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Job outlook for office clerical assistants in the United States
Office clerical assistant job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected office clerical assistant job growth rate is -5% from 2018-2028.
About -130,800 new jobs for office clerical assistants are projected over the next decade.
Office clerical assistant salaries have increased 16% for office clerical assistants in the last 5 years.
There are over 897,483 office clerical assistants currently employed in the United States.
There are 83,010 active office clerical assistant job openings in the US.
The average office clerical assistant salary is $28,373.
Are office clerical assistant jobs in demand?
Office clerical assistant job and salary trends over time
Office clerical assistant jobs over time
Office clerical assistant job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 897,483 | 0.27% |
| 2020 | 967,794 | 0.29% |
| 2019 | 1,027,528 | 0.31% |
| 2018 | 1,034,903 | 0.31% |
| 2017 | 1,034,172 | 0.31% |
Average office clerical assistant salary over time
Office clerical assistant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $28,373 | $13.64 | +3.8% |
| 2025 | $27,337 | $13.14 | +4.0% |
| 2024 | $26,285 | $12.64 | +3.9% |
| 2023 | $25,297 | $12.16 | +3.0% |
| 2022 | $24,558 | $11.81 | +3.4% |
Office clerical assistant jobs by state
Most common states for office clerical assistants
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 739,795 | 164 | 22% |
| 2 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 144 | 21% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,077 | 16% |
| 4 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 480 | 15% |
| 5 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 180 | 13% |
| 6 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 136 | 13% |
| 7 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 98 | 13% |
| 8 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 668 | 12% |
| 9 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 514 | 12% |
| 10 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 366 | 12% |
| 11 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 230 | 12% |
| 12 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 67 | 12% |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 1,367 | 11% |
| 14 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 1,310 | 11% |
| 15 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 1,021 | 11% |
| 16 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 744 | 11% |
| 17 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 739 | 11% |
| 18 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 630 | 11% |
| 19 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 393 | 11% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 114 | 11% |
Most common cities for office clerical assistants
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hagerstown | 3 | 7% | $31,221 |
| 2 | Goodyear | 2 | 3% | $28,764 |
| 3 | Morristown | 1 | 3% | $25,171 |
| 4 | Santa Ana | 2 | 1% | $33,169 |
| 5 | Lancaster | 1 | 1% | $33,261 |
| 6 | Waterbury | 1 | 1% | $27,585 |
| 7 | San Jose | 3 | 0% | $34,022 |
| 8 | Miami | 2 | 0% | $23,805 |
| 9 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $25,735 |
| 10 | Dallas | 1 | 0% | $23,090 |
| 11 | Detroit | 1 | 0% | $29,858 |
| 12 | Houston | 1 | 0% | $22,898 |
| 13 | Madison | 1 | 0% | $26,137 |
| 14 | Phoenix | 1 | 0% | $28,710 |
| 15 | Pittsburgh | 1 | 0% | $25,971 |
Office Clerical Assistant job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of office clerical assistant experts
Ohio University
Manhattan College
What skills stand out on Office Clerical Assistant resumes?
Allison White: Knowledge of spreadsheets software such as MS Excel is a commonly sought-after skill. Employers want word processing and spreadsheet skills but often say they want high school graduates and pay accordingly. These skills aren't always taught in high school. Those in the field should seek these skills. Additionally, medical and legal assistants have highly sought after. Terminology courses for these specialized areas are sometimes offered at the vocational schools but are usually offered at the post-secondary level.
What soft skills should all Office Clerical Assistants possess?
Allison White: Employers have told me repeatedly that soft skills are often the most important. They will ask for my reference after I've gotten to know a student and been able to identify their communication, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills. They want someone to take the initiative yet know when to ask questions. Customer service skills and confidentiality were also voiced by our internship supervisors. Verbal and non-verbal communication is a must. The applicant must be able to write well!!
What hard/technical skills are most important for Office Clerical Assistants?
Allison White: In addition to production software skills, including MS Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, we often taught database skills using MS Access. Every employer has an employee database and a customer/client database that requires input and sometimes maintenance by office personnel. Keyboarding (65+ wpm), basic bookkeeping/accounting, and filing skills are a must.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Office Clerical Assistant job market given the pandemic?
Robert Geraci Ph.D.: Two critical things happened in 2020 that will bring changes to the job market: the COVID-19 pandemic and the social justice movements, particularly the Black Lives Matter movement. In the aftermath of COVID-19, I expect we'll see considerable demand for health service professionals as people look to cope with difficulties imposed by isolation. In addition, we'll see shifts in how and where people work--many will be able to remain at home and this will create a shifting landscape of job descriptions and opportunities. Many employees will want to go back to the social experience of working together, but others will prefer the flexibility of working from home.
The impact of Black Lives Matter and other social justice movements will create more interest in the development of products (especially, but not exclusively, in entertainment) that are available to and interesting for a wider swath of society. There will also be growth in business consulting efforts to improve corporate culture. Religious Studies graduates will be particularly well-positioned for such jobs, based on the cross-cultural perspectives gleaned from study in the field.