How long does it take to become a File Clerk?

It takes one year or less to become a file clerk. That is the time it takes to learn specific file clerk skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 4 to 6 years years to become a file clerk.

How To Become A File Clerk: What It Is and Career Path

What is a file clerk and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Imagine a day where you have limited interactions with customers and other colleagues. Now imagine that's how every day went. That's the life of a file clerk. People leave you alone and, in turn, you get all of your filing done in peace and quiet. Sure, it's a lot of paperwork, but at least you don't have to hear about Bryan's weekend for the third time.

File clerks know all about challenges. There's very little training for this position so you need to overcome the limited direction. Plus, without someone there looking over your shoulder, you need to be able to keep yourself on task and motivated.

The best part of this job is the flexibility. From being available in almost every industry imaginable to having an option for part-time and full-time work, file clerks are really able to make this position what they want. In some industries, the work you'll be doing as a file clerk is helping someone so that's an unexpected added bonus. Now, get out there and change the world.

ScoreFile ClerkUS Average

Salary

2.5

Avg. Salary $31,562

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

7.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.86%

Asian 5.39%

Black or African American 11.15%

Hispanic or Latino 15.89%

Unknown 4.52%

White 62.20%

Gender

female 77.14%

male 22.86%

Age - 47

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 - 47

Stress Level

5.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

6.6

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

9.9

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a file clerk

Explore file clerk education requirements

Most common file clerk degrees

Bachelor's

31.4 %

High School Diploma

30.8 %

Associate

23.0 %

Start to develop specific file clerk skills

Skills	Percentages
Data Entry	25.19%
Office Equipment	9.66%
Numerical Order	7.53%
HR	5.66%
Office Machines	5.34%

Complete relevant file clerk training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New file clerks 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 file clerk based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real file clerk resumes.

Gain additional file clerk certifications

File clerk certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific file clerk certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for file clerks include Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) and Word 2010 Certification.

More About Certifications

Research file clerk duties and responsibilities

Maintain and manage database with clinical details and digital radiology imaging.
Maintain current product device master and device history records per FDA and ISO regulations.
General office duties and experience with windows, excel, access PowerPoint, word, publisher.
Enter pleadings, request for productions and interrogatories into logs and clients files by dates of court filings.

Prepare your file clerk resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your file clerk 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 file clerk resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable File Clerk Resume templates

Build a professional File 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 File Clerk resume.

Apply for file clerk jobs

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

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

How do file clerks rate their job?

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File Clerk reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019

Pros

I like this job because of which man's mind gets widespread. And through this he meet high qualified person.