Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Job description
The role covers whatever clerical work an office needs on a given day: operating copiers, scanners, and fax machines, filing and sorting records, answering customer questions or complaints, and keeping filing, inventory, and mailing systems up to date. Clerks also manage incoming and outgoing mail, coordinate schedules and appointments, and generally work as part of a team rather than in one specialized lane. The pace carries a regular, moderate amount of pressure where accuracy on paperwork matters, but the tasks themselves rotate based on the office's daily needs. A high school diploma plus some on-the-job training is the typical entry point, and despite a shrinking share of the workforce being classified this way, the sheer size of the occupation still means hundreds of thousands of these jobs exist nationally.
Pros
- Extremely accessible entry point: just a high school diploma plus on-the-job training
- Over 282,000 positions nationwide, among the most widely available office jobs anywhere
- Steady, team-based indoor desk work with moderate, manageable time pressure
Cons
- Employment projected to shrink 6.7% over the next decade as offices automate routine tasks
- Pay tops out around $64,680, capping earning potential without moving into a specialized role
- Duties are a catch-all mix, which can mean little specialization or a clear path upward
A typical day
The morning starts with the shared inbox: overnight requests sorted, three routine ones handled immediately, one flagged for the supervisor. Filing comes next — the previous day's invoices matched to purchase orders and entered into the system, a rhythm task where accuracy is the entire value. The phone threads through everything: a vendor confirming delivery, a customer needing an account balance, a wrong number redirected kindly. Late morning is a copier jam, a certified-mail run, and a spreadsheet update for the weekly report. After lunch the clerk processes new-hire paperwork packets for HR, reconciles the postage log, and preps outgoing checks for signatures. The last half hour restocks supplies and clears the desk, because tomorrow's version of this varied, essential, unglamorous day starts clean.
Tasks at the job
- Operate office machines, such as photocopiers and scanners, facsimile machines, voice mail systems, and personal computers.
- Compile, copy, sort, and file records of office activities, business transactions, and other activities.
- Communicate with customers, employees, and other individuals to answer questions, disseminate or explain information, take orders, and address complaints.
- Maintain and update filing, inventory, mailing, and database systems, either manually or using a computer.
- Open, sort, and route incoming mail, answer correspondence, and prepare outgoing mail.
- Complete work schedules, manage calendars, and arrange appointments.
Workplace & working conditions
Work happens indoors in a climate-controlled setting, and most of the day is spent sitting at a desk.
There's a regular, moderate amount of time pressure. Precision and accuracy are essential to the work. Almost all of the work is done as part of a team.
Education necessary or common
High school diploma; some on-the-job training or apprenticeship
Licenses & certifications
- Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification
Related fields
Courses to take
- Computer Applications — spreadsheets, documents, and databases daily
- Business CTE courses — office procedures and communication
- Accounting — invoices, ledgers, and reconciliation basics
- English — clear professional writing
- Keyboarding — foundational speed and accuracy
Clubs, activities & competitions
- FBLA — administrative and technology events
- School office aide period
- Treasurer or secretary role in any club
- Part-time job with paperwork responsibility — front desk, library page
First steps you can take now
- Master Excel basics this month with a free course — sorting, formulas, and formatting cover most office tasks
- Take a school office aide position next semester
- Practice professional phone and email habits until they're reflexive
- Earn a Microsoft Office Specialist certification — some schools offer the exams free
