Your work. Your records.
General Office Clerk Workplace Records
General office clerks often divide their day among filing, office equipment and requests from several departments. When an employment concern arises, the job title may hide the actual mix of work. Build a short account of who assigned each relevant task and which duties or expectations changed before the event you want reviewed.
Call now(800) 800-5555Free initial case evaluation. Representation depends on work state and case eligibility. This guide explains record preparation; it does not determine whether a legal claim exists.
A record map for your role
What to organize first
Priority record
Write the assignment, deadline and person directing it for each competing request; include any written clarification you were permitted to retain.
Procedure version
Identify the filing or entry procedure in effect when the event happened, and distinguish later revisions from the instructions you had then.
Employer identity
Use your own offer letter or pay statement to identify the employing organization, especially when your desk serves several affiliated offices.
Start with the work you actually do
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 classifies this occupation as Office Clerks, General (43-9061.00). Its description covers a typical occupation, not every workplace or individual job. It does not establish employee status, overtime eligibility or employer misconduct.
- Communicate with customers, employees, and other individuals to answer questions, disseminate or explain information, take orders, and address complaints.Source task 826 · updated 08/2018
- Maintain and update filing, inventory, mailing, and database systems, either manually or using a computer.Source task 832 · updated 08/2018
- Compile, copy, sort, and file records of office activities, business transactions, and other activities.Source task 828 · updated 08/2018
- Review files, records, and other documents to obtain information to respond to requests.Source task 834 · updated 08/2018
A reference point for your pay records
May 2025 wage estimates by state
Compare your pay records with published BLS estimates for Office Clerks, General (SOC 43-9061). These describe an occupation across employers. They are not a required pay rate, an overtime calculation, or evidence of discrimination or unpaid wages.
Select your work state to see its published pay range. No personal pay information is requested or sent.
The 25th and 75th percentiles mark the middle half of the estimated wage distribution; the median is its midpoint. Actual pay can differ with experience, employer, location and duties. Hourly and annual figures are shown as published, without converting one into the other.
All published state estimates for this occupation
| State | Hourly 25th | Hourly median | Hourly 75th | Annual median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $12.13 | $15.00 | $18.28 | $31,200 |
| Alaska | $20.83 | $24.95 | $30.10 | $51,890 |
| Arizona | $18.38 | $22.32 | $26.90 | $46,420 |
| Arkansas | $14.70 | $17.81 | $21.91 | $37,050 |
| Connecticut | $19.53 | $23.21 | $28.08 | $48,280 |
| Delaware | $16.27 | $20.55 | $24.85 | $42,740 |
| Florida | $17.34 | $21.37 | $25.94 | $44,450 |
| Georgia | $16.57 | $19.51 | $23.41 | $40,590 |
| Hawaii | $17.59 | $20.35 | $24.44 | $42,340 |
| Idaho | $17.74 | $21.55 | $24.71 | $44,830 |
| Indiana | $17.31 | $21.40 | $25.15 | $44,520 |
| Iowa | $17.39 | $21.30 | $24.92 | $44,310 |
| Kansas | $10.85 | $15.56 | $23.79 | $32,370 |
| Kentucky | $14.63 | $18.21 | $22.48 | $37,870 |
| Louisiana | $12.21 | $15.62 | $18.99 | $32,480 |
| Maine | $18.73 | $21.78 | $24.28 | $45,300 |
| Michigan | $17.54 | $21.55 | $25.44 | $44,820 |
| Minnesota | $19.27 | $23.00 | $27.75 | $47,840 |
| Mississippi | $13.23 | $16.78 | $20.58 | $34,900 |
| Missouri | $16.92 | $20.37 | $24.49 | $42,370 |
| Montana | $18.57 | $22.35 | $27.48 | $46,480 |
| Nebraska | $15.46 | $18.18 | $21.99 | $37,820 |
| New Hampshire | $19.26 | $23.57 | $28.68 | $49,020 |
| New Mexico | $15.30 | $17.85 | $21.12 | $37,130 |
| New York | $17.71 | $22.06 | $26.10 | $45,890 |
| North Carolina | $16.59 | $20.08 | $23.99 | $41,770 |
| North Dakota | $20.52 | $24.11 | $29.86 | $50,160 |
| Ohio | $16.78 | $21.00 | $25.00 | $43,680 |
| Oklahoma | $14.30 | $17.90 | $22.44 | $37,240 |
| Pennsylvania | $17.75 | $21.61 | $25.33 | $44,950 |
| Rhode Island | $19.07 | $23.00 | $28.33 | $47,830 |
| South Dakota | $15.09 | $18.54 | $21.69 | $38,560 |
| Tennessee | $15.45 | $18.68 | $22.96 | $38,860 |
| Texas | $14.78 | $18.75 | $23.42 | $39,000 |
| Utah | $17.07 | $21.18 | $25.80 | $44,060 |
| Vermont | $20.06 | $23.23 | $26.92 | $48,310 |
| Virginia | $18.08 | $22.31 | $27.30 | $46,410 |
| West Virginia | $13.85 | $16.84 | $20.56 | $35,020 |
| Wisconsin | $17.66 | $21.63 | $24.80 | $44,980 |
| Wyoming | $17.12 | $20.60 | $25.34 | $42,840 |
“Not published” preserves unavailable or suppressed source cells. “Above reporting limit” preserves a top-coded source value without inventing a number. A missing state estimate does not establish service eligibility. The data describe wage and salary employment; they do not measure self-employment income.
Source: BLS May 2025 state workbook · OEWS tables · BLS technical notes. Use your own schedule, pay statement and compensation terms to identify the question you want reviewed.
Identify competing instructions
List the departments or supervisors directing your work and the order in which requests arrived. For a missed deadline or disputed priority, record the original instruction, later changes and any clarification you sought. Explain whether you were covering another desk or handling an unusual volume of records. Separate the instruction you received from your assumption about what the sender intended.
Locate the record without removing its contents
A filing or data-entry dispute may involve a document containing customer, employee or financial information. Note its general type, the system where it belongs and the date you processed it. Use your own permitted employment messages to explain the issue. Do not copy an office archive or personal information about others simply because your normal duties give you access.
Track changes in routine and evaluation
Compare the duties in your own job description with the work you actually performed during the affected period. Note training, equipment problems, revised procedures and how those were communicated. If your review mentions errors, keep the review and your response together. Public and private offices may use similar titles; identify the actual employer rather than assuming the title establishes legal coverage.
Choose your next step
Review the workplace retaliation guide, unpaid wages guide, or discrimination guide if those concerns fit your experience. A job title alone does not establish a claim.
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