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General Office Clerk Training and Jobs


Schools and Degrees

To become a general office clerk, one generally needs a high school diploma. Post secondary vocational schools, junior and community colleges and high schools have business education programs for training in this vocation.

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Training and Education

Employees are generally expected to have short-term on-the-job training. About 19% of general office clerks hold a bachelor's degree or better. Currently 45% of workers have some college education, though not a degree. About 36% of employees were able to get their jobs with a high-school diploma.


Job Overview

General office clerks work according to the specific requirements of employers. In general, they operate office equipment like photocopiers and fax machines. They answer telephones, proofread documents and prepare mail.


Job Requirements

Previous office experience is always helpful. Besides this, acquaintance with word processing software and basic computer operating skills are necessary.

A college degree or some form of formal education helps one advance in this career. Work experience and acquisition of specific skills would assist those with the desire to switch over to jobs with better pay and career potential.

Those who can do many different tasks and fulfill the requirements of the different departments in the company are always preferred. One must also have an eye for detail, be adaptable and have good communication skills.


Nature of Work

The job responsibilities of a clerk is dependent on the kind of office that he or she works in. In general, they maintain records of payroll, take inventory and sort out checks. They also perform jobs that are unique to every organization. For a wholesaler, general office clerks may require to file orders got by fax. Experienced general office clerks may also check reports on statistics, take care of financial and other records and make arrangements for travel. They also ready invoices and answer queries on the functions of departments.

General office clerks have usual office schedules. They work for forty hours a week. Usually, they work in the comfortable environment of an office. Many general office clerks work in temporary or part-time positions.


Area Job Conditions

General office clerks are relatively common in Iowa City (Iowa), Charlottesville (Virginia), and Harrisonburg (Virginia). They are rarer in Burlington (Vermont), Sioux Falls (South Dakota), and Cheyenne (Wyoming).

Workers are paid highest in Oakland (California), San Francisco (California), and Brockton (Massachusetts), and lowest in Lawrence (Kansas), Las Cruces (New Mexico), and Albany (Georgia).


Part-Time and Self Employment

About 26% of general office clerks work less than full-time. In 1% of the cases, workers work for themselves.


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General Office Clerks by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)

In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.

Alabama

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Anniston $22,000 720 -16%
Auburn $24,000 780 -5%
Birmingham $24,000 8,970 -15%
Decatur $22,000 720 -29%
Dothan $21,000 970 -13%
Florence $21,000 1,030 +5%
Gadsden $22,000 680 +8%
Huntsville $23,000 2,420 -44%
Mobile $22,000 3,610 -1%
Montgomery $23,000 3,760 +12%
Tuscaloosa $21,000 1,920 +7%

Alaska

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Anchorage $35,000 4,360 +26%
Fairbanks $35,000 1,090 +88%

Arizona

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Flagstaff $26,000 970 -9%
Kingman $25,000 1,260 +43%
Phoenix $30,000 35,430 -7%
Prescott $26,000 890 -13%
Tucson $27,000 6,970 -4%
Yuma $26,000 820 -22%

Arkansas

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Fayetteville $25,000 3,650 -14%
Fort Smith $23,000 2,170 -13%
Hot Springs $22,000 1,060 +61%
Jonesboro $22,000 890 +2%
Little Rock $24,000 7,670 +4%
Pine Bluff $24,000 550 +2%

California

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bakersfield $28,000 6,010 +10%
Chico $25,000 2,380 +76%
El Centro $27,000 1,010 +8%
Fresno $29,000 7,630 +13%
Hanford $30,000 690 +12%
Los Angeles $30,000 95,610 +9%
Madera $27,000 680 +18%
Merced $28,000 1,190 +10%
Modesto $29,000 2,800 -12%
Napa $32,000 950 -21%
Oakland $37,000 19,080 -11%
Oxnard $30,000 5,590 -11%
Redding $27,000 1,470 +28%
Riverside $29,000 25,720 -1%
Sacramento $32,000 26,770 +43%
Salinas $30,000 3,150 -4%
San Diego $31,000 30,100 +7%
San Francisco $34,000 17,440 -19%
San Jose $35,000 13,760 -29%
San Luis Obispo $27,000 2,490 +35%
Santa Ana $30,000 31,060 -1%
Santa Barbara $33,000 3,840 +11%
Santa Cruz $29,000 1,770 +3%
Santa Rosa $30,000 3,640 +1%
Stockton $32,000 4,050 -7%
Vallejo $33,000 2,840 +17%
Visalia $27,000 2,520 -8%
Yuba City $31,000 910 +30%

Colorado

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Boulder $30,000 1,450 -54%
Colorado Springs $27,000 2,720 -49%
Denver $31,000 12,240 -55%
Fort Collins $26,000 1,080 -58%
Grand Junction $27,000 790 -27%
Greeley $27,000 640 -55%
Pueblo $29,000 500 -54%

Connecticut

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bridgeport $34,000 6,960 -23%
Danbury $32,000 1,260 -5%
Hartford $32,000 10,450 -15%
New Haven $33,000 4,150 -28%
Norwich $30,000 1,440 -42%
Waterbury $29,000 1,210 -8%

Delaware

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Dover $26,000 1,250 +29%
Wilmington $28,000 7,620 +10%

District of Columbia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Washington $33,000 56,530 +7%

Florida

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Cape Coral $25,000 3,270 -19%
Deltona $24,000 3,200 +2%
Fort Lauderdale $26,000 13,740 -8%
Fort Walton Beach $24,000 1,320 -12%
Gainesville $25,000 3,050 +24%
Jacksonville $27,000 11,810 -8%
Lakeland $26,000 3,710 -5%
Miami $25,000 21,640 +2%
Naples $26,000 2,020 -10%
Ocala $24,000 2,260 +30%
Orlando $26,000 16,540 -24%
Palm Bay $25,000 3,400 -17%
Palm Coast $23,000 370 +38%
Panama City $24,000 1,380 +3%
Pensacola $24,000 2,470 -19%
Port St Lucie $26,000 2,380 -1%
Punta Gorda $25,000 900 +26%
Sarasota $26,000 4,750 -8%
Sebastian $25,000 860 -3%
Tallahassee $23,000 3,690 +11%
Tampa $26,000 20,400 -17%
West Palm Beach $27,000 9,380 -15%

Georgia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Albany $23,000 1,120 -6%
Athens $24,000 1,430 +4%
Atlanta $26,000 47,350 -5%
Augusta $25,000 4,670 +9%
Brunswick $24,000 1,160 +53%
Columbus $23,000 2,520 +13%
Dalton $26,000 1,370 +4%
Gainesville $24,000 1,350 0%
Hinesville $26,000 440 +98%
Macon $23,000 2,020 +12%
Rome $23,000 720 +13%
Savannah $24,000 3,130 +2%
Valdosta $22,000 970 +4%
Warner Robins $23,000 1,030 +2%

Hawaii

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Honolulu $30,000 10,670 +14%

Idaho

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Boise $28,000 7,150 +30%
Coeur Dalene $26,000 1,480 +55%
Idaho Falls $27,000 1,380 +58%
Lewiston $26,000 580 +44%
Pocatello $25,000 900 +67%

Illinois

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bloomington $28,000 1,470 +8%
Champaign $28,000 1,770 -14%
Chicago $30,000 80,230 -1%
Danville $26,000 560 +16%
Decatur $25,000 940 +11%
Kankakee $25,000 870 +15%
Peoria $26,000 3,390 -4%
Rockford $27,000 2,420 -16%
Springfield $30,000 3,090 +43%

Indiana

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Anderson $24,000 940 +35%
Bloomington $25,000 1,580 +17%
Columbus $25,000 800 +15%
Elkhart $25,000 2,090 -4%
Evansville $25,000 4,190 +18%
Fort Wayne $26,000 4,100 -4%
Gary $24,000 6,780 +19%
Indianapolis $27,000 16,450 -15%
Kokomo $22,000 910 +28%
Lafayette $23,000 1,990 +35%
Michigan City $26,000 990 +31%
Muncie $24,000 1,010 +19%
South Bend $25,000 3,080 +17%
Terre Haute $23,000 1,540 +17%

Iowa

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Ames $32,000 850 +25%
Cedar Rapids $29,000 2,930 +3%
Davenport $26,000 3,170 -18%
Des Moines $29,000 7,630 +9%
Dubuque $26,000 910 -10%
Iowa City $35,000 2,120 +54%
Sioux City $26,000 1,120 -21%
Waterloo $28,000 1,350 -20%

Kansas

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Lawrence $24,000 1,030 +28%
Manhattan $23,000 1,330 +35%
Topeka $25,000 1,790 -19%
Wichita $26,000 4,620 -24%

Kentucky

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bowling Green $24,000 870 -18%
Elizabethtown $25,000 610 -26%
Lexington $27,000 3,760 -26%
Louisville $27,000 8,780 -33%
Owensboro $24,000 590 -33%

Louisiana

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Alexandria $22,000 820 -34%
Baton Rouge $22,000 7,990 +1%
Houma $21,000 1,820 -4%
Lafayette $23,000 3,370 +15%
Lake Charles $24,000 1,640 -6%
Monroe $21,000 1,430 -4%
New Orleans $25,000 7,760 -32%
Shreveport $23,000 2,820 -24%

Maine

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bangor $28,000 1,270 +8%
Lewiston $26,000 1,130 +19%
Portland $29,000 4,400 +5%

Maryland

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Baltimore $30,000 32,840 +16%
Bethesda $31,000 12,250 -1%
Cumberland $23,000 890 +32%
Hagerstown $28,000 2,480 +28%
Salisbury $27,000 1,390 +37%

Massachusetts

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Barnstable Town $33,000 2,110 +6%
Boston $35,000 31,270 -17%
Brockton $33,000 1,600 -11%
Framingham $33,000 2,160 -36%
Haverhill $31,000 1,360 -16%
Lawrence $33,000 1,060 -7%
Leominster $32,000 1,040 +12%
Lowell $32,000 2,260 -7%
New Bedford $30,000 1,270 +2%
Peabody $32,000 1,660 -19%
Pittsfield $29,000 620 +7%
Springfield $30,000 5,780 -8%
Taunton $28,000 970 +16%
Worcester $34,000 4,390 -17%

Michigan

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Ann Arbor $29,000 6,020 +74%
Battle Creek $28,000 1,680 +72%
Bay City $25,000 950 +62%
Detroit $29,000 17,870 +24%
Flint $26,000 4,100 +55%
Grand Rapids $31,000 10,400 +29%
Holland $27,000 2,820 +47%
Jackson $27,000 1,380 +51%
Kalamazoo $27,000 4,430 +60%
Lansing $28,000 5,070 +23%
Monroe $29,000 1,090 +64%
Muskegon $29,000 1,340 +26%
Niles $27,000 1,700 +54%
Saginaw $25,000 1,910 +18%
Warren $29,000 27,730 +19%

Minnesota

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Duluth $27,000 3,270 +24%
Mankato $27,000 1,630 +52%
Minneapolis $30,000 37,530 -3%
Rochester $29,000 1,760 -14%
St Cloud $28,000 2,160 +13%

Mississippi

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Gulfport $24,000 1,260 -42%
Hattiesburg $20,000 820 -25%
Jackson $24,000 3,480 -35%
Pascagoula $24,000 520 -40%

Missouri

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Cape Girardeau $26,000 1,110 +34%
Columbia $26,000 2,730 +73%
Jefferson City $27,000 2,400 +66%
Joplin $24,000 1,710 +10%
Kansas City $30,000 19,760 -10%
Springfield $25,000 5,560 +40%
St Joseph $27,000 1,170 +22%
St Louis $30,000 29,440 +2%

Montana

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Billings $26,000 970 -42%
Great Falls $24,000 480 -28%
Missoula $25,000 620 -37%

Nebraska

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Lincoln $23,000 4,290 +30%
Omaha $26,000 5,530 -45%

Nevada

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Carson City $32,000 700 +53%
Las Vegas $31,000 19,990 +9%
Reno $33,000 4,200 +6%

New Hampshire

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Manchester $33,000 2,110 +1%
Nashua $33,000 2,090 -25%
Portsmouth $32,000 1,080 -2%
Rochester $34,000 1,000 -2%

New Jersey

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Atlantic City $29,000 1,780 -40%
Camden $30,000 9,130 -19%
Edison $31,000 19,180 -13%
Newark $31,000 18,060 -16%
Ocean City $30,000 880 +16%
Trenton $33,000 4,580 -4%
Vineland $28,000 1,120 -3%

New Mexico

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Albuquerque $26,000 5,320 -35%
Farmington $23,000 850 -9%
Las Cruces $20,000 1,130 -9%
Santa Fe $27,000 1,020 -15%

New York

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Albany $29,000 10,510 +9%
Binghamton $24,000 2,070 -9%
Buffalo $26,000 11,630 -2%
Elmira $27,000 570 -18%
Glens Falls $25,000 710 -28%
Ithaca $28,000 1,060 +40%
Kingston $25,000 1,280 +10%
Nassau $30,000 28,920 +6%
New York $30,000 122,430 +9%
Poughkeepsie $28,000 4,240 -18%
Rochester $26,000 7,590 -30%
Syracuse $27,000 6,360 -4%
Utica $25,000 2,760 +9%

North Carolina

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Asheville $25,000 2,120 -42%
Burlington $25,000 660 -39%
Charlotte $27,000 12,040 -35%
Durham $28,000 4,780 -18%
Fayetteville $27,000 2,650 +3%
Goldsboro $25,000 720 -4%
Greensboro $27,000 5,290 -30%
Greenville $28,000 1,850 +41%
Hickory $25,000 1,770 -41%
Jacksonville $24,000 640 -19%
Raleigh $27,000 6,850 -38%
Rocky Mount $24,000 860 -22%
Wilmington $26,000 2,490 -11%
Winston Salem $26,000 2,550 -42%

North Dakota

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bismarck $24,000 1,590 +26%
Fargo $26,000 2,900 +17%
Grand Forks $25,000 1,230 +36%

Ohio

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Akron $27,000 6,650 -3%
Canton $26,000 3,160 -8%
Cincinnati $29,000 19,350 -12%
Cleveland $28,000 18,940 -14%
Columbus $30,000 19,280 -3%
Dayton $28,000 5,860 -28%
Lima $26,000 1,080 +9%
Mansfield $28,000 920 -6%
Sandusky $28,000 790 +25%
Springfield $25,000 780 -13%
Steubenville $25,000 1,180 +54%
Toledo $28,000 5,830 -6%
Youngstown $25,000 4,870 +2%

Oklahoma

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Lawton $24,000 1,050 +40%
Oklahoma City $24,000 14,400 +16%
Tulsa $24,000 8,030 -13%

Oregon

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bend $31,000 1,030 -15%
Corvallis $29,000 780 +64%
Eugene $29,000 2,800 -3%
Medford $28,000 1,540 +1%
Portland $31,000 17,150 -22%
Salem $30,000 3,810 +24%

Pennsylvania

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Allentown $29,000 8,980 +22%
Altoona $25,000 1,410 +21%
Erie $28,000 3,190 +22%
Harrisburg $30,000 8,530 +25%
Johnstown $24,000 1,780 +66%
Lancaster $29,000 5,600 +13%
Lebanon $28,000 1,460 +72%
Philadelphia $31,000 48,270 +17%
Pittsburgh $27,000 29,150 +18%
Reading $29,000 3,860 +12%
Scranton $26,000 6,410 +16%
State College $33,000 4,130 +242%
Williamsport $26,000 1,520 +56%
York $28,000 3,500 -4%

Rhode Island

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Providence $30,000 9,860 -18%

South Carolina

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Anderson $24,000 1,140 +6%
Charleston $27,000 5,300 -13%
Columbia $28,000 8,310 +11%
Florence $23,000 1,180 -24%
Greenville $26,000 5,960 -6%
Myrtle Beach $25,000 2,290 +4%
Spartanburg $24,000 2,140 -8%
Sumter $23,000 770 +31%

South Dakota

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Rapid City $23,000 540 -56%
Sioux Falls $23,000 1,150 -60%

Tennessee

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Chattanooga $27,000 4,980 +4%
Clarksville $26,000 1,460 -5%
Cleveland $24,000 890 +43%
Jackson $25,000 1,350 +20%
Johnson City $25,000 1,680 +20%
Kingsport $25,000 3,300 +34%
Knoxville $28,000 8,440 +19%
Memphis $28,000 12,650 -5%
Morristown $26,000 860 +1%
Nashville $29,000 19,640 +23%

Texas

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Abilene $23,000 1,720 +41%
Amarillo $25,000 2,690 +25%
Austin $31,000 22,950 +35%
Beaumont $27,000 3,390 +2%
Brownsville $21,000 3,890 +46%
College Station $29,000 2,880 +57%
Corpus Christi $25,000 3,430 -7%
Dallas $31,000 49,540 +9%
El Paso $24,000 7,840 +36%
Fort Worth $29,000 17,210 -8%
Houston $30,000 59,360 +4%
Killeen $25,000 3,180 +21%
Laredo $23,000 2,430 +57%
Longview $25,000 2,250 +18%
Lubbock $25,000 2,830 +10%
Mcallen $21,000 6,710 +39%
Midland $27,000 1,890 +56%
Odessa $25,000 1,700 +57%
San Angelo $25,000 890 +16%
San Antonio $27,000 18,830 +0%
Sherman $27,000 990 +30%
Texarkana $25,000 840 -19%
Tyler $25,000 2,040 +14%
Victoria $26,000 920 +2%
Waco $27,000 2,450 +22%
Wichita Falls $25,000 1,230 +17%

Utah

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Logan $23,000 1,100 +24%
Ogden $24,000 3,730 -10%
Provo $24,000 3,870 +10%
Salt Lake City $26,000 13,300 +2%
St George $22,000 1,040 +22%

Vermont

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Burlington $30,000 900 -60%

Virginia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Blacksburg $25,000 2,000 +71%
Charlottesville $30,000 3,490 +104%
Danville $23,000 1,100 +76%
Harrisonburg $26,000 1,920 +80%
Lynchburg $24,000 2,760 +39%
Richmond $29,000 18,840 +43%
Roanoke $27,000 4,460 +39%
Virginia Beach $27,000 22,510 +38%
Winchester $27,000 1,510 +61%

Washington

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bellingham $29,000 1,460 +1%
Bremerton $30,000 1,360 -17%
Kennewick $29,000 1,710 -15%
Longview $29,000 540 -9%
Mount Vernon $30,000 870 +6%
Olympia $30,000 2,690 +36%
Seattle $33,000 22,150 -27%
Spokane $29,000 3,640 -15%
Tacoma $31,000 4,770 -15%
Wenatchee $28,000 690 -3%
Yakima $28,000 1,560 -6%

West Virginia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Charleston $27,000 6,120 +105%
Huntington $25,000 2,950 +28%
Morgantown $24,000 3,240 +221%
Parkersburg $25,000 2,080 +57%
Wheeling $24,000 2,160 +72%

Wisconsin

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Appleton $28,000 2,950 +27%
Eau Claire $26,000 1,910 +32%
Fond $27,000 1,200 +52%
Green Bay $28,000 3,940 +13%
Janesville $27,000 1,360 +12%
La Crosse $26,000 1,570 +12%
Madison $31,000 8,040 +12%
Milwaukee $30,000 18,760 +5%
Oshkosh $30,000 1,660 -5%
Racine $28,000 1,690 +16%
Sheboygan $29,000 1,250 +17%
Wausau $29,000 1,550 +21%

Wyoming

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Casper $29,000 470 -29%
Cheyenne $30,000 610 -22%
*FOOTNOTES: Job Facts salary and numbers data is based on US Department of Labor Statistics data for 2011. Other data on page may be from earlier years. Typical salary is given as median salary, where 50% in the job make more and 50% less. Salary range is Job Hunt's estimates of typical starting salary as being at the 10th percentile of reported pay and typical top end salary, for the most senior workers, as being at the 90th. Job openings is an estimate of new jobs every year due to growth plus those leaving the field. Where NA is given data is not available. Suggested studies is based on Job Hunt research, suggesting a minimum degree level that is judged to offer the best opportunities for entry-level employment. This Office Clerks schools and career page was originally researched by CityTownInfo.com.