General Office Clerk

Perform duties too varied and diverse to be classified in any specific office clerical occupation, requiring knowledge of office systems and procedures. Clerical duties may be assigned in accordance with the office procedures of individual establishments and may include a combination of answering telephones, bookkeeping, typing or word processing, office machine operation, and filing.

On the job, you would:

Inventory and order materials, supplies, and services.
Deliver messages and run errands.
Operate office machines, such as photocopiers and scanners, facsimile machines, voice mail systems, and personal computers.

Important Qualities

Customer-service skills. General office clerks often provide general information to company staff, customers, or the public. They should be courteous and prompt with their responses.

Detail oriented. General office clerks perform many clerical tasks that require attention to detail, such as preparing bills.

Organizational skills. General office clerks file and retrieve records. They need to keep records organized to be able to access them quickly and efficiently.

Personality

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Characteristics of this Career
		91%	Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
		86%	Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
		85%	Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
		80%	Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
		79%	Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
		78%	Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
		77%	Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
		75%	Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
		74%	Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
		72%	Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
		72%	Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
		70%	Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
		69%	Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
		59%	Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Strengths
		100%	Conventional - Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
		56%	Enterprising - Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Values of the Work Environment
		78%	Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
		56%	Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

Aptitude

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Abilities \| Cognitive, Physical, Personality
		72%	Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
		69%	Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
		69%	Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
		66%	Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
		60%	Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
		60%	Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
		60%	Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
		53%	Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
		53%	Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

Job Details

Responsibilities

Prepare cash for deposit or disbursement.

Execute sales or other financial transactions.

Collect deposits, payments or fees.

Confer with coworkers to coordinate work activities.

Respond to customer problems or complaints.

Answer telephones to direct calls or provide information.

Compile data or documentation.

File documents or records.

Send information, materials or documentation.

Operate office equipment.

Check data for recording errors.

Proofread documents, records, or other files to ensure accuracy.

Maintain inventory records.

Sort mail.

Distribute incoming mail.

Search files, databases or reference materials to obtain needed information.

Provide information to coworkers.

Monitor inventories of products or materials.

Schedule appointments.

Prepare employee work schedules.

Prepare documentation for contracts, transactions, or regulatory compliance.

Supervise clerical or administrative personnel.

Proofread documents, records, or other files to ensure accuracy.

Calculate weights, volumes or other characteristics of materials.

Train personnel.

Transcribe spoken or written information.

Record information from meetings or other formal proceedings.

Maintain office equipment in proper operating condition.

Make travel, accommodations, or entertainment arrangements for others.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent
		97%	Telephone - How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
		94%	Electronic Mail - How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
		93%	Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
		92%	Indoors, Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
		91%	Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
		90%	Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
		87%	Work With Work Group or Team - How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
		85%	Spend Time Sitting - How much does this job require sitting?
		82%	Deal With External Customers - How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
		81%	Importance of Repeating Same Tasks - How important is repeating the same physical activities (e.g., key entry) or mental activities (e.g., checking entries in a ledger) over and over, without stopping, to performing this job?
		69%	Time Pressure - How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
		69%	Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
		68%	Structured versus Unstructured Work - To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
		67%	Letters and Memos - How often does the job require written letters and memos?
		66%	Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions - How much does this job require making repetitive motions?
		64%	Physical Proximity - To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people?
		59%	Coordinate or Lead Others - How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job?
		57%	Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
		52%	Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People - How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements?
		52%	Frequency of Decision Making - How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Tasks & Values
		81%	Working with Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
		76%	Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
		72%	Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
		68%	Performing Administrative Activities - Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
		64%	Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
		63%	Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
		63%	Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
		62%	Communicating with People Outside the Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
		61%	Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
		58%	Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
		56%	Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
		54%	Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
		52%	Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
		52%	Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

What General Office Clerks Do

General office clerks type, format, or edit routine memos.

General office clerks perform a variety of clerical tasks, including answering telephones, typing documents, and filing records.

Duties

General office clerks typically do the following:

Answer and transfer telephone calls or take messages
Sort and deliver incoming mail and send outgoing mail
Schedule appointments and receive customers or visitors
Provide general information to staff, clients, or the public
Type, format, or edit routine memos or other reports
Copy, file, and update paper and electronic documents
Prepare and process bills and other office documents
Collect information and perform data entry

Rather than performing a single specialized task, general office clerks have responsibilities that often change daily with the current needs of the employer.

Some clerks file documents or answer phones; others enter data into computers or perform other tasks using software applications. They also frequently use photocopiers, scanners, fax machines, and other office equipment.

The specific duties assigned to clerks will depend on the type of office in which they work. For example, a general office clerk at a college or university may process application materials and answer questions from prospective students, while a clerk at a hospital may file and retrieve medical records.

Work Environment

General office clerks held about 2.7 million jobs in 2022. The largest employers of general office clerks were as follows:

Healthcare and social assistance	11%
Educational services; state, local, and private	11
Government	10
Construction	9
Professional, scientific, and technical services	8

General office clerks usually work in office settings.

Work Schedules

Most general office clerks work full time.

Getting Started

Education:

41%

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

36%

Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)

How to Become a General Office Clerk

General office clerks usually need a high school diploma or equivalent.

General office clerks typically need a high school diploma or equivalent to enter the occupation and learn their skills on the job.

Education

General office clerks usually need a high school diploma or equivalent. Some clerks have a bachelor's degree in fields such as business, social science, and psychology.

Courses in using computer applications, such as word processing and spreadsheet software, may be helpful for those who aren’t already familiar with them.

Training

General office clerks usually learn their skills while on the job. Their training typically lasts up to 1 month and may include instructions on office procedures, proper phone etiquette, and the use of office equipment.

Advancement

General office clerks may advance to other administrative positions with more responsibility, such as secretaries and administrative assistants.

Advancement opportunities often depend on work experience.

Job Outlook

Employment of general office clerks is projected to decline 7 percent from 2022 to 2032.

Despite declining employment, about 290,100 openings for general office clerks are projected each year, on average, over the decade. All of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Employment

The continued use of technology that automates document preparation and other clerical tasks, such as automated phone systems, will result in fewer general office clerks needed to perform this work. In addition, electronic filing systems and file sharing software allow other office workers to do the tasks previously done by general office clerks, further decreasing employment of office clerks. However, there will still be some sustained demand for these workers to handle administrative tasks.

Contacts for More Information

The Handbook does not have contacts for more information for this occupation.

Similar Occupations

This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of general office clerks.

Occupation	Job Duties	Entry-Level Education	Median Annual Pay, May 2022
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks	Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks produce financial records for organizations and check financial records for accuracy.	Some college, no degree	$45,860
Customer Service Representatives	Customer service representatives interact with customers to handle complaints, process orders, and answer questions.	High school diploma or equivalent	$37,780
Information Clerks	Information clerks perform routine clerical duties, maintain records, collect data, and provide information to customers.	See How to Become One	$38,710
Material Recording Clerks	Material recording clerks track product information in order to keep businesses and supply chains on schedule.	High school diploma or equivalent	$40,490
Receptionists	Receptionists do tasks such as answering phones, receiving visitors, and providing information about their organization to the public.	High school diploma or equivalent	$33,960
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants	Secretaries and administrative assistants do routine clerical and organizational tasks.	High school diploma or equivalent	$44,080