Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$30,310
- 25th Percentile — Junior$36,350
- 50th Percentile — Median$45,010
- 75th Percentile — Senior$54,300
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$64,680
The top 10% of Office Clerks General earn $64,680 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $30,310, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
What Office Clerks General Do
Role, training and entry requirements
General office clerks handle a wide mix of administrative tasks: answering phones, filing, data entry, preparing documents, processing mail, and keeping records. Unlike more specialized clerks, their duties vary from day to day and depend heavily on the employer.
How to become one
A high school diploma is typically required, and skills are learned on the job. Familiarity with office software and basic bookkeeping helps applicants stand out.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $57,730 | +24.4% |
| Colorado | $56,890 | +22.6% |
| Washington | $53,940 | +16.2% |
| Alaska | $53,410 | +15.1% |
| North Dakota | $52,730 | +13.6% |
| Massachusetts | $51,980 | +12.0% |
| California | $51,880 | +11.8% |
| Oregon | $51,180 | +10.3% |
| New Jersey | $51,060 | +10.0% |
| Connecticut | $50,660 | +9.1% |
| New Hampshire | $50,640 | +9.1% |
| Maryland | $50,570 | +8.9% |
| Rhode Island | $49,950 | +7.6% |
| Vermont | $49,740 | +7.2% |
| Minnesota | $49,410 | +6.4% |
| Arizona | $49,100 | +5.8% |
| Montana | $48,420 | +4.3% |
| Illinois | $48,250 | +3.9% |
| Virginia | $48,220 | +3.9% |
| New York | $48,010 | +3.4% |
| Nevada | $46,540 | +0.3% |
| Florida | $46,530 | +0.2% |
| Maine | $46,460 | +0.1% |
| Michigan | $45,880 | -1.2% |
| Utah | $45,820 | -1.3% |
| Pennsylvania | $45,550 | -1.9% |
| Idaho | $45,520 | -1.9% |
| Indiana | $45,320 | -2.4% |
| Missouri | $45,250 | -2.5% |
| Wyoming | $45,250 | -2.5% |
| Iowa | $45,080 | -2.9% |
| Wisconsin | $45,040 | -3.0% |
| Hawaii | $44,880 | -3.3% |
| Ohio | $44,880 | -3.3% |
| Delaware | $44,210 | -4.8% |
| North Carolina | $43,140 | -7.1% |
| Georgia | $42,400 | -8.7% |
| Texas | $41,810 | -9.9% |
| Tennessee | $41,290 | -11.1% |
| Nebraska | $39,620 | -14.6% |
| Kentucky | $39,310 | -15.3% |
| Arkansas | $39,270 | -15.4% |
| South Dakota | $39,100 | -15.8% |
| Oklahoma | $39,080 | -15.8% |
| New Mexico | $38,790 | -16.4% |
| South Carolina | $37,970 | -18.2% |
| Kansas | $37,330 | -19.6% |
| West Virginia | $36,560 | -21.2% |
| Mississippi | $36,250 | -21.9% |
| Louisiana | $34,470 | -25.7% |
| Alabama | $33,370 | -28.1% |
What Factors Affect Office Clerks General Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for Office Clerks General is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: District of Columbia pays an average of $57,730, while Alabama pays $33,370 — a gap of $24,360 per year.
Government agencies, hospitals, and large corporations tend to pay more than small businesses. Clerks who build skills in a specialty such as bookkeeping, payroll, or medical records often move into better-paid specialized roles.
These figures are the wages employers report to BLS: base pay plus commissions, production bonuses and tips. They exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, year-end bonuses, benefits and self-employed workers, so total compensation can be higher than the numbers shown.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) · May 2025
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for Office Clerks General?
The average salary for Office Clerks General in the United States is $46,420 per year, with a median of $45,010.
What is the starting salary for Office Clerks General?
Entry-level Office Clerks General typically earn between $30,310 and $36,350 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays Office Clerks General the most?
District of Columbia pays Office Clerks General the most at $57,730 per year on average, followed by Colorado ($56,890) and Washington ($53,940).
How much do Office Clerks General make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $46,420, Office Clerks General earn approximately $22.32 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is Office Clerks General a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 2,464,940 Office Clerks General jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $46,420 and a median of $45,010 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
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