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

What is a research clerk and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Research clerks are generally hired by consultancy firms to gather data, store and organize records and documents, and write reports outlining industry trends based on data analysis. They may work in many various areas from finance to human resources, business management, information technology, law, and many more.

As a research clerk, your job will be to compile the information the consultancy firm will use as a basis for their services. You will research areas the firm offers advice on and organize files and documents containing information. You will provide material for consultants to refer to during their work, and as such, you will be an essential member of the team.

There are countless job opportunities out there for research clerks. A GED is a minimum requirement for the position, but having a degree in a field related to the work of the firm you want to work for will always be useful. You can expect to make anything between $20,000 and $64,000 a year, depending on the area the consultancy firm deals with.

ScoreResearch ClerkUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $32,652

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.0

Growth Rate -5%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.63%

Asian 6.64%

Black or African American 6.92%

Hispanic or Latino 14.68%

Unknown 3.97%

White 67.16%

Gender

female 75.21%

male 24.79%

Age - 53

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 - 53

Stress Level

6.0

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

6.4

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

7.3

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a research clerk

Explore research clerk education requirements

Most common research clerk degrees

Bachelor's

42.4 %

Associate

21.7 %

High School Diploma

20.0 %

Start to develop specific research clerk skills

Skills	Percentages
Telephone Inquiries	15.63%
Customer Accounts	9.28%
Financial Institutions	8.70%
Subpoenas	8.00%
Exception Reports	7.59%

Complete relevant research clerk training and internships

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

Research research clerk duties and responsibilities

Demonstrate strong math skills in managing inmate s accounts and calmly and effectively deescalating outbursts of belligerent inmates.
Re-created personal and commercial bank statements as requested by customers or in compliance with court-issu subpoenas.
Process work to the proof operators to encode checks.
Assist tellers in posting all deposit slips and withdrawals in NCR machine

Prepare your research clerk resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your research 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 research 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 Research Clerk Resume templates

Build a professional Research 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 Research Clerk resume.

Apply for research clerk jobs

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