Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Short-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
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Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Correspondence clerks handle written communication and related information for organizations, drawing heavily on strong writing, reading, and customer service skills. National employment is 7,000 workers, with about 1,000 annual openings, so opportunities exist but the field is relatively small. The typical entry path is accessible, with most jobs requiring a high school diploma or equivalent rather than a college degree. Daily work benefits from being detail oriented, comfortable with computers and information technology, and able to communicate clearly through both writing and speaking. Employers also value interpersonal strengths, problem solving, and critical thinking, since clerks often respond to questions or issues raised in correspondence. Project management skills can help with managing volumes of incoming and outgoing communication. People considering this career might also explore related paths such as financial clerks, bill and account collectors, insurance claims and policy processing clerks, bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks, or property appraisers and assessors as alternative options in office-based roles.
The national median annual salary for correspondence clerks is $46,740. Pay varies across states and metro areas, creating different earning profiles depending on location. Among the top states by opportunity score, California shows a median salary of $53,640, while New York offers $49,360 and Texas $48,860. Colorado and New Jersey are somewhat lower within this group, at $45,510 and $48,510 respectively. At the metro level, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin has a notably higher median salary of $56,030, followed by New York-Newark-Jersey City at $51,650 and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington at $49,650. Boston-Cambridge-Newton and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington both have median pay in the low-to-mid $40,000s. Together, these figures suggest that pay for correspondence clerks can be meaningfully influenced by regional labor markets, with some urban areas and large states offering higher typical earnings than others.
Correspondence clerks have national employment of 7,000, with projected job growth of -5.6%. This indicates a declining overall employment trend. However, there are still about 1,000 annual openings, suggesting ongoing turnover and replacement needs even as total employment is projected to shrink. The combination of negative growth and steady openings means candidates are likely competing for roles in a changing job market. All listed states and metro areas show the same -5.6% growth rate, so the projected decline is consistent across the highlighted regions. For someone entering or remaining in this field, it is important to recognize that opportunities may come more from replacing departing workers than from new job creation. Exploring similar occupations such as financial clerks, bill and account collectors, insurance claims and policy processing clerks, bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks, or property appraisers and assessors may provide additional options if local correspondence clerk positions are limited.
Location can significantly shape opportunities for correspondence clerks. Among states, California has the highest median salary at $53,640 and an employment level of 240, paired with the top opportunity score of 67.38. New York combines a median salary of $49,360 with higher employment of 540 and a strong opportunity score of 65.78. Texas stands out for its relatively large employment of 830, with a median salary of $48,860 and an opportunity score of 51.57. Colorado and New Jersey have smaller employment counts—50 and 40 respectively—but still appear on the top states list, with opportunity scores of 56.97 and 48.84. At the metro level, New York-Newark-Jersey City leads with an opportunity score of 77.27, median salary of $51,650, and employment of 330. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin offers the highest listed metro median salary at $56,030, though with smaller employment of 30. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington provide additional metro options with moderate employment and mid-range salaries.
Correspondence clerk positions typically require a high school diploma or equivalent, making this career accessible to individuals who have completed secondary education but may not hold a college degree. Success in this role depends heavily on a defined set of skills rather than advanced formal schooling. Strong computers and information technology skills support work with digital records and communications. Writing and reading abilities are central, since written correspondence is at the core of the job. Mathematics and customer service skills can be important when addressing questions involving figures or assisting internal and external contacts. Being detail oriented helps maintain accuracy in messages and records. Speaking and listening, along with interpersonal skills, support clear, professional interactions. Problem solving, decision making, and critical and analytical thinking help clerks respond effectively to varied inquiries. Project management skills are also valuable for organizing workloads and meeting deadlines when managing multiple correspondence tasks at once.
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