SalariesWhat the occupation covers
File correspondence, cards, invoices, receipts, and other records in alphabetical or numerical order or according to the filing system used. Locate and remove material from file when requested.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 43-4071.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $31,200 | $2,600 | $600 | $15.00 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $36,420 | $3,035 | $700 | $17.51 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $43,600 | $3,633 | $838 | $20.96 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $51,770 | $4,314 | $996 | $24.89 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $63,490 | $5,291 | $1,221 | $30.53 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for File Clerks is $43,600, which is 14% lower. Among the 54 occupations of the field Office and Administrative Support, it ranks number 43 by median pay. With 73,440 jobs, it makes up about 4.7 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
File Clerks pay by state
The highest median pay was in Oregon ($50,660), Hawaii ($50,630) and Illinois ($49,920). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($25,700), Mississippi ($31,260) and West Virginia ($31,600). The most jobs were in Texas (11,340), California (9,520) and Florida (6,180). The occupation is most concentrated in Oklahoma, where its share of all jobs is 1.8 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 970 | $50,660 | $50,890 | $24.36 |
| Hawaii | 100 | $50,630 | $49,040 | $24.34 |
| Illinois | 3,780 | $49,920 | $52,410 | $24.00 |
| Alaska | 150 | $49,910 | $50,840 | $24.00 |
| California | 9,520 | $49,040 | $53,640 | $23.58 |
| Massachusetts | 600 | $48,310 | $51,290 | $23.22 |
| Vermont | 70 | $47,540 | $46,660 | $22.86 |
| Minnesota | 760 | $46,640 | $48,620 | $22.43 |
| Iowa | 430 | $46,560 | $47,070 | $22.38 |
| Colorado | 1,130 | $46,490 | $47,780 | $22.35 |
| Idaho | 540 | $45,910 | $43,920 | $22.07 |
| Washington | 520 | $45,830 | $49,030 | $22.04 |
| Wisconsin | 1,550 | $45,130 | $45,100 | $21.70 |
| Maryland | 880 | $44,920 | $45,720 | $21.60 |
| Connecticut | 350 | $44,810 | $48,130 | $21.55 |
| New Jersey | 2,310 | $44,400 | $47,060 | $21.34 |
| New Hampshire | 300 | $44,390 | $44,210 | $21.34 |
| New York | 2,590 | $44,340 | $46,450 | $21.32 |
| Nevada | 1,110 | $44,150 | $46,140 | $21.22 |
| Michigan | 1,820 | $43,950 | $46,100 | $21.13 |
| Maine | 210 | $43,910 | $44,020 | $21.11 |
| Arizona | 2,190 | $43,690 | $45,070 | $21.01 |
| North Carolina | 1,970 | $43,260 | $44,130 | $20.80 |
| Tennessee | 2,060 | $43,010 | $43,160 | $20.68 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,830 | $42,920 | $45,770 | $20.63 |
| North Dakota | 60 | $42,860 | $46,640 | $20.61 |
| Kansas | 570 | $42,130 | $43,470 | $20.26 |
| Florida | 6,180 | $41,750 | $42,800 | $20.07 |
| Utah | 510 | $41,450 | $41,840 | $19.93 |
| Georgia | 2,570 | $41,000 | $45,010 | $19.71 |
| Ohio | 1,820 | $40,650 | $41,880 | $19.54 |
| Nebraska | 750 | $40,640 | $42,400 | $19.54 |
| Delaware | not published | $39,940 | $41,320 | $19.20 |
| Virginia | 2,110 | $39,900 | $41,980 | $19.18 |
| Indiana | 1,430 | $39,740 | $44,460 | $19.11 |
| Texas | 11,340 | $39,480 | $42,450 | $18.98 |
| South Carolina | 1,210 | $39,350 | $40,810 | $18.92 |
| Kentucky | 250 | $39,250 | $40,680 | $18.87 |
| Oklahoma | 1,440 | $39,170 | $41,580 | $18.83 |
| Arkansas | 310 | $38,470 | $40,010 | $18.49 |
| Missouri | 1,000 | $38,400 | $41,390 | $18.46 |
| Montana | 410 | $38,370 | $38,250 | $18.45 |
| Alabama | 110 | $38,290 | $43,040 | $18.41 |
| New Mexico | 340 | $37,700 | $39,820 | $18.12 |
| South Dakota | not published | $36,640 | $36,210 | $17.62 |
| Rhode Island | not published | $36,400 | $42,340 | $17.50 |
| Guam | not published | $32,360 | $34,130 | $15.56 |
| Louisiana | 680 | $32,200 | $33,060 | $15.48 |
| West Virginia | 260 | $31,600 | $34,380 | $15.19 |
| Mississippi | not published | $31,260 | $33,300 | $15.03 |
| Puerto Rico | 330 | $25,700 | $27,500 | $12.36 |
| Wyoming | 70 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Office Clerks, General$45,010 a year
- Customer Service Representatives$44,770 a year
- Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks$44,390 a year
- Tellers$43,030 a year
- Telephone Operators$41,740 a year
- Data Entry Keyers$41,340 a year
Common questions
How much do File Clerks earn in the United States?
The median pay was $43,600 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $31,200 and the highest-paid 10% more than $63,490.
How many people work as File Clerks?
About 73,440 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.