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.
Also called: Claims Clerk · Clerk · Clerk Typist · Documentation Specialist · File Clerk · Medical Records Clerk
Median pay (national)
$41,270
$29,620–$61,080 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
78,980
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
-15.9%
~7,300 openings/yr
Typical entry
High school diploma or equivalent
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for file clerks shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $61,080 versus $29,620 at the bottom 10% — 2.1x. The median of $41,270 leaves roughly 48% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change -15.9% from 2024 to 2034 — a projected decline, against +3% across all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 7,300 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 51 states with released data, District of Columbia pays the most for this role (median $57,560, +39% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $25,360 — a 127% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Writing
- Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Learning Strategies
- Mathematics
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- 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.
- Answer questions about records or files.
- Place materials into storage receptacles, such as file cabinets, boxes, bins, or drawers, according to classification and identification information.
Tools & technology
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Word
- Intuit QuickBooks
- Microsoft Windows
- Electronic filing software
- Electronic health record EHR software
- Optical scanning software
- Adobe Acrobat
- Email software
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft SharePoint
Knowledge areas
- Administrative
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Law and Government
- Computers and Electronics
- Telecommunications
- Mathematics
- Public Safety and Security