What Does a Clerk Do?

Clerks are responsible for many of the general administrative tasks in the office. They are in charge of manning office telephone lines, managing incoming and outgoing mails, filing paperwork and other needed records, scheduling and documenting meetings, typing out documents when needed, disseminating memos and other official announcements, and keeping an inventory of office equipment and supplies. Clerks should have good office skills, communication skills, business writing skills, and time management skills. They should also be able to treat any document or paperwork they handle with confidentiality.

Take a few minutes to create or upgrade your resume. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Clerk resume.

Clerk Responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real clerk resumes representing typical tasks they are likely to perform in their roles.

  • Demonstrate strong math skills in managing inmate s accounts and calmly and effectively deescalating outbursts of belligerent inmates.
  • Manage orthopedic accounts regarding payment posting through IDX medical systems.
  • Administer financial bookkeeping by way of QuickBooks.
  • Bank reconciliation in QuickBooks and assist bookkeeper when need.
  • Maintain a high level of confidentiality as required by HIPAA.
  • Call DMV's and dealerships when liens are not perfect.
  • Create providers schedules using CHCS -I database when it is necessary.
  • Process, proofread and issue title guaranty commitments and final title policies.
  • Transmit data with Microsoft word, AHLTA and CHCS to perform daily tasks.
  • Used current ICD-9 and CPT, and HCPCS for coding emergency room records.
  • Schedule patient appointments using HMS and collect payment via cash, credit or debit.
  • Operate office machines, such as personal computers, scanners, photocopiers, etc.
  • Maintain client data files and records in a statewide database system according to HIPAA regulations.
  • Read schematics, date check perishables, ensure correct measurement of shelf heights and product sizes.
  • General office duties, such as typing, filing and collating medical records and copying materials.
Clerk Traits
Customer-service skills
Customer-service skills involve listening skills that allow you to communicate efficiently and respectfully with a customer.
Detail oriented
Detail oriented involves being extremely mindful and observant of all details.
Organizational skills
Organizational skills are essential to working as efficiently as possible through being able to focus on projects at hand while also keeping a clean workspace.

Clerk Jobs You Might Like

  • High Paying Clerk Jobs - $39K and Up
  • Work From Home Clerk Jobs
  • Entry Level Clerk Jobs
  • Part Time Clerk Jobs
  • Actively Hiring
  • No Degree Clerk Jobs
Resume
Need A Perfect Clerk Resume?
Our AI resume builder helps you write a compelling and relevant resume for the jobs you want.

Clerk Job Description

Perhaps the hardest question to answer when deciding on a career as a clerk is "should I become a clerk?" You might find this info to be helpful. When compared to other jobs, clerk careers are projected to have a growth rate described as "decline" at -4% from 2018 through 2028. This is in accordance with the Bureau of Labor Statistics. What's more, is that the projected number of opportunities that are predicted to become available for a clerk by 2028 is -110,600.

Clerks average about $14.98 an hour, which makes the clerk annual salary $31,163. Additionally, clerks are known to earn anywhere from $24,000 to $39,000 a year. This means that the top-earning clerks make $14,000 more than the lowest earning ones.

It's hard work to become a clerk, but even the most dedicated employees consider switching careers from time to time. Whether you're interested in a more challenging position or just looking for a fresh start, we've compiled extensive information on becoming a receptionist/billing clerk, office services clerk, administrative clerk, and general office clerk.

Learn More About Clerk Job Descriptions

Clerk Jobs You Might Like

12 Clerk Resume Examples

Build a professional clerk resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 12+ resume templates to create your clerk resume.

 
Joyce Davis
Clerk
Contact Information
Phoenix, AZ
(300) 555-4136
Skills
  • Patient Care
  • Personal Computers
  • Communication
  • General Merchandise
  • Night Crew
  • Fax Machines
  • Financial Transactions
  • Routine Correspondence
  • Staff Members
  • Accurate Information
Employment History
Clerk
2019 - Present
Safeway
Phoenix, AZ
  • Welcomed customers and ensured helpful, amazing customer service.
  • Provided customer service, charted and reviewed reports hourly or daily as needed.
  • Maintained phone database and processed all County telephone and cell phone billing.
All Purpose Clerk
2018 - 2019
Safeway
Phoenix, AZ
  • Handled customer complaints, accepts "returns", issues rain checks, and answer questions.
  • Return retuned products back to proper shelf locations, and maintain store shelves by cleaning and organizing products.
  • Greet Customers and assist as necessary.
  • Assist customers with check out bagging groceries clean sales floor and bathrooms
  • Provided a high level of customer service by communicating with management and other associates.
Sandwich Artist
2017 - 2018
Subway
San Antonio, TX
  • Greet and service guests, maintains food, safety and sanitation standards.
  • Maintained high standards of customer service during high volume, fast-paced operations.
Education
High School Diploma
2017 - 2017
 
 
Nathan Bell
Clerk
Contact Info
Indianapolis, IN
(810) 555-2733
Skills
Important DocumentsHard-WorkingHRTarget GoalsCommunicationKitchen EquipmentCompany PoliciesFront CounterBank DepositsStore Cleanliness
Employment History
Clerk
2019 - Present
Walmart
Indianapolis, IN
  • Give change orders to Customer Service Supervisors.
  • Make up loan bags for customer service registers.
Gas Station Clerk
2016 - 2019
Walmart
Indianapolis, IN
  • Moved to the deli in Walmart which consisted of cleaning, cooking, food prep, etc.
  • Cashier, handling money, greeting customers, checkout items, any and all other request
  • Operated registers Assisted customers Trained new cashiers Customer Service Desk Back- up Customer Service Manager Various department clean-up
Crew Trainer
2013 - 2016
Burger King
Memphis, TN
  • Take drive-thru orders and maintain high quality food and service
  • Worked closely with team members to provide excellent customer service.
  • Display Maximum Customer service at all times.
  • Complied with safety regulations to ensure safe food preparation and follow sanitation guidelines.
  • Open the store and perform daily tasks including, preparing and handling food.
Education
High School Diploma
2013 - 2013
 
 
Stephen Rogers
Clerk
Wilkesboro, NC
(890) 555-2783
Experience
Clerk2018 - Present
Lowe's•Wilkesboro, NC
  • Provided excellent customer service while bagging groceries in a fast, fun, & friendly manner.
  • Tag merchandise quickly with bar codes so it can be sold on the sales floor.
  • Verify with internal buyers the accuracy of purchase orders prior to placing orders with vendors.
  • Tracked late Purchase orders Helped delivery drivers verify the out going daily deliveries.
Sales Audit Clerk2015 - 2018
Werner Enterprises•Omaha, NE
  • Communicate and inform Retail Sales Auditor II of relevant store report issues.
  • Provided timely, accurate processing of invoices, purchase orders, expense reports, credit memos and payment transactions.
Student Internship2014 - 2015
American Red Cross•Omaha, NE
  • Red Cross, 1565 Exposition Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95815 - Student Intern/Volunteer Copy Files Input information into Excel
  • Used Microsoft Office PowerPoint to help prepare presentation for conference.
  • Conquered emergency situations calmly and collectively.
Skills
Retail SalesCommunicationPsychological ServicesCompany PoliciesPayrollStudent InternStore ManagementStaff MeetingsPayment VouchersHabitat
Education
High School Diploma 2014 - 2014
 
Create My Resume
Build a professional resume in minutes using this template.

Clerk Skills and Personality Traits

We calculated that 18% of Clerks are proficient in Basic Math, Math, and Data Entry. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Detail oriented, and Organizational skills.

We break down the percentage of Clerks that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Basic Math, 18%

    Perform arithmetic to verify calculations using basic mathematical functions.

  • Math, 10%

    Develop and deliver activities that introduce math and literacy concepts.

  • Data Entry, 10%

    Created document batches, retrieved individual application information, responsible for data entry and generation of mailing labels.

  • Customer Service, 9%

    Check refrigeration equipment for proper performance regularly; customer service by answering question, taking customer orders for catering

  • Cleanliness, 8%

    Interviewed patients to obtain medical information and family history and prepared treatment rooms for examinations, cleanliness and equipment.

  • POS, 5%

    Establish or identify prices of goods, services or admissions and tabulate bills using POS or optical price scanners.

Most clerks list "basic math," "math," and "data entry" as skills on their resumes. We go into more details on the most important clerk responsibilities here:

  • Arguably the most important personality trait for a clerk to have happens to be customer-service skills. An example from a resume said this about the skill, "general office clerks often provide general information to company staff, customers, or the public" Additionally, other resumes have pointed out that clerks can use customer-service skills to "filed, used word processing, attended incoming and outcoming calls, accepted and entered account payments and customer service. "

  • Another trait important for fulfilling clerk duties is detail oriented. According to a clerk resume, "general office clerks perform many clerical tasks that require attention to detail, such as preparing bills." Here's an example of how clerks are able to utilize detail oriented: "detail-oriented and organized gbs data entry clerk extensively trained in spreadsheets, and word processing. "

  • Organizational skills is also an important skill for clerks to have. This example of how clerks use this skill comes from a clerk resume, "general office clerks file and retrieve records" Read this excerpt from a resume to understand how vital it is to their everyday roles and responsibilities, "prioritized and inspected the mail system inspected the organizational system for efficiency maintained the cleanliness of the working environment"

    • See the full list of clerk skills.

    Before becoming a clerk, 32.8% earned their bachelor's degree. When it comes down to graduating with a master's degree, 2.8% clerks went for the extra education. If you're wanting to pursue this career, it may be possible to be successful with a high school degree. In fact, some clerks have a college degree. But about one out of every four clerks didn't attend college at all.

    Those clerks who do attend college, typically earn either business degrees or accounting degrees. Less commonly earned degrees for clerks include criminal justice degrees or general studies degrees.

    When you're ready to become a clerk, you might wonder which companies hire clerks. According to our research through clerk resumes, clerks are mostly hired by ShopRite, Ingles Markets, and Hy-Vee. Now is a good time to apply as ShopRite has 356 clerks job openings, and there are 344 at Ingles Markets and 261 at Hy-Vee.

    But if you're interested in companies where you might earn a high salary, clerks tend to earn the biggest salaries at University of Massachusetts Boston, University of California, Berkeley, and Massasoit Community College. Take University of Massachusetts Boston for example. The median clerk salary is $44,867. At University of California, Berkeley, clerks earn an average of $42,218, while the average at Massasoit Community College is $42,107. You should take into consideration how difficult it might be to secure a job with one of these companies.

    View more details on clerk salaries across the United States.

    If you earned a degree from the top 100 educational institutions in the United States, you might want to take a look at United States Postal Service, U.S. Census Bureau, and Hy-Vee. These three companies have hired a significant number of clerks from these institutions.

    The three companies that hire the most prestigious clerks are:

    Build a professional resume in minutes.

    Our AI resume builder helps you write a compelling and relevant resume for the jobs you want. See 10+ resume templates and create your resume here.

    Clerk Jobs You Might Like

    • High Paying Clerk Jobs - $39K and Up
    • Work From Home Clerk Jobs
    • Entry Level Clerk Jobs
    • Part Time Clerk Jobs
    • Actively Hiring
    • No Degree Clerk Jobs
    Resume
    Create The Perfect Resume
    Our resume builder tool will walk you through the process of creating a stand-out Architect resume.

    What Receptionist/Billing Clerks Do

    A receptionist/billing clerk is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties as needed to maintain a smooth flow of operations for the business. Receptionist/billing clerks process the customers' payment transactions, manage account payables, releasing invoices, and immediately resolve account discrepancies. A receptionist/billing clerk must have excellent communication and analytical skills, responding to customers' inquiries and concerns, escalating high-level complaints to the billing management. They should also maintain records of financial documentation for reference and reconciliation as needed.

    In this section, we take a look at the annual salaries of other professions. Take receptionist/billing clerk for example. On average, the receptionist/billing clerks annual salary is $769 higher than what clerks make on average every year.

    While their salaries may differ, one common ground between clerks and receptionist/billing clerks are a few of the skills required in each craft. In both careers, employees bring forth skills like data entry, customer service, and office equipment.

    There are some key differences in responsibilities as well. For example, a clerk responsibilities require skills like "basic math," "math," "cleanliness," and "pos." Meanwhile a typical receptionist/billing clerk has skills in areas such as "patients," "appointment scheduling," "patient appointments," and "insurance verification." This difference in skills reveals how truly different these two careers really are.

    Receptionist/billing clerks really shine in the technology industry with an average salary of $35,383. Whereas clerks tend to make the most money in the health care industry with an average salary of $31,380.

    On average, receptionist/billing clerks reach similar levels of education than clerks. Receptionist/billing clerks are 0.9% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.8% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

    What Are The Duties Of an Office Services Clerk?

    An office services clerk is a professional employee who performs a multitude of administrative tasks as well as office maintenance duties of an organization. Office services clerks are required to maintain an inventory of office supplies as well as purchase and distribute office supplies to all employees when needed. They must manage office services staff to ensure that their duties are met efficiently and effectively. Office services clerks must also provide customer service to a wide range of customers by answering phones and responding to emails.

    The next role we're going to look at is the office services clerk profession. Typically, this position earns a lower pay. In fact, they earn a $2,003 lower salary than clerks per year.

    Not everything about these jobs is different. Take their skills, for example. Clerks and office services clerks both include similar skills like "data entry," "customer service," and "office equipment" on their resumes.

    But both careers also use different skills, according to real clerk resumes. While clerk responsibilities can utilize skills like "basic math," "math," "cleanliness," and "pos," some office services clerks use skills like "office services," "proofreading," "postage meter," and "service calls."

    On average, office services clerks earn a lower salary than clerks. There are industries that support higher salaries in each profession respectively. Interestingly enough, office services clerks earn the most pay in the utilities industry with an average salary of $37,812. Whereas, clerks have higher paychecks in the health care industry where they earn an average of $31,380.

    On the topic of education, office services clerks earn similar levels of education than clerks. In general, they're 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

    How an Administrative Clerk Compares

    An administrative clerk provides support to staff and does clerical works. These clerical duties include answering and making phone calls, typing documents, compiling and filing records, and scheduling appointments. The clerks often set up office meetings and invite reliable speakers. Also, they do research and prepare reports or presentations. Candidates for the job must be organized, detail-oriented, and can manage their time well. They must be tech-savvy and have a basic knowledge of bookkeeping. The salary depends on their experience, industry, and location of the job.

    Let's now take a look at the administrative clerk profession. On average, these workers make higher salaries than clerks with a $1,164 difference per year.

    By looking over several clerks and administrative clerks resumes, we found that both roles utilize similar skills, such as "data entry," "customer service," and "office equipment." But beyond that the careers look very different.

    Some important key differences between the two careers are a few of the skills necessary to fulfill responsibilities. Some examples from clerk resumes include skills like "basic math," "math," "cleanliness," and "pos," whereas an administrative clerk might be skilled in "patients," "payroll data," "purchase orders," and "hr. "

    Administrative clerks make a very good living in the finance industry with an average annual salary of $33,044. Whereas clerks are paid the highest salary in the health care industry with the average being $31,380.

    Administrative clerks are known to earn similar educational levels when compared to clerks. Additionally, they're 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

    Description Of a General Office Clerk

    A general office clerk is responsible for performing various clerical duties to support business functions and ensure smooth daily operations. General office clerks respond to clients' inquiries and concerns, welcoming guests, and assisting in disseminating information across the organization. They maintain the adequacy of inventories, organize business and financial transaction reports, and perform basic bookkeeping tasks and banking transactions. A general office clerk must be highly organizational and analytical, especially in encoding account statements on the database and processing business reports required by the management.

    The fourth career we look at typically earns lower pay than clerks. On average, general office clerks earn a difference of $1,129 lower per year.

    While both clerks and general office clerks complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like data entry, customer service, and customer orders, the two careers also vary in other skills.

    While some skills are shared by these professions, there are some differences to note. "basic math," "math," "cleanliness," and "pos" are skills that have shown up on clerks resumes. Additionally, general office clerk uses skills like hr, photocopiers, office support, and scheduling appointments on their resumes.

    General office clerks earn a higher salary in the health care industry with an average of $30,604. Whereas, clerks earn the highest salary in the health care industry.

    In general, general office clerks reach similar levels of education when compared to clerks resumes. General office clerks are 0.8% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

    What Similar Roles Do

    Clerk Related Careers

    Clerk Related Jobs

    Clerk Jobs By Location

    Updated October 2, 2020