SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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, office machine operation, and filing.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 43-9061.
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 | $30,310 | $2,526 | $583 | $14.57 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $36,350 | $3,029 | $699 | $17.48 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $45,010 | $3,751 | $866 | $21.64 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $54,300 | $4,525 | $1,044 | $26.11 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $64,680 | $5,390 | $1,244 | $31.10 |
* 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 Office Clerks, General is $45,010, which is 12% lower. Among the 54 occupations of the field Office and Administrative Support, it ranks number 40 by median pay. With 2,464,940 jobs, it makes up about 159 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Office Clerks, General pay by state
The highest median pay was in District of Columbia ($55,040), Colorado ($53,550) and Alaska ($51,890). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($23,860), Guam ($26,470) and Alabama ($31,200). The most jobs were in California (311,490), Texas (218,470) and Florida (189,700). The occupation is most concentrated in Idaho, where its share of all jobs is 1.5 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 5,670 | $55,040 | $57,730 | $26.46 |
| Colorado | 31,770 | $53,550 | $56,890 | $25.75 |
| Alaska | 3,440 | $51,890 | $53,410 | $24.95 |
| Washington | 49,050 | $50,500 | $53,940 | $24.28 |
| North Dakota | 8,440 | $50,160 | $52,730 | $24.11 |
| Massachusetts | 47,940 | $49,940 | $51,980 | $24.01 |
| Oregon | 27,980 | $49,910 | $51,180 | $23.99 |
| New Hampshire | 12,740 | $49,020 | $50,640 | $23.57 |
| New Jersey | 65,130 | $48,570 | $51,060 | $23.35 |
| California | 311,490 | $48,460 | $51,880 | $23.30 |
| Vermont | 5,100 | $48,310 | $49,740 | $23.23 |
| Connecticut | 23,190 | $48,280 | $50,660 | $23.21 |
| Minnesota | 55,530 | $47,840 | $49,410 | $23.00 |
| Rhode Island | 7,700 | $47,830 | $49,950 | $23.00 |
| Maryland | 27,290 | $47,270 | $50,570 | $22.73 |
| Montana | 10,390 | $46,480 | $48,420 | $22.35 |
| Arizona | 52,710 | $46,420 | $49,100 | $22.32 |
| Virginia | 66,550 | $46,410 | $48,220 | $22.31 |
| New York | 134,280 | $45,890 | $48,010 | $22.06 |
| Illinois | 95,980 | $45,730 | $48,250 | $21.99 |
| Nevada | 20,430 | $45,460 | $46,540 | $21.86 |
| Maine | 11,260 | $45,300 | $46,460 | $21.78 |
| Wisconsin | 51,440 | $44,980 | $45,040 | $21.63 |
| Pennsylvania | 107,500 | $44,950 | $45,550 | $21.61 |
| Idaho | 20,790 | $44,830 | $45,520 | $21.55 |
| Michigan | 88,030 | $44,820 | $45,880 | $21.55 |
| Indiana | 58,480 | $44,520 | $45,320 | $21.40 |
| Florida | 189,700 | $44,450 | $46,530 | $21.37 |
| Iowa | 23,120 | $44,310 | $45,080 | $21.30 |
| Utah | 36,470 | $44,060 | $45,820 | $21.18 |
| Ohio | 89,310 | $43,680 | $44,880 | $21.00 |
| Wyoming | 6,670 | $42,840 | $45,250 | $20.60 |
| Delaware | 7,230 | $42,740 | $44,210 | $20.55 |
| Missouri | 56,050 | $42,370 | $45,250 | $20.37 |
| Hawaii | 12,930 | $42,340 | $44,880 | $20.35 |
| North Carolina | 67,930 | $41,770 | $43,140 | $20.08 |
| Georgia | 75,390 | $40,590 | $42,400 | $19.51 |
| Texas | 218,470 | $39,000 | $41,810 | $18.75 |
| Tennessee | 49,880 | $38,860 | $41,290 | $18.68 |
| South Dakota | 1,720 | $38,560 | $39,100 | $18.54 |
| Kentucky | 29,750 | $37,870 | $39,310 | $18.21 |
| Nebraska | 10,000 | $37,820 | $39,620 | $18.18 |
| Virgin Islands | 560 | $37,330 | $41,100 | $17.95 |
| Oklahoma | 31,870 | $37,240 | $39,080 | $17.90 |
| New Mexico | 11,880 | $37,130 | $38,790 | $17.85 |
| Arkansas | 29,940 | $37,050 | $39,270 | $17.81 |
| South Carolina | 42,250 | $36,840 | $37,970 | $17.71 |
| West Virginia | 9,430 | $35,020 | $36,560 | $16.84 |
| Mississippi | 17,600 | $34,900 | $36,250 | $16.78 |
| Louisiana | 31,790 | $32,480 | $34,470 | $15.62 |
| Kansas | 2,130 | $32,370 | $37,330 | $15.56 |
| Alabama | 13,130 | $31,200 | $33,370 | $15.00 |
| Guam | 760 | $26,470 | $28,320 | $12.73 |
| Puerto Rico | 20,190 | $23,860 | $27,340 | $11.47 |
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
- Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan$45,920 a year
- Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other$45,670 a year
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks$45,260 a year
- Customer Service Representatives$44,770 a year
- Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks$44,390 a year
- File Clerks$43,600 a year
Common questions
How much do Office Clerks, General earn in the United States?
The median pay was $45,010 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $30,310 and the highest-paid 10% more than $64,680.
How many people work as Office Clerks, General?
About 2,464,940 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.