Office clerk salary in 2026
The median office clerk in the United States earns $45,010 a year, or $21.64 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 survey, published this year. The middle half of office clerks earn between $36,350 and $54,300.
Where you work matters more than anything else: District of Columbia pays a median of $55,040, Colorado $53,550, and the highest paying metro area, Boulder, CO, $59,840. There are 2,464,940 office clerks in the country.
Liaison does the routine half of an office clerk’s job for 12% of what one costs. See how.
Office clerk salary by state
Median annual and hourly wage, the range the middle half earn, and how many office clerks work in each state. Click a state for its cities.
| State | Median annual | Median hourly | Middle half earns | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $55,040 | $26.46 | $46,530 to $65,570 | 5,670 |
| Colorado | $53,550 | $25.75 | $46,340 to $65,100 | 31,770 |
| Alaska | $51,890 | $24.95 | $43,320 to $62,610 | 3,440 |
| Washington | $50,500 | $24.28 | $44,700 to $61,320 | 49,050 |
| North Dakota | $50,160 | $24.11 | $42,680 to $62,100 | 8,440 |
| Massachusetts | $49,940 | $24.01 | $42,350 to $60,150 | 47,940 |
| Oregon | $49,910 | $23.99 | $42,340 to $58,790 | 27,980 |
| New Hampshire | $49,020 | $23.57 | $40,060 to $59,650 | 12,740 |
| New Jersey | $48,570 | $23.35 | $39,510 to $59,190 | 65,130 |
| California | $48,460 | $23.30 | $40,430 to $60,110 | 311,490 |
| Vermont | $48,310 | $23.23 | $41,720 to $55,990 | 5,100 |
| Connecticut | $48,280 | $23.21 | $40,630 to $58,410 | 23,190 |
| Minnesota | $47,840 | $23.00 | $40,080 to $57,720 | 55,530 |
| Rhode Island | $47,830 | $23.00 | $39,670 to $58,930 | 7,700 |
| Maryland | $47,270 | $22.73 | $38,580 to $59,330 | 27,290 |
| Montana | $46,480 | $22.35 | $38,630 to $57,150 | 10,390 |
| Arizona | $46,420 | $22.32 | $38,230 to $55,950 | 52,710 |
| Virginia | $46,410 | $22.31 | $37,600 to $56,780 | 66,550 |
| New York | $45,890 | $22.06 | $36,840 to $54,280 | 134,280 |
| Illinois | $45,730 | $21.99 | $37,060 to $55,260 | 95,980 |
| Nevada | $45,460 | $21.86 | $36,780 to $55,280 | 20,430 |
| Maine | $45,300 | $21.78 | $38,950 to $50,500 | 11,260 |
| Wisconsin | $44,980 | $21.63 | $36,730 to $51,580 | 51,440 |
| Pennsylvania | $44,950 | $21.61 | $36,910 to $52,690 | 107,500 |
| Idaho | $44,830 | $21.55 | $36,910 to $51,390 | 20,790 |
| Michigan | $44,820 | $21.55 | $36,490 to $52,920 | 88,030 |
| Indiana | $44,520 | $21.40 | $36,010 to $52,310 | 58,480 |
| Florida | $44,450 | $21.37 | $36,070 to $53,950 | 189,700 |
| Iowa | $44,310 | $21.30 | $36,180 to $51,830 | 23,120 |
| Utah | $44,060 | $21.18 | $35,500 to $53,660 | 36,470 |
| Ohio | $43,680 | $21.00 | $34,910 to $52,000 | 89,310 |
| Wyoming | $42,840 | $20.60 | $35,610 to $52,710 | 6,670 |
| Delaware | $42,740 | $20.55 | $33,840 to $51,680 | 7,230 |
| Missouri | $42,370 | $20.37 | $35,190 to $50,940 | 56,050 |
| Hawaii | $42,340 | $20.35 | $36,600 to $50,840 | 12,930 |
| North Carolina | $41,770 | $20.08 | $34,520 to $49,900 | 67,930 |
| Georgia | $40,590 | $19.51 | $34,460 to $48,680 | 75,390 |
| Texas | $39,000 | $18.75 | $30,750 to $48,720 | 218,470 |
| Tennessee | $38,860 | $18.68 | $32,130 to $47,750 | 49,880 |
| South Dakota | $38,560 | $18.54 | $31,380 to $45,110 | 1,720 |
| Kentucky | $37,870 | $18.21 | $30,430 to $46,760 | 29,750 |
| Nebraska | $37,820 | $18.18 | $32,170 to $45,740 | 10,000 |
| Virgin Islands | $37,330 | $17.95 | $30,030 to $49,570 | 560 |
| Oklahoma | $37,240 | $17.90 | $29,750 to $46,680 | 31,870 |
| New Mexico | $37,130 | $17.85 | $31,820 to $43,920 | 11,880 |
| Arkansas | $37,050 | $17.81 | $30,580 to $45,560 | 29,940 |
| South Carolina | $36,840 | $17.71 | $28,900 to $45,620 | 42,250 |
| West Virginia | $35,020 | $16.84 | $28,800 to $42,770 | 9,430 |
| Mississippi | $34,900 | $16.78 | $27,520 to $42,800 | 17,600 |
| Louisiana | $32,480 | $15.62 | $25,400 to $39,500 | 31,790 |
| Kansas | $32,370 | $15.56 | $22,570 to $49,480 | 2,130 |
| Alabama | $31,200 | $15.00 | $25,240 to $38,020 | 13,130 |
| Guam | $26,470 | $12.73 | $21,890 to $31,330 | 760 |
| Puerto Rico | $23,860 | $11.47 | $21,940 to $29,290 | 20,190 |
Highest paying cities for office clerks
The ten metro areas with the highest median, out of the 392 where BLS publishes one.
| Metro area | Median annual | Median hourly | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder, CO | $59,840 | $28.77 | 1,510 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $58,840 | $28.29 | 13,470 |
| Greeley, CO | $56,030 | $26.94 | 1,570 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $55,960 | $26.90 | 2,030 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $55,620 | $26.74 | 3,630 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $53,990 | $25.96 | 16,320 |
| Anchorage, AK | $53,550 | $25.75 | 1,920 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $53,290 | $25.62 | 27,460 |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $52,190 | $25.09 | 1,400 |
| Napa, CA | $52,000 | $25.00 | 1,230 |
The lowest medians in the 50 states and DC: Dothan, AL ($27,180), Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL ($27,430), Gadsden, AL ($28,330), Anniston-Oxford, AL ($29,440) and Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA ($29,880).
What it pays where you are
Pick your state or metro area. The wage is the median there; the cost line is what an employer pays once benefits are added.
Office clerk, the United States, 40 hours a week
$60,768 a year
$5,064 a month. Wages $45,011 at the median of $21.64 an hour, plus $15,757 in benefits. The middle half of office clerks here earn $36,350 to $54,300 in wages.
The routine half of an office clerk’s job, for 12% of what one costs.
- Enters and files what arrives: bills, forms, records, receipts.
- Keeps the records consistent across your tools, one customer and one vendor each.
- Chases the missing piece, the signature, the receipt, the confirmation, without being asked.
Professional is $629 a month, $7,548 a year, against about $60,800 a year for an office clerk at the median once benefits are added. On Professional we connect your tools, bring your data in and set up the first rules with you. Anything that moves money waits for your yes.
“Cut our month-end close from 4 days to 4 hours.” Marcus C., owner
$629 a month, or $500 a month on a 12-month term. Prefer to start on your own? Starter is $149 a month, self-serve, with a free trial first: 7 days, no card. More: AI office manager.
What office clerks do
Office clerks handle an office’s routine clerical work: filing, data entry, mail, phones and record keeping. BLS counts them under occupation 43-9061, which is the definition every figure on this page uses.
For an employer, the wage is the start: benefits at a small employer add 35%, so an office clerk at the median costs about $60,800 a year. The employer’s numbers, by state and metro, are on what an office clerk costs. The routine part of the job, the follow-ups, the reconciling, the scheduling, is the part Liaison does inside the tools a business already runs.
Questions
What is the average office clerk salary?
The median office clerk in the United States earned $45,010 a year, or $21.64 an hour, in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 survey. The middle half earned between $36,350 and $54,300. The median is the wage half of office clerks earn more than and half earn less than, which is a steadier guide than an average.
How much does an office clerk make an hour?
The median office clerk earns $21.64 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 survey. At 2,080 hours a year that is $45,010. The middle half earn between $17.48 and $26.11 an hour.
Which states pay office clerks the most?
District of Columbia ($55,040), Colorado ($53,550), Alaska ($51,890), Washington ($50,500) and North Dakota ($50,160).
Which cities pay office clerks the most?
Boulder, CO ($59,840), San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($58,840), Greeley, CO ($56,030), Fort Collins-Loveland, CO ($55,960) and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($55,620), out of the 392 metro areas where BLS publishes a median for office clerks.
How many office clerks are there?
BLS counted 2,464,940 office clerks employed in the United States in May 2025.
What does an office clerk cost an employer?
Wages are only part of it. At employers with fewer than 50 workers, benefits add 35% on top of wages (BLS, June 2026), so an office clerk at the median costs about $60,800 a year. The employer’s view, by state and metro, is at useliaison.com/back-office-costs/office-clerk.
Other roles
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Annual figures assume 2,080 hours a year. Updated 2026-10-02.
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