Compose letters or electronic correspondence in reply to requests for merchandise, damage claims, credit and other information, delinquent accounts, incorrect billings, or unsatisfactory services. Duties may include gathering data to formulate reply and preparing correspondence.
National median · BLS
$46,800
▲ +0.13%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$48,090
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
4,290
Jobs (BLS)
Highest-paying state (cost-adjusted)Loading…
Most jobsLoading…
Highest-paying metro (cost-adjusted)Loading…
Check your salary
Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.
Pay range for Correspondence Clerks
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$33,300
25th
$38,610
Median (50th)
$46,800
75th
$56,090
90th — top pay
$64,510
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
Type in either box; the other updates instantly.
⇄
Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Correspondence Clerks
BLS projects employment of correspondence clerks to decline 5.6% from 2025 to 2035, while employment across all occupations grows 3.5%.
About 500 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
4,800 → 4,500
-300 jobs
Projected change
-5.6%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
500
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
4.3% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
BLS state medians, plus the same figure adjusted for local prices (BEA Regional Price Parities). Tap a state for its full range and H-1B pay.
State
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
Profile
Correspondence Clerks salaries by metro area
Search by city, ZIP code or metro name. Tap a metro for its full range.
Metro area
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
Profile
Skills & tools
Skills needed for Correspondence Clerks
How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.
Top skills
Writing4.0
Active Listening3.8
Reading Comprehension3.8
Speaking3.5
Critical Thinking3.4
Judgment and Decision Making3.3
Social Perceptiveness3.1
Service Orientation3.0
Time Management3.0
Complex Problem Solving2.9
Top knowledge areas
Administrative4.4
English Language4.0
Customer and Personal Service3.8
Economics and Accounting3.6
Mathematics3.5
Computers and Electronics3.4
Administration and Management2.9
Public Safety and Security2.8
Software and technology used
Epic SystemsMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft WordMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft SharePointMicrosoft WindowsSAP softwareElectronic data interchange EDI softwareElectronic health record EHR softwareGE Healthcare Centricity EMRHealthcare common procedure coding system HCPCSImaging software
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What correspondence clerks do
Maintain files and control records to show correspondence activities.
Read incoming correspondence to ascertain nature of writers' concerns and to determine disposition of correspondence.
Gather records pertinent to specific problems, review them for completeness and accuracy, and attach records to correspondence as necessary.
Prepare documents and correspondence, such as damage claims, credit and billing inquiries, invoices, and service complaints.
Compile data from records to prepare periodic reports.
Compose letters in reply to correspondence concerning such items as requests for merchandise, damage claims, credit information requests, delinquent accounts, incorrect billing, or unsatisfactory service.
Route correspondence to other departments for reply.
Ensure that money collected is properly recorded and secured.
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Correspondence Clerks, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $46,800.
