43 Series · SOC 43-4071
File Clerks Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $43,600
- Median / year
- $63,490
- Top 10% earn
- -15.9%
- Growth '23–'33
- 73,440
- US workers
File Clerks earn a median of $43,600 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $43,600, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $31,200 (10th percentile) to $63,490 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 73,440 US workers. Oregon pays the most ($50,660), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
File Clerks earn a median of $43,600, putting them among the lower-paid US occupations and higher than 17% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Office and Administrative Support, it ranks #43 of 54 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 15.9% by 2033.
- $43,600
- Median annual wage
- Top 83%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #43 of 54
- in Office and Administrative Support
- 2.0×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Oregon at $50,660. Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
File Clerks (SOC 43-4071) pays a national median of $43,600 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $31,200 at the 10th percentile to $63,490 at the 90th, with a mean of $45,590 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 73,440 Americans work in this occupation across 51 reporting states and 336 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -15.9% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as declining relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 7,300 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is High school diploma or equivalent and short-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of A for this role, with a fatality rate of 0.5 per 100,000 and injury rate of 1 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Oregon pays the highest state median at $50,660, which is +16% above the national figure. The top metro is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $60,840 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
BLS OEWS May 2025 73,440 jobs Median $43,600/yr
Median Salary
$43,600
per year
Median Hourly
$20.96/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$45,590
average
Employment
73,440
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where File Clerks pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$43,600 Bottom 17% higher than 17% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 43-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is File Clerks; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 24 43-series occupations with growth data, File Clerks sits on the slower-growing side at -15.9% growth and $43,600 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
-15.9%
Declining
Annual Openings
7,300
per year (projected)
Typical Education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-Job Training
Short-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings → A
Very Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
0.5/100K
Injury Rate
1/100
Danger Index
4.3/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for File Clerks roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Reading Comprehension 3.9
Active Listening 3.4
Speaking 3.3
Writing 3.1
Monitoring 3.1
Service Orientation 3.1
Critical Thinking 3.0
Social Perceptiveness 3.0
Time Management 3.0
Active Learning 2.9
Knowledge Areas
Administrative 4.5
English Language 4.3
Customer and Personal Service 4.2
Law and Government 3.4
Computers and Electronics 3.3
Telecommunications 3.3
Mathematics 3.2
Public Safety and Security 3.1
Administration and Management 2.9
Education and Training 2.7
Key Tasks
- ▸ Perform general office activities, such as typing, answering telephones, operating office machines, processing mail, or securing confidential materials.
- ▸ Keep records of materials filed or removed, using logbooks or computers and generate computerized reports.
- ▸ Input data, such as file numbers, new or updated information, or document information codes into computer systems to support document and information retrieval.
- ▸ Gather materials to be filed from departments or employees.
- ▸ Complete general financial activities, such as processing accounts payable, reviewing invoices, collecting cash payments, or issuing receipts.
- ▸ Track materials removed from files to ensure that borrowed files are returned.
- ▸ Find, retrieve, and make copies of information from files in response to requests and deliver information to authorized users.
- ▸ Add new material to file records or create new records as necessary.
- ▸ Sort or classify information according to guidelines, such as content, purpose, user criteria, or chronological, alphabetical, or numerical order.
- ▸ Scan or read incoming materials to determine how and where they should be classified or filed.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$31,200
25th Percentile
$36,420
Median
$43,600
75th Percentile
$51,770
90th Percentile
$63,490
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 51 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $50,660 | +16% above national |
| 2 | Hawaii | $50,630 | +16% above national |
| 3 | Illinois | $49,920 | +14% above national |
| 4 | Alaska | $49,910 | +14% above national |
| 5 | California | $49,040 | +12% above national |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $48,310 | +11% above national |
| 7 | Vermont | $47,540 | +9% above national |
| 8 | Minnesota | $46,640 | +7% above national |
| 9 | Iowa | $46,560 | +7% above national |
| 10 | Colorado | $46,490 | +7% above national |
| 11 | Idaho | $45,910 | +5% above national |
| 12 | Washington | $45,830 | +5% above national |
| 13 | Wisconsin | $45,130 | +4% above national |
| 14 | Maryland | $44,920 | +3% above national |
| 15 | Connecticut | $44,810 | +3% above national |
| 16 | New Jersey | $44,400 | +2% above national |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $44,390 | +2% above national |
| 18 | New York | $44,340 | +2% above national |
| 19 | Nevada | $44,150 | +1% above national |
| 20 | Michigan | $43,950 | +1% above national |
| 21 | Maine | $43,910 | +1% above national |
| 22 | Arizona | $43,690 | same as national |
| 23 | North Carolina | $43,260 | 1% below national |
| 24 | Tennessee | $43,010 | 1% below national |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $42,920 | 2% below national |
| 26 | North Dakota | $42,860 | 2% below national |
| 27 | Kansas | $42,130 | 3% below national |
| 28 | Florida | $41,750 | 4% below national |
| 29 | Utah | $41,450 | 5% below national |
| 30 | Georgia | $41,000 | 6% below national |
| 31 | Ohio | $40,650 | 7% below national |
| 32 | Nebraska | $40,640 | 7% below national |
| 33 | Delaware | $39,940 | 8% below national |
| 34 | Virginia | $39,900 | 8% below national |
| 35 | Indiana | $39,740 | 9% below national |
| 36 | Texas | $39,480 | 9% below national |
| 37 | South Carolina | $39,350 | 10% below national |
| 38 | Kentucky | $39,250 | 10% below national |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $39,170 | 10% below national |
| 40 | Arkansas | $38,470 | 12% below national |
| 41 | Missouri | $38,400 | 12% below national |
| 42 | Montana | $38,370 | 12% below national |
| 43 | Alabama | $38,290 | 12% below national |
| 44 | New Mexico | $37,700 | 14% below national |
| 45 | South Dakota | $36,640 | 16% below national |
| 46 | Rhode Island | $36,400 | 17% below national |
| 47 | Guam | $32,360 | 26% below national |
| 48 | Louisiana | $32,200 | 26% below national |
| 49 | West Virginia | $31,600 | 28% below national |
| 50 | Mississippi | $31,260 | 28% below national |
| 51 | Puerto Rico | $25,700 | 41% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 336 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $60,840 | +40% above national |
| 2 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $60,530 | +39% above national |
| 3 | Salinas, CA | $59,040 | +35% above national |
| 4 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $58,320 | +34% above national |
| 5 | Vallejo, CA | $56,750 | +30% above national |
| 6 | Napa, CA | $55,980 | +28% above national |
| 7 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $54,910 | +26% above national |
| 8 | Carson City, NV | $54,820 | +26% above national |
| 9 | Greeley, CO | $54,360 | +25% above national |
| 10 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $54,240 | +24% above national |
| 11 | Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $53,860 | +24% above national |
| 12 | Modesto, CA | $52,830 | +21% above national |
| 13 | Medford, OR | $52,780 | +21% above national |
| 14 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $52,280 | +20% above national |
| 15 | Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | $51,990 | +19% above national |
| 16 | Coast Oregon nonmetropolitan area | $51,280 | +18% above national |
| 17 | Toledo, OH | $50,840 | +17% above national |
| 18 | Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area | $50,810 | +17% above national |
| 19 | Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | $50,740 | +16% above national |
| 20 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $50,680 | +16% above national |
| 21 | Salem, OR | $50,390 | +16% above national |
| 22 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $50,260 | +15% above national |
| 23 | New Haven, CT | $50,140 | +15% above national |
| 24 | Rockford, IL | $49,870 | +14% above national |
| 25 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $49,810 | +14% above national |
| 26 | La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | $49,620 | +14% above national |
| 27 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $49,460 | +13% above national |
| 28 | Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $49,430 | +13% above national |
| 29 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $49,420 | +13% above national |
| 30 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $49,180 | +13% above national |
| 31 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $49,050 | +13% above national |
| 32 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $49,040 | +12% above national |
| 33 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $48,800 | +12% above national |
| 34 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $48,720 | +12% above national |
| 35 | Reno, NV | $48,680 | +12% above national |
| 36 | Anchorage, AK | $48,630 | +12% above national |
| 37 | South Florida nonmetropolitan area | $48,590 | +11% above national |
| 38 | Boise City, ID | $48,580 | +11% above national |
| 39 | Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $48,490 | +11% above national |
| 40 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $48,450 | +11% above national |
| 41 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $48,400 | +11% above national |
| 42 | State College, PA | $48,280 | +11% above national |
| 43 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $47,720 | +9% above national |
| 44 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $47,680 | +9% above national |
| 45 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $47,560 | +9% above national |
| 46 | Maryland nonmetropolitan area | $47,450 | +9% above national |
| 47 | Madison, WI | $47,370 | +9% above national |
| 48 | Janesville-Beloit, WI | $47,340 | +9% above national |
| 49 | Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | $47,270 | +8% above national |
| 50 | Eugene-Springfield, OR | $47,230 | +8% above national |
| 51 | Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | $47,160 | +8% above national |
| 52 | Ann Arbor, MI | $47,120 | +8% above national |
| 53 | Richmond, VA | $47,020 | +8% above national |
| 54 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $46,990 | +8% above national |
| 55 | Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $46,880 | +8% above national |
| 56 | North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $46,820 | +7% above national |
| 57 | Northern Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $46,740 | +7% above national |
| 58 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $46,700 | +7% above national |
| 59 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $46,680 | +7% above national |
| 60 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $46,650 | +7% above national |
| 61 | Boulder, CO | $46,570 | +7% above national |
| 62 | Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $46,560 | +7% above national |
| 63 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $46,400 | +6% above national |
| 64 | Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | $46,300 | +6% above national |
| 65 | Fort Wayne, IN | $46,270 | +6% above national |
| 66 | Springfield, MA | $46,250 | +6% above national |
| 67 | Balance of Nevada nonmetropolitan area | $46,240 | +6% above national |
| 68 | Gainesville, GA | $46,200 | +6% above national |
| 69 | Coeur d'Alene, ID | $46,190 | +6% above national |
| 70 | Naples-Marco Island, FL | $46,170 | +6% above national |
| 71 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $46,160 | +6% above national |
| 72 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $45,980 | +5% above national |
| 73 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $45,970 | +5% above national |
| 74 | Manchester-Nashua, NH | $45,940 | +5% above national |
| 75 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $45,910 | +5% above national |
| 76 | South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $45,870 | +5% above national |
| 77 | Alaska nonmetropolitan area | $45,850 | +5% above national |
| 78 | Appleton, WI | $45,840 | +5% above national |
| 79 | Idaho Falls, ID | $45,820 | +5% above national |
| 80 | Portland-South Portland, ME | $45,800 | +5% above national |
| 81 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $45,760 | +5% above national |
| 82 | Visalia, CA | $45,660 | +5% above national |
| 83 | Midland, TX | $45,650 | +5% above national |
| 84 | Kenosha, WI | $45,550 | +4% above national |
| 85 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $45,520 | +4% above national |
| 86 | Green Bay, WI | $45,390 | +4% above national |
| 87 | Jacksonville, FL | $45,330 | +4% above national |
| 88 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $45,250 | +4% above national |
| 89 | Yuma, AZ | $45,210 | +4% above national |
| 90 | Worcester, MA | $45,160 | +4% above national |
| 91 | Duluth, MN-WI | $45,140 | +4% above national |
| 92 | St. Cloud, MN | $45,000 | +3% above national |
| 93 | Flagstaff, AZ | $44,850 | +3% above national |
| 94 | Bend, OR | $44,840 | +3% above national |
| 95 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $44,830 | +3% above national |
| 96 | Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | $44,810 | +3% above national |
| 97 | Eastern Oregon nonmetropolitan area | $44,800 | +3% above national |
| 98 | Port St. Lucie, FL | $44,790 | +3% above national |
| 99 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $44,740 | +3% above national |
| 100 | Columbus, OH | $44,730 | +3% above national |
| 101 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $44,710 | +3% above national |
| 102 | Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area | $44,690 | +3% above national |
| 103 | Fresno, CA | $44,610 | +2% above national |
| 104 | Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $44,580 | +2% above national |
| 105 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $44,570 | +2% above national |
| 106 | Southern Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $44,560 | +2% above national |
| 107 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $44,510 | +2% above national |
| 108 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $44,460 | +2% above national |
| 109 | Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area | $44,380 | +2% above national |
| 110 | Southwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $44,340 | +2% above national |
| 111 | Sheboygan, WI | $44,320 | +2% above national |
| 112 | Wildwood-The Villages, FL | $44,300 | +2% above national |
| 113 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $44,250 | +1% above national |
| 114 | Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area | $44,210 | +1% above national |
| 115 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $44,180 | +1% above national |
| 116 | Akron, OH | $44,170 | +1% above national |
| 117 | West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | $44,160 | +1% above national |
| 118 | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $44,090 | +1% above national |
| 119 | Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $43,910 | +1% above national |
| 120 | Colorado Springs, CO | $43,870 | +1% above national |
| 121 | Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL | $43,820 | +1% above national |
| 122 | Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $43,820 | +1% above national |
| 123 | Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $43,790 | same as national |
| 124 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $43,750 | same as national |
| 125 | Champaign-Urbana, IL | $43,690 | same as national |
| 126 | York-Hanover, PA | $43,680 | same as national |
| 127 | Southeast-Central Idaho nonmetropolitan area | $43,650 | same as national |
| 128 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $43,620 | same as national |
| 129 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $43,620 | same as national |
| 130 | Lancaster, PA | $43,540 | same as national |
| 131 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $43,490 | same as national |
| 132 | Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $43,360 | 1% below national |
| 133 | Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | $43,320 | 1% below national |
| 134 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $43,270 | 1% below national |
| 135 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $43,250 | 1% below national |
| 136 | Pueblo, CO | $43,220 | 1% below national |
| 137 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $43,080 | 1% below national |
| 138 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $43,000 | 1% below national |
| 139 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $42,990 | 1% below national |
| 140 | Pittsburgh, PA | $42,920 | 2% below national |
| 141 | Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | $42,860 | 2% below national |
| 142 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $42,850 | 2% below national |
| 143 | Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $42,670 | 2% below national |
| 144 | Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area | $42,640 | 2% below national |
| 145 | Topeka, KS | $42,620 | 2% below national |
| 146 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $42,590 | 2% below national |
| 147 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $42,590 | 2% below national |
| 148 | Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $42,400 | 3% below national |
| 149 | Omaha, NE-IA | $42,160 | 3% below national |
| 150 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $42,070 | 4% below national |
| 151 | Fargo, ND-MN | $42,040 | 4% below national |
| 152 | Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | $41,970 | 4% below national |
| 153 | Charlottesville, VA | $41,930 | 4% below national |
| 154 | Wausau, WI | $41,790 | 4% below national |
| 155 | Knoxville, TN | $41,720 | 4% below national |
| 156 | Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | $41,720 | 4% below national |
| 157 | Lawton, OK | $41,710 | 4% below national |
| 158 | Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | $41,700 | 4% below national |
| 159 | Western Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $41,660 | 4% below national |
| 160 | Reading, PA | $41,610 | 5% below national |
| 161 | Rochester, NY | $41,600 | 5% below national |
| 162 | Southwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area | $41,600 | 5% below national |
| 163 | East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $41,590 | 5% below national |
| 164 | Northwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $41,550 | 5% below national |
| 165 | North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $41,410 | 5% below national |
| 166 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $41,400 | 5% below national |
| 167 | Arizona nonmetropolitan area | $41,390 | 5% below national |
| 168 | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $41,360 | 5% below national |
| 169 | Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $41,280 | 5% below national |
| 170 | Fayetteville, NC | $41,270 | 5% below national |
| 171 | Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $41,260 | 5% below national |
| 172 | Wichita, KS | $41,250 | 5% below national |
| 173 | Savannah, GA | $41,240 | 5% below national |
| 174 | Peoria, IL | $41,080 | 6% below national |
| 175 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $41,050 | 6% below national |
| 176 | Springfield, IL | $41,030 | 6% below national |
| 177 | West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $41,020 | 6% below national |
| 178 | Southern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | $40,960 | 6% below national |
| 179 | Clarksville, TN-KY | $40,910 | 6% below national |
| 180 | Northeast Nebraska nonmetropolitan area | $40,860 | 6% below national |
| 181 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $40,850 | 6% below national |
| 182 | Lincoln, NE | $40,810 | 6% below national |
| 183 | Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | $40,780 | 6% below national |
| 184 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $40,770 | 6% below national |
| 185 | Oklahoma City, OK | $40,750 | 7% below national |
| 186 | Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | $40,700 | 7% below national |
| 187 | East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $40,660 | 7% below national |
| 188 | Tulsa, OK | $40,630 | 7% below national |
| 189 | Mid Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $40,630 | 7% below national |
| 190 | Tucson, AZ | $40,540 | 7% below national |
| 191 | Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | $40,450 | 7% below national |
| 192 | Winston-Salem, NC | $40,230 | 8% below national |
| 193 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $40,160 | 8% below national |
| 194 | Erie, PA | $40,150 | 8% below national |
| 195 | Spartanburg, SC | $40,100 | 8% below national |
| 196 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $40,080 | 8% below national |
| 197 | Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $40,080 | 8% below national |
| 198 | Columbia, MO | $40,030 | 8% below national |
| 199 | Syracuse, NY | $39,990 | 8% below national |
| 200 | Helena, MT | $39,980 | 8% below national |
| 201 | Dover, DE | $39,940 | 8% below national |
| 202 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $39,810 | 9% below national |
| 203 | Gainesville, FL | $39,790 | 9% below national |
| 204 | Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $39,750 | 9% below national |
| 205 | Chambersburg, PA | $39,730 | 9% below national |
| 206 | Terre Haute, IN | $39,690 | 9% below national |
| 207 | Asheville, NC | $39,640 | 9% below national |
| 208 | East-Central Montana nonmetropolitan area | $39,640 | 9% below national |
| 209 | Grand Junction, CO | $39,630 | 9% below national |
| 210 | Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area | $39,600 | 9% below national |
| 211 | West Montana nonmetropolitan area | $39,580 | 9% below national |
| 212 | North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) | $39,530 | 9% below national |
| 213 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $39,520 | 9% below national |
| 214 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $39,510 | 9% below national |
| 215 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $39,500 | 9% below national |
| 216 | Macon-Bibb County, GA | $39,500 | 9% below national |
| 217 | Eastern and Southern Colorado nonmetropolitan area | $39,460 | 9% below national |
| 218 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $39,430 | 10% below national |
| 219 | Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area | $39,410 | 10% below national |
| 220 | Wilmington, NC | $39,290 | 10% below national |
| 221 | Chico, CA | $39,250 | 10% below national |
| 222 | Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $39,180 | 10% below national |
| 223 | Redding, CA | $39,110 | 10% below national |
| 224 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $39,100 | 10% below national |
| 225 | Canton-Massillon, OH | $39,050 | 10% below national |
| 226 | Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | $39,040 | 10% below national |
| 227 | Jackson, TN | $39,030 | 10% below national |
| 228 | Northeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | $38,930 | 11% below national |
| 229 | Cleveland, OH | $38,890 | 11% below national |
| 230 | Central East New York nonmetropolitan area | $38,890 | 11% below national |
| 231 | Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ | $38,840 | 11% below national |
| 232 | Abilene, TX | $38,830 | 11% below national |
| 233 | Northwest Nebraska nonmetropolitan area | $38,810 | 11% below national |
| 234 | Northwestern South Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $38,750 | 11% below national |
| 235 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $38,720 | 11% below national |
| 236 | Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $38,690 | 11% below national |
| 237 | Evansville, IN | $38,600 | 11% below national |
| 238 | South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | $38,590 | 11% below national |
| 239 | Charleston, WV | $38,540 | 12% below national |
| 240 | Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | $38,530 | 12% below national |
| 241 | Waco, TX | $38,500 | 12% below national |
| 242 | West Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $38,430 | 12% below national |
| 243 | Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $38,290 | 12% below national |
| 244 | Lynchburg, VA | $38,250 | 12% below national |
| 245 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $38,130 | 13% below national |
| 246 | Central Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $38,100 | 13% below national |
| 247 | Las Cruces, NM | $37,950 | 13% below national |
| 248 | Roanoke, VA | $37,950 | 13% below national |
| 249 | Kansas nonmetropolitan area | $37,880 | 13% below national |
| 250 | Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | $37,790 | 13% below national |
| 251 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $37,750 | 13% below national |
| 252 | Amarillo, TX | $37,700 | 14% below national |
| 253 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $37,690 | 14% below national |
| 254 | South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $37,670 | 14% below national |
| 255 | Billings, MT | $37,580 | 14% below national |
| 256 | Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $37,570 | 14% below national |
| 257 | Bloomington, IN | $37,550 | 14% below national |
| 258 | Columbia, SC | $37,510 | 14% below national |
| 259 | Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $37,500 | 14% below national |
| 260 | North Florida nonmetropolitan area | $37,440 | 14% below national |
| 261 | Border Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $37,340 | 14% below national |
| 262 | Flint, MI | $37,320 | 14% below national |
| 263 | Utica-Rome, NY | $37,190 | 15% below national |
| 264 | El Centro, CA | $37,170 | 15% below national |
| 265 | Odessa, TX | $37,170 | 15% below national |
| 266 | Albuquerque, NM | $37,080 | 15% below national |
| 267 | Youngstown-Warren, OH | $37,070 | 15% below national |
| 268 | Tallahassee, FL | $37,040 | 15% below national |
| 269 | Morristown, TN | $36,810 | 16% below national |
| 270 | Longview, TX | $36,670 | 16% below national |
| 271 | Sherman-Denison, TX | $36,670 | 16% below national |
| 272 | Killeen-Temple, TX | $36,640 | 16% below national |
| 273 | Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $36,570 | 16% below national |
| 274 | Ogden, UT | $36,460 | 16% below national |
| 275 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $36,400 | 17% below national |
| 276 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $36,400 | 17% below national |
| 277 | Missoula, MT | $36,330 | 17% below national |
| 278 | Corpus Christi, TX | $36,290 | 17% below national |
| 279 | Johnson City, TN | $36,220 | 17% below national |
| 280 | Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $36,210 | 17% below national |
| 281 | Rome, GA | $36,180 | 17% below national |
| 282 | Florence, SC | $36,170 | 17% below national |
| 283 | Bloomington, IL | $36,090 | 17% below national |
| 284 | Eastern Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $36,030 | 17% below national |
| 285 | South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area | $35,990 | 17% below national |
| 286 | Eagle Pass, TX | $35,770 | 18% below national |
| 287 | Lubbock, TX | $35,500 | 19% below national |
| 288 | Great Falls, MT | $35,470 | 19% below national |
| 289 | Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | $35,400 | 19% below national |
| 290 | Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | $35,380 | 19% below national |
| 291 | Muncie, IN | $35,370 | 19% below national |
| 292 | College Station-Bryan, TX | $35,270 | 19% below national |
| 293 | Greenville, NC | $35,270 | 19% below national |
| 294 | North Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $35,190 | 19% below national |
| 295 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $35,130 | 19% below national |
| 296 | Tyler, TX | $35,030 | 20% below national |
| 297 | Northwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | $34,930 | 20% below national |
| 298 | East Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $34,740 | 20% below national |
| 299 | North Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $34,720 | 20% below national |
| 300 | Springfield, MO | $34,710 | 20% below national |
| 301 | Middle Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $34,710 | 20% below national |
| 302 | Northeastern South Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $34,680 | 20% below national |
| 303 | El Paso, TX | $34,640 | 21% below national |
| 304 | Texarkana, TX-AR | $34,510 | 21% below national |
| 305 | Laredo, TX | $34,270 | 21% below national |
| 306 | St. George, UT | $34,220 | 22% below national |
| 307 | Upper East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | $34,050 | 22% below national |
| 308 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $34,010 | 22% below national |
| 309 | South Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $33,760 | 23% below national |
| 310 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $33,510 | 23% below national |
| 311 | Jackson, MS | $32,960 | 24% below national |
| 312 | Southeast Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $32,940 | 24% below national |
| 313 | Northeastern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $32,940 | 24% below national |
| 314 | Northwestern Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $32,940 | 24% below national |
| 315 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $32,740 | 25% below national |
| 316 | South Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $32,510 | 25% below national |
| 317 | Baton Rouge, LA | $32,160 | 26% below national |
| 318 | Lafayette, LA | $31,760 | 27% below national |
| 319 | Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | $31,740 | 27% below national |
| 320 | North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | $31,570 | 28% below national |
| 321 | Wichita Falls, TX | $31,480 | 28% below national |
| 322 | Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $31,440 | 28% below national |
| 323 | West Delta Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | $30,560 | 30% below national |
| 324 | Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area | $30,070 | 31% below national |
| 325 | Lower East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | $29,850 | 32% below national |
| 326 | Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | $29,590 | 32% below national |
| 327 | Ocala, FL | $29,070 | 33% below national |
| 328 | Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $28,230 | 35% below national |
| 329 | Southwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | $28,110 | 36% below national |
| 330 | Lake Charles, LA | $27,680 | 37% below national |
| 331 | Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | $27,240 | 38% below national |
| 332 | Monroe, LA | $27,080 | 38% below national |
| 333 | Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | $26,530 | 39% below national |
| 334 | Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $26,360 | 40% below national |
| 335 | Harrisonburg, VA | $25,810 | 41% below national |
| 336 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $25,700 | 41% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 43 (office and administrative support) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a File Clerks make? ▼
The median annual salary for File Clerks is $43,600 ($20.96/hour). The salary range spans from $31,200 at the 10th percentile to $63,490 at the 90th percentile.
What state pays File Clerks the most? ▼
Oregon pays the highest median salary for File Clerks at $50,660/year, which is +16% above the national median.
What education do you need to become a File Clerks? ▼
The typical entry-level education for File Clerks is High school diploma or equivalent. On-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training.
How dangerous is being a File Clerks? ▼
File Clerks has a safety grade of A (Very Safe) based on BLS data. The fatality rate is 0.5 per 100,000 workers and the injury rate is 1 per 100 workers.
Is File Clerks a good career? ▼
Employment for File Clerks is projected to decline 15.9% from 2024 to 2034, which is declining. About 7,300 openings are projected each year.
How does File Clerks pay vary by state? ▼
File Clerks salaries vary significantly by state. The highest-paying state is Oregon at $50,660/year, while Guam pays the least at $32,360/year. BLS data covers 51 states and territories.
Which metro areas pay the most for File Clerks? ▼
The highest-paying metro area for File Clerks is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $60,840/year. BLS reports wage data for 336 metro areas for this occupation, with pay varying based on local demand and cost of living.
What to do with this data
How to use File Clerks pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $51,770/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Oregon leads at $50,660/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.