How to hire a document clerk

How to hire a document clerk, step by step

Here's a step-by-step document clerk hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a document clerk job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new document clerk
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a document clerk do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a document clerk, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A document clerk's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, document clerks from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of document clerk salaries for various roles:

   Type of Document Clerk	Description	Hourly rate
   Document Clerk	Information clerks perform routine clerical duties such as maintaining records, collecting data, and providing information to customers.	$12-17
   Data Entry Operator	A data entry operator is someone responsible for entering collected information into a database using different computer software. Data entry duties include updating customer data, transcribing information, and entering accounting records... Show more	$11-19
   Clerk Typist	A clerk typist is responsible for data entry procedures and document transcriptions, alongside other clerical and administrative duties as required by the employer. Clerk typists create reports and presentation materials, transcribe audio meetings, write business drafts, and send documents to appropriate office personnel or clients... Show more	$12-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Office Equipment
   • Word Processing
   • GMP
   • Data Entry Operations
   • Computer System
   • Paralegals
   • Trial Preparation
   • FDA
   • Law Firm
   • QC
   • AS400
   • Clips
   • Administrative Tasks
   • Numerical Order

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Maintain and manage database with clinical details and digital radiology imaging.
   • Prepare, index and QA various paper documents for scanning to electronic format.
   • Upload and send x-ray images for doctors to view and compare for radiology reports while maintaining schedule and patients charts.
   • Scan and convert documents to PDF.
   • Add fedex charges to orders ship fedex.
   • Scan documentation and index into EMR system.

   More document clerk duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your document clerk job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A document clerk salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, document clerks' average salary in oklahoma is 29% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level document clerks earn 32% less than senior-level document clerks.
   • Certifications. A document clerk with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a document clerk's salary.

   Average document clerk salary

   $14.71hourly

   $30,597 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level document clerk salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average document clerk salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Maryland	$34,103	$16
   2	Massachusetts	$34,039	$16
   3	Hawaii	$32,523	$16
   4	Ohio	$32,367	$16
   5	California	$32,149	$15
   6	Iowa	$31,818	$15
   7	New York	$31,596	$15
   8	Colorado	$31,445	$15
   9	Arizona	$31,393	$15
   10	Michigan	$31,364	$15
   11	Kansas	$31,135	$15
   12	Minnesota	$30,882	$15
   13	Wisconsin	$29,870	$14
   14	Missouri	$29,160	$14
   15	Texas	$29,047	$14
   16	Florida	$28,641	$14
   17	Pennsylvania	$28,617	$14
   18	South Carolina	$28,157	$14
   19	Georgia	$28,005	$13
   20	Tennessee	$26,198	$13

   Average document clerk salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Smiths Group	$38,512	$18.52	1
   2	Zwicker & Associates	$34,550	$16.61	5
   3	Lincare Holdings	$34,383	$16.53
   4	Wps Health Insurance	$33,047	$15.89
   5	TPI	$32,006	$15.39	9
   6	HealthTrust	$31,272	$15.03
   7	Vectrus	$31,168	$14.98
   8	Matson	$31,046	$14.93
   9	Samaritan Health Services Inc	$30,994	$14.90	15
   10	Shaw Industries	$30,592	$14.71	3
   11	Kelly Services	$30,540	$14.68	57
   12	Russell Tobin	$30,514	$14.67	1
   13	ACS Solutions	$30,511	$14.67
   14	ManpowerGroup	$30,101	$14.47	77
   15	Randstad North America, Inc.	$30,060	$14.45	24
   16	Kratos Defense & Security Solutions	$29,999	$14.42	2
   17	Aerotek	$29,960	$14.40	78
   18	Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego	$29,856	$14.35
   19	Burnett Specialists	$29,581	$14.22	10
   20	Adecco	$29,573	$14.22	116

4. Writing a document clerk job description

   A job description for a document clerk role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a document clerk job description:

   Document clerk job description example

   Join a growing public company dedicated to improving patient's quality of life with the treatment of the most challenging foot and ankle conditions! Paragon 28 looking to fill the position of Documentation Clerk with a starting range of $20.00 - $22.00/hour, dependent upon experience, education, and skills. This position is eligible for a hybrid schedule of work from home and office.
   
   This role is responsible for clerical duties related to the maintenance of technical documentation within the Quality Department, including, but not limited to tracking, logging, updating and version control of technical documents according to business standards.
   
   P28 is a leader in the development and distribution of medical solutions for the foot and ankle industry. Established in 2010, every member of our inspired and dedicated team serves a vital role in the achievement of our mission: to strategically build a company around the core principles that drive innovation and quality. We're located at 14445 Grasslands Dr., just off E-470 and Peoria St. on the east side of Englewood, CO.
   
   We offer 100% employer-paid medical, dental and vision benefits for employee only coverage and generously subsidized premiums for coverage with dependents in addition to company paid life and disability benefits. Voluntary life/disability/accident options as well as flexible spending account plans are also available. We have a safe harbor 401(k) Plan with 3% match and an Employee Stock Purchase Plan, which allows purchase of P28 stock at a discounted rate! You are able to accrue 15 days of PTO over 12 months to maintain a fulfilling work/life balance. Our working environment is considered "Colorado Casual". Onsite we have a fresh food kiosk, free parking and coming soon a fitness center!
   
   Paragon 28 is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. All employment decisions are decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need.
   Key Responsibilities
   
   * Scanning, organizing, and filing of hard copy and electronic records.
   * Maintenance of physical records, both on and offsite.
   * Assist Manager of Document Control and Training with maintaining Quality Management System Records.
   * Administration of company change control processes and activities
   * Create reports on change orders, product requests, and quality processes.
   * Assist with internal and external audits as required.
   * Other duties as assigned
   
   Qualifications
   
   * Requires a high school diploma or its equivalent.
   * At least one year of general work experience preferred
   * Must be detail oriented.
   * Good computer skills and proficiency in MS Office Suite, Adobe PDF.
   * Good attention to detail, written and oral communication skills.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find document clerks for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any document clerks they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level document clerks with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your document clerk job on Zippia to find and recruit document clerk candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit document clerks, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new document clerk

   Once you've found the document clerk candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new document clerk. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a document clerk?