How To Become A Clerk/Assistant: What It Is and Career Path

What is a clerk/assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Primarily, clerks perform administrative tasks. A clerk is responsible for performing administrative tasks to support the day-to-day business operations. You will oversee and maintain records and files for updates and accountability. To ensure orderliness, you are to arrange and monitor the incoming and outgoing mails and calls. Part of your job lets you make use of office appliances such as printers, photocopy, and computers. You are also in charge of bookkeeping and issuing invoices and checks. Your attendance during meetings is very important because you will take dictations and minutes of meetings just for reference purposes for the next meeting.

The clerk will help in office management and organization procedures and with monitoring and managing available stocks. You are also responsible for assisting in booking a traveling appointment and looking out for venues for conferences and events. As a clerk, you must be able to communicate well, organize, approach in a friendly and well-behaved manner, and multi-tasking. The average salary of a clerk annually is $43,000, achievable with at least a high school diploma certificate.

ScoreClerk/AssistantUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $32,674

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.6

Growth rate -5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.05%

Asian 8.27%

Black or African American 10.82%

Hispanic or Latino 22.68%

Unknown 4.64%

White 52.54%

Gender

female 72.53%

male 27.47%

Age - 50

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 50

Stress level

6.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

4.3

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.1

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a clerk/assistant

Explore clerk/assistant education requirements

Most common clerk/assistant degrees

Bachelor's

38.6 %

Associate

23.9 %

High School Diploma

23.2 %

Start to develop specific clerk/assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Support	13.95%
Telephone Calls	13.32%
Word Processing	11.50%
Payroll	6.85%
Purchase Orders	4.89%

Complete relevant clerk/assistant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New clerks/assistant learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a clerk/assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real clerk/assistant resumes.

Gain additional clerk/assistant certifications

Clerk/assistant certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific clerk/assistant certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for clerks/assistant include Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) and Word 2010 Certification.

More About Certifications

Research clerk/assistant duties and responsibilities

Demonstrate strong math skills in managing inmate s accounts and calmly and effectively deescalating outbursts of belligerent inmates.
Create and present PowerPoint presentations for senior level staff.
Compose a weekly PowerPoint presentation regarding company highlights.
Review payroll to ensure accuracy, compile payroll records and distribute paychecks.

Prepare your clerk/assistant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your clerk/assistant resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a clerk/assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable clerk/assistant resume templates

Build a professional clerk/assistant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your clerk/assistant resume.