File clerks salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $31,200 | $15.00 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $43,600 | $20.96 |
| Mean (average) | $45,590 | $21.92 |
| 90th percentile | $63,490 | $30.53 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
File clerks pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 52 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $38,290 | $30,320 | $61,930 | 110 | 0.11 |
| Alaska | $49,910 | $34,370 | $65,030 | 150 | 0.99 |
| Arizona | $43,690 | $34,820 | $56,950 | 2,190 | 1.43 |
| Arkansas | $38,470 | $28,230 | $53,150 | 310 | 0.5 |
| California | $49,040 | $36,780 | $78,100 | 9,520 | 1.11 |
| Colorado | $46,490 | $35,140 | $62,550 | 1,130 | 0.83 |
| Connecticut | $44,810 | $34,010 | $68,190 | 350 | 0.44 |
| Delaware | $39,940 | $31,200 | $52,730 | ||
| Florida | $41,750 | $31,010 | $56,550 | 6,180 | 1.32 |
| Georgia | $41,000 | $29,740 | $59,710 | 2,570 | 1.11 |
| Guam | $32,360 | $21,930 | $45,660 | ||
| Hawaii | $50,630 | $32,190 | $64,660 | 100 | 0.35 |
| Idaho | $45,910 | $29,600 | $50,460 | 540 | 1.32 |
| Illinois | $49,920 | $32,120 | $73,040 | 3,780 | 1.31 |
| Indiana | $39,740 | $32,230 | $61,470 | 1,430 | 0.95 |
| Iowa | $46,560 | $33,390 | $63,480 | 430 | 0.58 |
| Kansas | $42,130 | $31,940 | $56,430 | 570 | 0.84 |
| Kentucky | $39,250 | $27,450 | $57,280 | 250 | 0.26 |
| Louisiana | $32,200 | $20,920 | $44,150 | 680 | 0.75 |
| Maine | $43,910 | $37,430 | $51,860 | 210 | 0.7 |
| Maryland | $44,920 | $35,950 | $60,530 | 880 | 0.68 |
| Massachusetts | $48,310 | $37,430 | $70,210 | 600 | 0.35 |
| Michigan | $43,950 | $31,750 | $61,900 | 1,820 | 0.88 |
| Minnesota | $46,640 | $39,250 | $61,840 | 760 | 0.55 |
| Mississippi | $31,260 | $25,210 | $44,200 | ||
| Missouri | $38,400 | $29,750 | $57,770 | 1,000 | 0.72 |
| Montana | $38,370 | $25,150 | $49,660 | 410 | 1.71 |
| Nebraska | $40,640 | $30,300 | $55,050 | 750 | 1.55 |
| Nevada | $44,150 | $33,280 | $61,160 | 1,110 | 1.51 |
| New Hampshire | $44,390 | $29,950 | $58,920 | 300 | 0.92 |
| New Jersey | $44,400 | $33,370 | $65,100 | 2,310 | 1.14 |
| New Mexico | $37,700 | $25,700 | $52,130 | 340 | 0.83 |
| New York | $44,340 | $34,270 | $59,770 | 2,590 | 0.57 |
| North Carolina | $43,260 | $31,520 | $56,790 | 1,970 | 0.85 |
| North Dakota | $42,860 | $37,650 | $59,020 | 60 | 0.29 |
| Ohio | $40,650 | $27,190 | $57,410 | 1,820 | 0.69 |
| Oklahoma | $39,170 | $27,980 | $57,990 | 1,440 | 1.78 |
| Oregon | $50,660 | $33,860 | $67,240 | 970 | 1.04 |
| Pennsylvania | $42,920 | $32,270 | $60,180 | 2,830 | 0.99 |
| Puerto Rico | $25,700 | $21,840 | $35,150 | 330 | 0.73 |
| Rhode Island | $36,400 | $32,390 | $62,840 | ||
| South Carolina | $39,350 | $27,710 | $56,800 | 1,210 | 1.11 |
| South Dakota | $36,640 | $31,930 | $37,900 | ||
| Tennessee | $43,010 | $26,460 | $59,020 | 2,060 | 1.33 |
| Texas | $39,480 | $27,380 | $61,800 | 11,340 | 1.71 |
| Utah | $41,450 | $31,240 | $53,160 | 510 | 0.63 |
| Vermont | $47,540 | $32,940 | $61,780 | 70 | 0.46 |
| Virginia | $39,900 | $31,200 | $56,970 | 2,110 | 1.09 |
| Washington | $45,830 | $36,410 | $63,670 | 520 | 0.31 |
| West Virginia | $31,600 | $26,340 | $47,650 | 260 | 0.78 |
| Wisconsin | $45,130 | $31,370 | $61,160 | 1,550 | 1.11 |
| Wyoming | Data unavailable | 70 | 0.54 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for file clerks
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 5,600. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 1.4%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for file clerks
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- General Office Occupations and Clerical Services CIP 52.0408
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Perform general office activities, such as typing, answering telephones, operating office machines, processing mail, or securing confidential materials.
- Keep records of materials filed or removed, using logbooks or computers and generate computerized reports.
- Gather materials to be filed from departments or employees.
- Find, retrieve, and make copies of information from files in response to requests and deliver information to authorized users.
- Add new material to file records or create new records as necessary.
- Sort or classify information according to guidelines, such as content, purpose, user criteria, or chronological, alphabetical, or numerical order.
- Scan or read incoming materials to determine how and where they should be classified or filed.
- Eliminate outdated or unnecessary materials, destroying them or transferring them to inactive storage, according to file maintenance guidelines or legal requirements.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft Outlook (in demand)
- Microsoft Word (in demand)
- Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Intuit QuickBooks (hot technology)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Electronic filing software
- Electronic health record EHR software
- Email software
- Optical scanning software
Transferable skills for career changers: Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Time Management, Coordination, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making.
Common job titles: Claims Clerk, Clerk, Clerk Typist, Documentation Specialist, File Clerk, Medical Records Clerk, Office Assistant, Police Records Clerk, Records Clerk, Records Custodian.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do file clerks make?
The national median annual wage for file clerks was $43,600 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $31,200 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $63,490. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do file clerks need?
BLS lists high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and short-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is file clerks a growing career?
BLS projects employment of file clerks to change -15.8% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 5,600 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay file clerks the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Oregon ($50,660), Hawaii ($50,630), Illinois ($49,920). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.