File Clerks Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for file clerks in the U.S. is $43,600 ($20.96 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $43,600
- Mean annual wage
- $45,590
- Median hourly wage
- $20.96
- Employment
- 73,440
73,440 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $31,200 | $15.00 |
| 25th percentile | $36,420 | $17.51 |
| Median (50th) | $43,600 | $20.96 |
| 75th percentile | $51,770 | $24.89 |
| 90th percentile | $63,490 | $30.53 |
Highest-paying states for file clerks
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $50,660 | 970 |
| Hawaii | $50,630 | 100 |
| Illinois | $49,920 | 3,780 |
| Alaska | $49,910 | 150 |
| California | $49,040 | 9,520 |
| Massachusetts | $48,310 | 600 |
| Vermont | $47,540 | 70 |
| Minnesota | $46,640 | 760 |
| Iowa | $46,560 | 430 |
| Colorado | $46,490 | 1,130 |
Lowest-paying states
- Mississippi: $31,260 median annual wage
- West Virginia: $31,600 median annual wage
- Louisiana: $32,200 median annual wage
- Rhode Island: $36,400 median annual wage
- South Dakota: $36,640 median annual wage
About this occupation
File correspondence, cards, invoices, receipts, and other records in alphabetical or numerical order or according to the filing system used. Locate and remove material from file when requested.
Typical tasks
- Modify or improve filing systems or implement new filing systems.
- Gather materials to be filed from departments or employees.
- Scan or read incoming materials to determine how and where they should be classified or filed.
- Find, retrieve, and make copies of information from files in response to requests and deliver information to authorized users.
- Input data, such as file numbers, new or updated information, or document information codes into computer systems to support document and information retrieval.
- Design forms related to filing systems.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 3.2% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 25.4% |
| Some college, no degree | 28.2% |
| Associate's degree | 13.9% |
| Bachelor's degree | 23.0% |
| Master's degree | 5.3% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 0.9% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Customer Service Representatives$44,770
- Office Clerks, General$45,010
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive$47,540
- First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers$69,500
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks$50,670
- Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants$45,930
- Receptionists and Information Clerks$38,010
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks$45,260
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.