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What is a clerk specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

A clerk specialist is a receptionist, bookkeeper, and customer service representative all in one. They are primarily responsible for handling customer inquiries, so they must be highly knowledgeable of their company's services and products. But the most important trait for a clerk specialist is a friendly personality. They also have to demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication skills, as they interact with clients daily.

Clerk specialists don't necessarily need a college education. A high school diploma or GED is enough to get you through the door. Prior experience in customer service or administrative jobs will give you a more significant advantage in the job market than a formal education.

The average clerk specialist in the United States earns a yearly salary of $32,000. That's more or less $15 an hour. However, employers in cities like Olympia, Washington and Providence, Rhode Island pay their clerk specialists a highly competitive salary of $36,000 or more on average.

ScoreClerk SpecialistUS Average
Salary
2.7

Avg. Salary $34,038

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.6

Growth rate -5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.3
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.99%

Asian 7.28%

Black or African American 10.20%

Hispanic or Latino 22.70%

Unknown 4.49%

White 54.33%

Gender

female 77.31%

male 22.69%

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

Clerk specialist career paths

Key steps to become a clerk specialist

  1. Explore clerk specialist education requirements

    Most common clerk specialist degrees

    Bachelor's

    35.9 %

    Associate

    28.5 %

    High School Diploma

    24.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific clerk specialist skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Data Entry17.80%
    Office Equipment15.08%
    Customer Service13.14%
    Front Desk4.57%
    Payroll4.52%
  3. Complete relevant clerk specialist training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New clerks specialist 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 specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real clerk specialist resumes.
  4. Research clerk specialist duties and responsibilities

    • Manage orthopedic accounts regarding payment posting through IDX medical systems.
    • Assist in preliminary budget, preparation; prepare departmental payroll, statistical data and reports.
    • Check visitation/meeting rooms for cleanliness; print daily visitation/meeting room schedules; and escort parents/attendees to visitation/meeting rooms.
    • Answer phones with the ability to provide accurate information and education on the communicability and disease process of tuberculosis.
  5. Prepare your clerk specialist resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your clerk specialist 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 specialist 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 specialist resume templates

    Build a professional clerk specialist 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 specialist resume.
    Clerk Specialist Resume
    Clerk Specialist Resume
    Clerk Specialist Resume
    Clerk Specialist Resume
    Clerk Specialist Resume
    Clerk Specialist Resume
    Clerk Specialist Resume
    Clerk Specialist Resume
    Clerk Specialist Resume
  6. Apply for clerk specialist jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a clerk specialist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first clerk specialist job

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Average clerk specialist salary

The average clerk specialist salary in the United States is $34,038 per year or $16 per hour. Clerk specialist salaries range between $26,000 and $43,000 per year.

Average clerk specialist salary
$34,038 Yearly
$16.36 hourly

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Clerk specialist reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2024
Pros

Good work life balance, low stress and responsibility


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019
Pros

computer software knowledge. retrieve mail . Filing. answering phones. greeting customers.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019
Pros

Interaction with clients and or customers is what I mainly liked, especially when confidentiality was needed! I also liked multitasking for different. departments.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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