Key takeaways
- BLS counted 2,646,000 general office clerk jobs in 2024 and projects 2,468,200 in 2034.
- The May 2024 median was $20.97 per hour, or $43,630 per year. The May 2025 annual mean was $46,420.
- BLS projects 282,400 openings per year despite a 177,800-job decline over the decade.
- The occupation is intentionally broad, so employers need a scoped duty list instead of a catch-all office support title.
- OEWS employee wage estimates exclude self-employed workers and should not be used as virtual-assistant rate cards.
Table of contents
What general office clerk employment and wage statistics show in 2026
BLS counted 2,646,000 general office clerk jobs in 2024. Median pay was $20.97 per hour, or $43,630 per year. The occupation covers clerical duties that are too varied to fit one narrower office occupation.
The May 2025 OEWS largest-occupation chart reports a $46,420 annual mean wage. That mean does not replace the May 2024 median. The two measures describe different parts of the wage distribution.
Because the occupation is broad, employers should use the benchmark only after defining the real duty mix, location, schedule, systems, and responsibility level.
| Statistic | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Employment, 2024 | 2,646,000 | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook |
| Projected employment, 2034 | 2,468,200 | BLS Occupational Projections |
| Projected change, 2024 to 2034 | -177,800 (-6.7%) | BLS Occupational Projections |
| Projected annual openings | 282,400 | BLS Occupational Projections |
| Median hourly wage, May 2024 | $20.97 | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook |
| Median annual wage, May 2024 | $43,630 | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook |
| Lowest 10 percent, May 2024 | Less than $14.00 per hour | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook |
| Highest 10 percent, May 2024 | More than $30.69 per hour | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook |
| Annual mean wage, May 2025 | $46,420 | BLS May 2025 largest occupations chart |
General office clerk wage distribution and benchmark limits
BLS reports that the lowest 10 percent earned less than $14.00 per hour in May 2024, while the highest 10 percent earned more than $30.69. A national midpoint cannot explain all of that variation.
A clerk who mainly files and routes correspondence is not the same job as one who handles bookkeeping inputs, inventory records, customer questions, and document control. The offer range should follow the actual scope.
OEWS excludes self-employed workers. Employers comparing an employee role with outsourced clerical support need separate service pricing and contract terms.
Duties, industry mix, and the risk of a catch-all role
BLS lists phones, documents, filing, bookkeeping, customer communication, data entry, mail, and office supplies among possible duties. O*NET provides more detailed task statements for SOC 43-9061.
The breadth is useful for labor-market classification but risky in a job description. Combining every possible duty can make screening inconsistent and training too shallow.
A better role brief groups work by frequency and risk. It identifies recurring tasks, exception work, systems, approval limits, sensitive data, service levels, and the manager who owns escalation.
Employment outlook and replacement openings
BLS projects employment to fall from 2,646,000 in 2024 to 2,468,200 in 2034. That is a decline of 177,800 jobs, or 6.7 percent.
The same projection includes 282,400 openings per year. These openings largely reflect replacement needs rather than net employment growth.
BLS expects technology and the reassignment of clerical tasks to other staff to reduce demand. The projection still leaves a large workforce and substantial annual hiring activity.
Hiring and onboarding implications for general office support
Start screening with work samples tied to the actual role: document accuracy, data entry, written responses, schedule handling, or record retrieval. A generic clerical test can miss the systems and judgment the job requires.
Use O*NET as a task inventory, then remove duties that do not belong. Score candidates against the resulting role brief so broad occupational language does not turn into inconsistent reviewer preferences.
Onboarding should cover system access, file naming, data quality, approvals, privacy, handoffs, and exception escalation. Clear ownership is especially important when a general clerk supports several teams.
Sources and methodology
This report uses the latest BLS General Office Clerks profile available on the verification date for 2024 employment, median pay, wage distribution, industry shares, duties, and outlook. The projections table confirms SOC 43-9061 base employment, projected employment, change, and annual openings. The May 2025 OEWS largest-occupation chart supplies the newer annual mean wage. OEWS release, FAQ, and methods pages define coverage and exclusions. O*NET supplies task and work-activity detail. Census commuting guidance is used only to frame location measures, not to claim an occupation-specific remote-work rate.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, General Office ClerksAugust 28, 2025. 2024 employment, pay, wage distribution, duties, industry shares, and outlook
- BLS Occupational Projections and Worker CharacteristicsAugust 28, 2025. SOC 43-9061 employment, projections, annual openings, education, and training
- BLS May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wages releaseMay 15, 2026. Current OEWS release scope and national estimation context
- BLS May 2025 annual mean wages for the largest occupationsMay 15, 2026. $46,420 annual mean wage for general office clerks
- BLS May 2025 occupation profilesMay 15, 2026. Official current OEWS occupation, industry, state, and area profile entry point
- BLS OEWS Frequently Asked QuestionsCurrent through 2026. OEWS coverage, estimate interpretation, and exclusions
- BLS OEWS Handbook of MethodsCurrent through 2026. Survey scope, design, and estimation methodology
- O*NET OnLine, Office Clerks, General 43-9061.00Updated 2026. Occupation summary, tasks, skills, work activities, and technology
- O*NET OnLine, Office Clerks, General task detailsUpdated 2026. Detailed task statements for screening and onboarding plans
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS commuting guidanceSeptember 22, 2025. Work-from-home commuting measure and 2024 ACS context
Source count: 10. Last verification date: August 3, 2026.
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FAQ
What is the median wage for general office clerks?
BLS reports a May 2024 median of $20.97 per hour and $43,630 per year for general office clerks.
How many general office clerk jobs were there in 2024?
The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook reports 2,646,000 jobs in 2024.
How many openings are projected each year?
BLS projects about 282,400 openings per year from 2024 to 2034, despite declining total employment.
Why is the general office clerk occupation so broad?
SOC 43-9061 covers clerical duties that are varied and do not fit a more specific clerical occupation.
Do the wage figures include freelance clerical assistants?
No. OEWS excludes self-employed workers, so the figures describe employee wages rather than contractor prices.
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