File Clerks

What the job really is

File correspondence, cards, invoices, receipts, and other records in alphabetical or numerical order or according to the filing system used. Locate and remove material from file when requested.

At a glance

• Sector: Office & Administrative
• O*NET-SOC code: 43-4071
• O*NET job zone: 2 — some preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Perform general office activities, such as typing, answering telephones, operating office machines, processing mail, or securing confidential materials.
• Keep records of materials filed or removed, using logbooks or computers and generate computerized reports.
• Gather materials to be filed from departments or employees.
• Find, retrieve, and make copies of information from files in response to requests and deliver information to authorized users.
• Add new material to file records or create new records as necessary.
• Sort or classify information according to guidelines, such as content, purpose, user criteria, or chronological, alphabetical, or numerical order.
• Scan or read incoming materials to determine how and where they should be classified or filed.
• Eliminate outdated or unnecessary materials, destroying them or transferring them to inactive storage, according to file maintenance guidelines or legal requirements.
• Answer questions about records or files.
• Assign and record or stamp identification numbers or codes to index materials for filing.
• Place materials into storage receptacles, such as file cabinets, boxes, bins, or drawers, according to classification and identification information.
• Modify or improve filing systems or implement new filing systems.

Tools and technology

Adobe Acrobat, Intuit QuickBooks, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Word, Computer inkjet printers, Copy machines

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Data Entry Keyers
• Medical Records Specialists
• Office Clerks, General
• Correspondence Clerks
• Word Processors and Typists
• Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
• Administrative Services Managers
• Billing and Posting Clerks

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 2 (some preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: File Clerks — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.