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

What is a general clerk and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

General clerks perform clerical tasks to support other employees in the organization. Their duties vary by industry and can change daily. In retail outlets, they may process orders daily, sort payments weekly, and take inventory bimonthly. However, In accounting firms, they may post payments, verify entries in a database, or edit financial reports. This personnel usually works under a senior clerk or an office manager. Generally, they answer telephones, handle mails, operate office equipment, and maintain office supplies. They gather, process, and organize information and perform data entry.

This is an entry-level position, so you will need just a high school diploma or its equivalent to qualify. Although most candidates learn skills from more experienced clerks on the job, you are required to have at least a year of general work experience. You must possess communication, listening, interpersonal, and customer service skills. General clerks earn around $33,347 in a year. Their salary range falls between $26,000 and $43,000.

ScoreGeneral ClerkUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $33,254

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.6

Growth Rate -5%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.16%

Asian 9.22%

Black or African American 11.02%

Hispanic or Latino 20.08%

Unknown 4.91%

White 53.61%

Gender

female 66.92%

male 33.08%

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

Key steps to become a general clerk

Explore general clerk education requirements

Most common general clerk degrees

Bachelor's

33.1 %

High School Diploma

27.2 %

Associate

24.6 %

Start to develop specific general clerk skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	12.28%
Data Entry	10.38%
Office Procedures	6.06%
Veterans	5.81%
Office Equipment	5.01%

Complete relevant general clerk training and internships

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

Gain additional general clerk certifications

General 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 general clerk certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

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

More About Certifications

Research general clerk duties and responsibilities

Excel, beginners & PowerPoint, beginners.
Have knowledge of CPRS navigation and ICD-9 codes.
Engage in transactions involving cash where constant math and arithmetic occurs.
Utilize PowerPoint to communicate daily, weekly contest, and training material.

Prepare your general clerk resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your general 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 general 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 General Clerk Resume templates

Build a professional General 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 Clerk resume.

Apply for general clerk jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a general 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 general clerks rate their job?

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General 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.