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How Much Does a File Clerk Make?

A file clerk in the US earns a median salary of $43,600 a year, or $20.96 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $45,590, and the middle half earn between $36,420 and $51,770.

Median a year $43,600
Median an hour $20.96
Median a month $3,633
Average a year $45,590

File clerk pay range

What file clerks earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $31,200 $15.00
25th $36,420 $17.51
Median (50th) $43,600 $20.96
75th $51,770 $24.89
90th (top 10%) $63,490 $30.53

The median is 14% less than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 73,440 people work as file clerks in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$838
Every two weeks
$1,677
Twice a month
$1,817
A month
$3,633

At the median salary, before tax.

File clerk salary by state

Sorted by average pay. California pays file clerks the most, at $53,640 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
California $53,640 $49,040 9,520 After tax
Illinois $52,410 $49,920 3,780 After tax
Massachusetts $51,290 $48,310 600 After tax
Oregon $50,890 $50,660 970 After tax
Alaska $50,840 $49,910 150 After tax
Hawaii $49,040 $50,630 100 After tax
Washington $49,030 $45,830 520 After tax
Minnesota $48,620 $46,640 760 After tax
Connecticut $48,130 $44,810 350 After tax
Colorado $47,780 $46,490 1,130 After tax
Iowa $47,070 $46,560 430 After tax
New Jersey $47,060 $44,400 2,310 After tax
Vermont $46,660 $47,540 70 After tax
North Dakota $46,640 $42,860 60 After tax
New York $46,450 $44,340 2,590 After tax
Nevada $46,140 $44,150 1,110 After tax
Michigan $46,100 $43,950 1,820 After tax
Pennsylvania $45,770 $42,920 2,830 After tax
Maryland $45,720 $44,920 880 After tax
Wisconsin $45,100 $45,130 1,550 After tax
Arizona $45,070 $43,690 2,190 After tax
Georgia $45,010 $41,000 2,570 After tax
Indiana $44,460 $39,740 1,430 After tax
New Hampshire $44,210 $44,390 300 After tax
North Carolina $44,130 $43,260 1,970 After tax
Maine $44,020 $43,910 210 After tax
Idaho $43,920 $45,910 540 After tax
Kansas $43,470 $42,130 570 After tax
Tennessee $43,160 $43,010 2,060 After tax
Alabama $43,040 $38,290 110 After tax
Florida $42,800 $41,750 6,180 After tax
Texas $42,450 $39,480 11,340 After tax
Nebraska $42,400 $40,640 750 After tax
Rhode Island $42,340 $36,400 – After tax
Virginia $41,980 $39,900 2,110 After tax
Ohio $41,880 $40,650 1,820 After tax
Utah $41,840 $41,450 510 After tax
Oklahoma $41,580 $39,170 1,440 After tax
Missouri $41,390 $38,400 1,000 After tax
Delaware $41,320 $39,940 – After tax
South Carolina $40,810 $39,350 1,210 After tax
Kentucky $40,680 $39,250 250 After tax
Arkansas $40,010 $38,470 310 After tax
New Mexico $39,820 $37,700 340 After tax
Montana $38,250 $38,370 410 After tax
South Dakota $36,210 $36,640 – After tax
West Virginia $34,380 $31,600 260 After tax
Guam $34,130 $32,360 –
Mississippi $33,300 $31,260 – After tax
Louisiana $33,060 $32,200 680 After tax
Puerto Rico $27,500 $25,700 330

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other office and administrative support jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “File Clerks” (SOC 43-4071). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a file clerk make an hour?

The median hourly wage for a file clerk is $20.96, and the average is $21.92. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $15.00 an hour and the top 10% over $30.53.

How much does a file clerk make a month?

At the median salary of $43,600, a file clerk earns about $3,633 a month before tax, or $1,677 every two weeks.

Which state pays file clerks the most?

California has the highest average pay for a file clerk, at $53,640 a year. Next are Illinois and Massachusetts. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for a file clerk?

The lowest-paid 10% of file clerks earn less than $31,200 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $36,420. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid file clerks make?

The top 10% earn more than $63,490 a year, and the top 25% more than $51,770.