How much does a file clerk make?

The median pay is $20.96 per hour — roughly $43,500 a year, with the real range running from about $15.00/hr (10th percentile) to $30.53/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a file clerk?

The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

What does a file clerk actually do all day?

Scan or read incoming materials to determine how and where they should be classified or filed. Input data, such as file numbers, new or updated information, or document information codes into computer systems to support document and information retrieval. Perform general office activities, such as typing, answering telephones, operating office machines, processing mail, or securing confidential materials.

Office & Administrative

File Clerks

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.

What it pays
File Clerks earn a median of $20.96/hr — about $43,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $15.00/hr; the top 10% earn $30.53/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)

What you'd actually do

Scan or read incoming materials to determine how and where they should be classified or filed.
Input data, such as file numbers, new or updated information, or document information codes into computer systems to support document and information retrieval.
Perform general office activities, such as typing, answering telephones, operating office machines, processing mail, or securing confidential materials.
Sort or classify information according to guidelines, such as content, purpose, user criteria, or chronological, alphabetical, or numerical order.
Answer questions about records or files.
Keep records of materials filed or removed, using logbooks or computers and generate computerized reports.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

The feel of the work

The work is mostly indoors; precision matters — small details carry weight. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 2.9% of file clerks are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are organized and detail-focused.

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Quick questions

How much does a file clerk make?: The median pay is $20.96 per hour — roughly $43,500 a year, with the real range running from about $15.00/hr (10th percentile) to $30.53/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need a degree to be a file clerk?: The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
What does a file clerk actually do all day?: Scan or read incoming materials to determine how and where they should be classified or filed. Input data, such as file numbers, new or updated information, or document information codes into computer systems to support document and information retrieval. Perform general office activities, such as typing, answering telephones, operating office machines, processing mail, or securing confidential materials.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.

Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.