How To Become An Administrative Clerk: What It Is and Career Path

What is an administrative clerk and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted Expert

Anne McConnell Ph.D.

An administrative clerk performs tasks such as data entry, typing, organizing documents, answering emails and phones, and typically any basic clerical task you can imagine needs to be done in an office.

Following the lead of an office manager, administrative clerks make the most of their computer skills, their ability to multitask, and their independent spirit. They know how to manage their time and organize the world around them. They know how to communicate efficiently, and they probably dabble a little in bookkeeping as well.

As corporate culture is flourishing, administrative clerks are being assigned responsibilities regarding the cultural and social engagement of employees as well, such as planning off-site activities or making the office a cozier place with snacks and other niceties.

What general advice would you give to an Administrative Clerk?

Anne McConnell Ph.D.

Professor, West Virginia State University

I would say it's important to be very attentive to the way you communicate with your employers, managers, and co-workers. Even sending an e-mail can be an opportunity to demonstrate your professionalism and communication skills. Some people think that no one knows how to write anymore, or how to communicate in a professional way. I don't think that's true. But we don't always think about how our writing can be a tool to communicate our competence and seriousness. If you know how to write and communicate professionally-which college grads do-then make sure to demonstrate that in the workplace.

ScoreAdministrative ClerkUS Average

Salary

2.5

Avg. Salary $32,327

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.6

Growth Rate -5%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.93%

Asian 8.25%

Black or African American 11.36%

Hispanic or Latino 21.89%

Unknown 4.43%

White 53.13%

Gender

female 72.13%

male 27.87%

Age - 50

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 - 50

Stress Level

6.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

4.3

Complexity Level is basic

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

7.1

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an administrative clerk

Explore administrative clerk education requirements

Most common administrative clerk degrees

Bachelor's

37.2 %

Associate

25.8 %

High School Diploma

22.3 %

Start to develop specific administrative clerk skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	16.63%
Data Entry	16.41%
Patients	8.68%
Word Processing	6.36%
Payroll Data	4.68%

Complete relevant administrative clerk training and internships

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

Gain additional administrative clerk certifications

Administrative clerk certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific administrative clerk certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for administrative clerks include Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) and Word 2010 Certification.

More About Certifications

Research administrative clerk duties and responsibilities

Orchestrate special events and reservations; manage customer relations and provide exemplary service to all customers.
Assist teachers with GED packets for students.
Ship orders via customers freight line request (ex.
Schedule and administer the GED exam upon the completion of the inmate's profile.

Prepare your administrative clerk resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your administrative 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 an administrative 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 Administrative Clerk Resume templates

Build a professional Administrative 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 Administrative Clerk resume.