Office Clerks, General
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.
- O*NET-SOC code
43-9061.00 - Preparation Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$45,010
Employment, U.S.2,464,940
Median hourly wage$21.64
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $30,310 | $36,350 | $45,010 | $54,300 | $64,680 |
By state (51)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 13,130 | $31,200 | 0.39 |
| Alaska | 3,440 | $51,890 | 0.67 |
| Arizona | 52,710 | $46,420 | 1.03 |
| Arkansas | 29,940 | $37,050 | 1.45 |
| California | 311,490 | $48,460 | 1.08 |
| Colorado | 31,770 | $53,550 | 0.70 |
| Connecticut | 23,190 | $48,280 | 0.86 |
| Delaware | 7,230 | $42,740 | 0.94 |
| District of Columbia | 5,670 | $55,040 | 0.51 |
| Florida | 189,700 | $44,450 | 1.21 |
| Georgia | 75,390 | $40,590 | 0.97 |
| Hawaii | 12,930 | $42,340 | 1.30 |
| Idaho | 20,790 | $44,830 | 1.53 |
| Illinois | 95,980 | $45,730 | 0.99 |
| Indiana | 58,480 | $44,520 | 1.15 |
| Iowa | 23,120 | $44,310 | 0.94 |
| Kansas | 2,130 | $32,370 | 0.09 |
| Kentucky | 29,750 | $37,870 | 0.94 |
| Louisiana | 31,790 | $32,480 | 1.04 |
| Maine | 11,260 | $45,300 | 1.11 |
| Maryland | 27,290 | $47,270 | 0.62 |
| Massachusetts | 47,940 | $49,940 | 0.83 |
| Michigan | 88,030 | $44,820 | 1.26 |
| Minnesota | 55,530 | $47,840 | 1.19 |
| Mississippi | 17,600 | $34,900 | 0.95 |
| Missouri | 56,050 | $42,370 | 1.20 |
| Montana | 10,390 | $46,480 | 1.28 |
| Nebraska | 10,000 | $37,820 | 0.62 |
| Nevada | 20,430 | $45,460 | 0.83 |
| New Hampshire | 12,740 | $49,020 | 1.18 |
| New Jersey | 65,130 | $48,570 | 0.96 |
| New Mexico | 11,880 | $37,130 | 0.86 |
| New York | 134,280 | $45,890 | 0.87 |
| North Carolina | 67,930 | $41,770 | 0.87 |
| North Dakota | 8,440 | $50,160 | 1.24 |
| Ohio | 89,310 | $43,680 | 1.02 |
| Oklahoma | 31,870 | $37,240 | 1.18 |
| Oregon | 27,980 | $49,910 | 0.90 |
| Pennsylvania | 107,500 | $44,950 | 1.12 |
| Rhode Island | 7,700 | $47,830 | 0.97 |
| South Carolina | 42,250 | $36,840 | 1.16 |
| South Dakota | 1,720 | $38,560 | 0.24 |
| Tennessee | 49,880 | $38,860 | 0.96 |
| Texas | 218,470 | $39,000 | 0.98 |
| Utah | 36,470 | $44,060 | 1.33 |
| Vermont | 5,100 | $48,310 | 1.06 |
| Virginia | 66,550 | $46,410 | 1.02 |
| Washington | 49,050 | $50,500 | 0.87 |
| West Virginia | 9,430 | $35,020 | 0.85 |
| Wisconsin | 51,440 | $44,980 | 1.10 |
| Wyoming | 6,670 | $42,840 | 1.50 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | 3 | 0.982 |
| 2 | Receptionists and Information Clerks | 1-2 | 0.977 |
| 3 | Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 1-2 | 0.974 |
| 4 | Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks | 1-2 | 0.974 |
| 5 | Medical Records Specialists | 3 | 0.967 |
| 6 | Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers | 1-2 | 0.965 |
| 7 | Correspondence Clerks | 1-2 | 0.964 |
| 8 | Loan Interviewers and Clerks | 3 | 0.964 |
| 9 | Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks | 1-2 | 0.964 |
| 10 | Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping | 3 | 0.961 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Office Clerks, General, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Correspondence Clerks | Writing | 1.00 | 0.964 |
| Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks | Management of Personnel Resources | 1.00 | 0.964 |
| Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance | Speaking | 0.88 | 0.951 |
| Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks | Judgment and Decision Making | 1.00 | 0.938 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Office Clerks, General, excluding software Office Clerks, General already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Electronic health record EHR software | 4 of 20 | 18.5x |
| SAP Concur | 3 of 20 | 27.7x |
| Document management system software | 4 of 20 | 11.5x |
| Web conferencing software | 3 of 20 | 19.8x |
| Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS | 5 of 20 | 5.8x |
| HMS | 3 of 20 | 15.4x |
| Intrado SchoolMessenger | 3 of 20 | 13.8x |
| SAP Business Objects | 5 of 20 | 4.5x |
| Microsoft SharePoint Server | 3 of 20 | 6.9x |
| Human resource management software HRMS | 4 of 20 | 4.2x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.75 | 3.50 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.75 | 3.50 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.62 | 3.00 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.25 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.25 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.12 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.12 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.12 | 2.25 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.38 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.00 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.88 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.25 | not rated |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.12 | not rated |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative | 4.19 | 5.12 |
| English Language | 3.81 | 3.31 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.44 | 3.72 |
| Administration and Management | 3.01 | 2.51 |
| Computers and Electronics | 2.89 | 3.10 |
| Mathematics | 2.71 | 2.84 |
| Economics and Accounting | 2.44 | 2.07 |
| Public Safety and Security | 2.44 | 2.05 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.33 | 2.09 |
| Communications and Media | 2.33 | 2.03 |
| Education and Training | 2.25 | 2.19 |
| Law and Government | 2.08 | 1.93 |
| Psychology | 2.07 | 1.61 |
| Sales and Marketing | 2.05 | 1.63 |
| Telecommunications | 1.95 | 0.91 |
| Production and Processing | 1.79 | 1.33 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.74 | 1.25 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.68 | 1.22 |
| Geography | 1.64 | 1.28 |
| Transportation | 1.60 | 1.26 |
| Engineering and Technology | 1.53 | 0.62 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.49 | not rated |
| Design | 1.49 | 0.96 |
| Mechanical | 1.44 | not rated |
| Foreign Language | 1.43 | 0.66 |
| Chemistry | 1.35 | 0.76 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.33 | 0.52 |
| Physics | 1.32 | 0.55 |
| Fine Arts | 1.25 | not rated |
| History and Archeology | 1.20 | not rated |
| Building and Construction | 1.16 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.16 | not rated |
| Biology | 1.03 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Oral Expression | 3.88 | 3.62 |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.75 | 3.62 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.75 | 3.12 |
| Written Expression | 3.62 | 3.00 |
| Near Vision | 3.38 | 3.25 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.38 | 3.12 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.38 | 3.00 |
| Information Ordering | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.12 | 2.75 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Selective Attention | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Time Sharing | 2.88 | 2.12 |
| Far Vision | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 2.75 | 2.00 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Number Facility | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Perceptual Speed | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Finger Dexterity | 2.38 | 1.88 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Memorization | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Originality | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Visualization | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Control Precision | 2.12 | 1.75 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Manual Dexterity | 1.88 | 1.62 |
| Trunk Strength | 1.75 | 1.00 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 1.50 | 0.75 |
| Depth Perception | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 1.38 | 0.75 |
| Dynamic Strength | 1.38 | 0.62 |
| Static Strength | 1.38 | 0.50 |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Explosive Strength | 1.00 | not rated |
| Extent Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.00 | not rated |
| Gross Body Coordination | 1.00 | not rated |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 1.00 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Rate Control | 1.00 | not rated |
| Reaction Time | 1.00 | not rated |
| Response Orientation | 1.00 | not rated |
| Sound Localization | 1.00 | not rated |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.00 | not rated |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.00 | not rated |
| Stamina | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Google Workspace software in demand
- Intuit QuickBooks in demand
- Microsoft Excel in demand
- Microsoft Office software in demand
- Microsoft Outlook in demand
- Microsoft PowerPoint in demand
- Microsoft Word in demand
- Adobe Acrobat hot
- Adobe InDesign hot
- Facebook hot
- Google Docs hot
- Henry Schein Dentrix hot
- MEDITECH software hot
- Microsoft Access hot
- Microsoft Project hot
- Microsoft SharePoint hot
- Microsoft Windows hot
- Oracle PeopleSoft hot
- SAP software hot
- Yardi software hot
- 3M Post-it App
- ADP Workforce Now
- Alpha Software Alpha Five
- Appointment scheduling software
- Billing software
- Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge
- Blackboard software
- Bookkeeping software
- Data entry software
- Database software
All 59
- Dropbox
- Electronic Data Interchange EDI systems
- Evernote
- FileMaker Pro
- Filing system software
- Google Drive
- Google Sites
- GroupMe
- IBM Check Processing Control System CPSC
- IBM Notes
- LexisNexis
- Mavenlink
- Medical condition coding software
- Medical procedure coding software
- Microsoft Dynamics
- Microsoft Exchange
- Microsoft Publisher
- Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne
- Oracle PeopleSoft Financials
- Propertyware
- Records management software
- Sage 50 Accounting
- Salesforce.com Salesforce CRM
- SmugMug Flickr
- Social media sites
- St. Paul Travelers e-CARMA
- Transcription system software
- Web browser software
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 3,360 | 2.15 | $41,040 |
| Lubbock, TX | 5,440 | 2.06 | $36,940 |
| Lewiston, ID-WA | 840 | 1.84 | $43,430 |
| St. George, UT | 2,560 | 1.78 | $44,880 |
| Casper, WY | 1,040 | 1.63 | $42,810 |
| Lawton, OK | 1,090 | 1.60 | $35,370 |
| Mayaguez, PR | 1,310 | 1.58 | $22,120 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | 5,460 | 1.57 | $38,350 |
| Ponce, PR | 1,560 | 1.55 | $23,070 |
| Sebring, FL | 690 | 1.55 | $39,340 |