,780 | $58,570 | 49,880 | 15.21 | 0.96 |
| 40 | South Dakota profile | $18.54 | $38,560 | $28,390 | $51,080 | 1,720 | 3.77 | 0.24 |
| 41 | Kentucky profile | $18.21 | $37,870 | $22,640 | $56,750 | 29,750 | 14.87 | 0.94 |
| 42 | Nebraska profile | $18.18 | $37,820 | $28,430 | $51,930 | 10,000 | 9.76 | 0.62 |
| 43 | Oklahoma profile | $17.90 | $37,240 | $21,960 | $57,990 | 31,870 | 18.66 | 1.18 |
| 44 | New Mexico profile | $17.85 | $37,130 | $27,750 | $52,000 | 11,880 | 13.64 | 0.86 |
| 45 | Arkansas profile | $17.81 | $37,050 | $25,400 | $55,050 | 29,940 | 22.96 | 1.45 |
| 46 | South Carolina profile | $17.71 | $36,840 | $19,570 | $56,430 | 42,250 | 18.33 | 1.16 |
| 47 | West Virginia profile | $16.84 | $35,020 | $24,160 | $51,010 | 9,430 | 13.44 | 0.85 |
| 48 | Mississippi profile | $16.78 | $34,900 | $21,410 | $52,780 | 17,600 | 15.13 | 0.95 |
| 49 | Louisiana profile | $15.62 | $32,480 | $20,920 | $49,520 | 31,790 | 16.43 | 1.04 |
| 50 | Kansas profile | $15.56 | $32,370 | $20,340 | $60,170 | 2,130 | 1.48 | 0.09 |
| 51 | Alabama profile | $15.00 | $31,200 | $20,770 | $47,940 | 13,130 | 6.21 | 0.39 |
Part of Office and Administrative Support Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 43-9061 Office Clerks, General.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 43-9061, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 43-9061.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.