What Does a General Office Clerk Do?

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.

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 General Office Clerk resume.

General Office Clerk Responsibilities

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

Set up PowerPoint presentations using LCD projectors and computers.
Update and maintain PowerPoint presentations used for new hire orientation of management and employees.
Insert data accurately and expeditiously into the company payroll system for future retrieval.
Assist patients with sensitive and detail orient documentation, schedule appointments and verify insurance benefits.
Use QuickBooks for purchase order, inventory activities and sales order.
Bag groceries, assist customers in locating merchandise, cleaning of store floors, restrooms and shelves.

General Office Clerk Job Description

When it comes to understanding what a general office clerk does, you may be wondering, "should I become a general office clerk?" The data included in this section may help you decide. Compared to other jobs, general office clerks have a growth rate described as "decline" at -4% between the years 2018 - 2028, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In fact, the number of general office clerk opportunities that are predicted to open up by 2028 is -110,600.

General office clerks average about $14.44 an hour, which makes the general office clerk annual salary $30,034. Additionally, general office clerks are known to earn anywhere from $23,000 to $38,000 a year. This means that the top-earning general office clerks make $12,000 more than the lowest earning ones.

As is the case with most jobs, it takes work to become a general office clerk. Sometimes people change their minds about their career after working in the profession. That's why we looked into some other professions that might help you find your next opportunity. These professions include a clerk typist, room clerk, shop clerk, and clerk.

Learn More About General Office Clerk Job Descriptions

Find Better Talent in Less Time

Post a Job on Zippia and take the best from over 7 million monthly job seekers.

General Office Clerk Jobs You Might Like

12 General Office Clerk Resume Examples

Build a professional general office 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 general office clerk resume.


Michelle Moore General Office Clerk Contact Information New York, NY (720) 555-2512 mmoore@example.com Skills Communication Administrative Tasks Patient Care HR Financial Statements Outgoing Correspondence Travel Arrangements Phone Calls Telephone Calls Front Office Employment History General Office Clerk 2019 - Present KEAN UNIV New York, NY Answer In Bound Calls Register Patients Schedule Appointments Take Messages Using EMR (Centricity) Provided on a weekly basis a list of delinquent accounts to the Business Office Manager for review. Received telephone calls; provided caller with the requested information or directed them to the proper person. Provide excellent customer service to patients and their families. Office Assistant/File Clerk 2018 - 2019 KEAN UNIV New York, NY Updated departmental standard operating procedures and database to accurately reflect the current practices. Prepared confidential documents via information from all legal documents on a case-by-case basis. Provide superior customer service while answering high-volume multi-line phone system. Assist Client Company with set up and organization of filing system for multiple medical records maintaining strict confidentiality. Used word processing software to create documents and/or spreadsheets. Accountant Assistant 2017 - 2018 Robert Half International New York, NY Prepared financial statements and managerial reports. Work with IRS, L&I, Department of Revenue to bring tax payments current. Coded vendor invoices upon receipt. Processed and batched check, ACH and wire transfer payment requests. Reconcile bank statements and prepare financial statements. Education Bachelor's Degree Accounting 2014 - 2017 Pace University New York, NY


Jessica Johnson General Office Clerk Contact Info Houston, TX (330) 555-6804 jjohnson@example.com Skills PayrollMDSStaff MeetingsPurchase OrdersData EntryOffice SuppliesFront OfficeRecreational ActivitiesTraining Staff MembersPatient Care Employment History General Office Clerk 2017 - Present Kelly Services Houston, TX worked various short-term customer service office assignments for various New Jersey based companies Liaised with vendors to order and maintain inventory of office supplies. Interacted with insurance companies for authorization and filing of claim forms. Answered telephone calls professionally and transferred calls to appropriate parties. Processed invoices, purchase orders, credit memos, and payment transactions. Office Helper Clerical 2016 - 2017 The University of Texas at Arlington Dallas, TX Performed various administrative tasks including but not limited to: mail distribution, filing, copying, creating memos. Answer phone, faxing, filing, copying, data entry for burial information, telemarketing for burial insurance department. Implement desk top procedures for word processing operators and secretaries, so they can be more efficient. Recreation Assistant 2014 - 2016 Decatur Parks & Recreation Dallas, TX Designed creative flyers and decorations for a number of special events. Served as the liasison for community organizations and other civic groups to coordinate programs and special events. Education High School Diploma 2014 - 2014


Willie Lawson General Office Clerk Mooresville, NC (560) 555-2171 wlawson@example.com Experience General Office Clerk2014 - Present Lowes Foods•Mooresville, NC Reconciled registers at end of shift, made bank deposits and performing daily and weekly closes. Supervised front-end employees and monitored sales floor. Receive all merchandise and process all credits according to company policies. Performed searches on registered voter in centralized Central Voter Registration Database System. Redirected calls to the appropriate departments or customer service and provided park information as needed and allowed. Performed and operated a variety of office equipment for office support, resolving routine telephone calls. Office Helper Clerical2013 - 2014 Rowan County•Mooresville, NC Back office included billing, scheduling deliveries, and customer service. Greeted visitors, ascertain the nature of their business, and refer them to appropriate staff members. Provide exceptional customer service in all aspects of the job Customer Service Clerk2012 - 2013 Lowe's•Mooresville, NC Engaged in customer interaction on the sales floor. Assigned primarily to one zone on sales floor. Process special order services, down stock items, meet and greet customers. Helped move stock from backroom to sales floor. Skills PowerpointAppropriate PersonnelHigh VolumeCustomer ReturnsPersonal InformationPaper FilesWord ProcessingCopy DocumentsClerical TasksOffice Space Education High School Diploma 2012 - 2012

Create My Resume

Build a professional resume in minutes using this template.

General Office Clerk Skills and Personality Traits

We calculated that 17% of General Office Clerks are proficient in Data Entry, Customer Service, and Office Equipment. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Detail oriented, and Organizational skills.

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

Data Entry, 17%
Demonstrate a good understanding of general business operating procedures and be proficient in data entry.
Customer Service, 15%
Increased customer satisfaction by swiftly tracking customer survey responses and presenting findings to management so customer service modifications could be made.
Office Equipment, 12%
Operated a variety of office equipment including typewriter, telephone system, copier and calculator.
Front Desk, 11%
Prepared general reports for front desk, verified maintenance supplies and supply lists, room inspections and report maintenance issues.
Word Processing, 9%
General office clerk, duties of answering telephones, typing and or word processing, filing and additional office duties.
Telephone Calls, 8%
General office clerks typically do the following: Answer telephone calls, take messages, or transfer calls to staff.

Choose From 10+ Customizable General Office Clerk Resume templates

Build a professional General Office Clerk 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 General Office Clerk resume.

"data entry," "customer service," and "office equipment" aren't the only skills we found general office clerks list on their resumes. In fact, there's a whole list of general office clerk responsibilities that we found, including:

The most important skills for a general office clerk to have in this position are customer-service skills. In this excerpt that we gathered from a general office clerk resume, you'll understand why: "general office clerks often provide general information to company staff, customers, or the public" According to resumes we found, customer-service skills can be used by a general office clerk in order to "designated for first impression customer relation duties, including answering multiple phone lines and scheduling appointments. "

While it may not be the most important skill, we found that many general office clerk duties rely on detail oriented. This example from a general office clerk explains why: "general office clerks perform many clerical tasks that require attention to detail, such as preparing bills." This resume example is just one of many ways general office clerks are able to utilize detail oriented: "verify details of business transactions; document funds received and disbursed; total accounts - via calculator and computer. "

Organizational skills is also an important skill for general office clerks to have. This example of how general office clerks use this skill comes from a general office 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, "recognized for high quality work, organizational strengths and exceptional customer service delivery. "

See the full list of general office clerk skills.

After discovering the most helpful skills, we moved onto what kind of education might be helpful in becoming a general office clerk. We found that 28.3% of general office clerks have graduated with a bachelor's degree and 2.0% of people in this position have earned their master's degrees. While some general office clerks have a college degree, you may find it's also true that generally it's possible to be successful in this career with only a high school degree. In fact, our research shows that one out of every three general office clerks were not college graduates.

Those general office clerks who do attend college, typically earn either business degrees or accounting degrees. Less commonly earned degrees for general office clerks include health care administration degrees or general studies degrees.

Once you're ready to become a general office clerk, you should explore the companies that typically hire general office clerks. According to general office clerk resumes that we searched through, general office clerks are hired the most by Robert Half, YRC Freight, and Holland. Currently, Robert Half has 29 general office clerk job openings, while there are 19 at YRC Freight and 3 at Holland.

But if you're interested in companies where you might earn a high salary, general office clerks tend to earn the biggest salaries at USF Reddaway, Ricoh, and Tarrant County. Take USF Reddaway for example. The median general office clerk salary is $37,105. At Ricoh, general office clerks earn an average of $33,217, while the average at Tarrant County is $32,552. You should take into consideration how difficult it might be to secure a job with one of these companies.

View more details on general office clerk salaries across the United States.

We also looked into companies who hire general office clerks from the top 100 educational institutions in the U.S. The top three companies that hire the most from these institutions include Boston University, The Ohio State University, and U.S. Census Bureau.

The industries that general office clerks fulfill the most roles in are the professional and transportation industries. But the highest general office clerk annual salary is in the health care industry, averaging $30,604. In the manufacturing industry they make $30,159 and average about $29,974 in the transportation industry. In conclusion, general office clerks who work in the health care industry earn a 22.3% higher salary than general office clerks in the retail industry.

The three companies that hire the most prestigious general office clerks are:

Robert Half29 General Office Clerks Jobs
YRC Freight19 General Office Clerks Jobs
Holland3 General Office Clerks Jobs

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.

Don't Have A Professional Resume?

What Clerk Typists Do

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. A clerk-typist must show excellent organizational and time-management skills, especially with handling various typing tasks under strict deadlines and minimal supervision. They also respond and take calls from clients and customers, assisting with their inquiries and concerns.

In this section, we take a look at the annual salaries of other professions. Take clerk typist for example. On average, the clerks typist annual salary is $1,712 higher than what general office clerks make on average every year.

Even though general office clerks and clerks typist have vast differences in their careers, a few of the skills required to do both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require data entry, customer service, and office equipment in the day-to-day roles.

As far as similarities go, this is where it ends because a general office clerk responsibility requires skills such as "photocopiers," "customer complaints," "office support," and "database systems." Whereas a clerk typist is skilled in "input data," "office machines," "date stamps," and "provide clerical support." So if you're looking for what truly separates the two careers, you've found it.

Clerks typist really shine in the education industry with an average salary of $32,312. Whereas general office clerks tend to make the most money in the health care industry with an average salary of $30,604.

Clerks typist tend to reach similar levels of education than general office clerks. In fact, clerks typist are 1.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

What Are The Duties Of a Room Clerk?

A room clerk is responsible for receiving guests and assigning them to their respective rooms, typically in a hotel setting. Room clerks manage guests' reservations, explain the policies of the premises, and process their payments for staying at the hotel. They also ensure the rooms' cleanliness, reaching out to the maintenance for any repairs and requests for additional room items. A room clerk must have excellent communication and customer service skills, respond to the customer's inquiries and concerns, and resolve service complaints immediately.

Now we're going to look at the room clerk profession. On average, room clerks earn a $753 higher salary than general office clerks a year.

While the salary may be different for these job positions, there is one similarity and that's a few of the skills needed to perform certain duties. We used info from lots of resumes to find that both general office clerks and room clerks are known to have skills such as "data entry," "customer service," and "office equipment. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, several resumes showed us that general office clerk responsibilities requires skills like "word processing," "hr," "photocopiers," and "customer complaints." But a room clerk might use skills, such as, "stock room," "postage meter," "delivery carts," and "parts room."

On average, room clerks earn a higher salary than general office clerks. There are industries that support higher salaries in each profession respectively. Interestingly enough, room clerks earn the most pay in the government industry with an average salary of $33,014. Whereas, general office clerks have higher paychecks in the health care industry where they earn an average of $30,604.

When it comes to the differences in education between the two professions, room clerks tend to reach similar levels of education than general office clerks. In fact, they're 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

How a Shop Clerk Compares

A shop clerk is primarily in charge of assisting clients in a retail store, ensuring efficient service for client satisfaction. Their responsibilities include greeting and identifying the clients' needs, answering inquiries, locating products, offering promotions, and recommending alternatives as needed. They must also maintain the cleanliness of the sales floor, clearing the obstructions and disposing of expired or defective products. Furthermore, a shop clerk must manage the product displays, devising strategies to make them more presentable to the customers.

The third profession we take a look at is shop clerk. On an average scale, these workers bring in higher salaries than general office clerks. In fact, they make a $4,434 higher salary per year.

By looking over several general office clerks and shop clerks resumes, we found that both roles utilize similar skills, such as "customer service," "front desk," and "powerpoint." But beyond that the careers look very different.

There are many key differences between these two careers as shown by resumes from each profession. Some of those differences include the skills required to complete responsibilities within each role. As an example of this, a general office clerk is likely to be skilled in "data entry," "office equipment," "word processing," and "telephone calls," while a typical shop clerk is skilled in "basic math," "math," "top quality," and "cash handling."

Additionally, shop clerks earn a higher salary in the transportation industry compared to other industries. In this industry, they receive an average salary of $35,056. Additionally, general office clerks earn an average salary of $30,604 in the health care industry.

When it comes to education, shop clerks tend to earn similar education levels than general office clerks. In fact, they're 0.2% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Description Of a Clerk

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.

Clerks tend to earn a higher pay than general office clerks by about $1,129 per year.

According to resumes from both general office clerks and clerks, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "data entry," "customer service," and "office equipment. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a general office clerk might have more use for skills like "hr," "photocopiers," "office support," and "scheduling appointments." Meanwhile, some clerks might include skills like "basic math," "math," "cleanliness," and "pos" on their resume.

Now, let's take a closer look at the financials in each career. The health care industry tends to pay more for clerks with an average of $31,380. While the highest general office clerk annual salary comes from the health care industry.

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

Updated October 2, 2020