File Clerks
Also called: Clerk, File Clerk, Office Assistant, Records ClerkFile 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.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 13 of its 19 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 15.8% by 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 3.4% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.9 hires for every 10 job openings in professional and business services, which employs about 28% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.9 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $38,290 | $32,250 to $46,800 | 110 |
| Alaska | $49,910 | $40,300 to $60,310 | 150 |
| Arizona | $43,690 | $38,550 to $48,080 | 2,190 |
| Arkansas | $38,470 | $32,130 to $46,830 | 310 |
| California | $49,040 | $39,780 to $62,440 | 9,520 |
| Colorado | $46,490 | $39,200 to $55,120 | 1,130 |
| Connecticut | $44,810 | $34,400 to $56,290 | 350 |
| Delaware | $39,940 | $35,350 to $46,190 | not published |
| Florida | $41,750 | $36,110 to $47,780 | 6,180 |
| Georgia | $41,000 | $34,710 to $53,830 | 2,570 |
| Guam | $32,360 | $27,900 to $40,260 | not published |
| Hawaii | $50,630 | $38,060 to $50,990 | 100 |
| Idaho | $45,910 | $38,210 to $48,580 | 540 |
| Illinois | $49,920 | $38,600 to $63,700 | 3,780 |
| Indiana | $39,740 | $36,100 to $49,980 | 1,430 |
| Iowa | $46,560 | $37,570 to $55,940 | 430 |
| Kansas | $42,130 | $37,690 to $49,180 | 570 |
| Kentucky | $39,250 | $30,470 to $46,280 | 250 |
| Louisiana | $32,200 | $24,960 to $38,690 | 680 |
| Maine | $43,910 | $39,380 to $47,250 | 210 |
| Maryland | $44,920 | $36,110 to $51,990 | 880 |
| Massachusetts | $48,310 | $42,990 to $56,400 | 600 |
| Michigan | $43,950 | $37,050 to $53,630 | 1,820 |
| Minnesota | $46,640 | $44,180 to $52,350 | 760 |
| Mississippi | $31,260 | $28,080 to $37,790 | not published |
| Missouri | $38,400 | $32,940 to $46,790 | 1,000 |
| Montana | $38,370 | $32,130 to $44,550 | 410 |
| Nebraska | $40,640 | $35,850 to $48,810 | 750 |
| Nevada | $44,150 | $35,630 to $52,920 | 1,110 |
| New Hampshire | $44,390 | $36,410 to $50,020 | 300 |
| New Jersey | $44,400 | $37,620 to $52,700 | 2,310 |
| New Mexico | $37,700 | $36,120 to $45,450 | 340 |
| New York | $44,340 | $39,160 to $51,530 | 2,590 |
| North Carolina | $43,260 | $36,880 to $50,210 | 1,970 |
| North Dakota | $42,860 | $40,920 to $48,220 | 60 |
| Ohio | $40,650 | $31,400 to $48,730 | 1,820 |
| Oklahoma | $39,170 | $34,510 to $48,670 | 1,440 |
| Oregon | $50,660 | $40,390 to $61,000 | 970 |
| Pennsylvania | $42,920 | $38,370 to $49,750 | 2,830 |
| Puerto Rico | $25,700 | $23,900 to $29,780 | 330 |
| Rhode Island | $36,400 | $33,870 to $50,020 | not published |
| South Carolina | $39,350 | $35,170 to $46,770 | 1,210 |
| South Dakota | $36,640 | $36,640 to $37,290 | not published |
| Tennessee | $43,010 | $36,420 to $49,030 | 2,060 |
| Texas | $39,480 | $33,000 to $49,080 | 11,340 |
| Utah | $41,450 | $35,890 to $46,160 | 510 |
| Vermont | $47,540 | $36,150 to $54,140 | 70 |
| Virginia | $39,900 | $34,000 to $47,940 | 2,110 |
| Washington | $45,830 | $42,770 to $52,940 | 520 |
| West Virginia | $31,600 | $26,360 to $39,670 | 260 |
| Wisconsin | $45,130 | $35,400 to $50,850 | 1,550 |
| Wyoming | not published | not published | 70 |
Nationally: $43,600. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 13 of its 19 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI alone | Perform general office activities, such as typing, answering telephones, operating office machines, processing mail, or securing confidential materials. | Not published |
| AI + software | Find, retrieve, and make copies of information from files in response to requests and deliver information to authorized users. | 0.07% |
| AI alone | Scan or read incoming materials to determine how and where they should be classified or filed. | Not published |
| Not much | Place materials into storage receptacles, such as file cabinets, boxes, bins, or drawers, according to classification and identification information. | Not published |
| AI + software | Sort or classify information according to guidelines, such as content, purpose, user criteria, or chronological, alphabetical, or numerical order. | 0.07% |
| AI + software | Answer questions about records or files. | under 0.01% |
See all 19 tasks
| AI + software | Gather materials to be filed from departments or employees. | Not published |
| Not much | Eliminate outdated or unnecessary materials, destroying them or transferring them to inactive storage, according to file maintenance guidelines or legal requirements. | Not published |
| AI alone | Add new material to file records or create new records as necessary. | 0.01% |
| AI + software | Keep records of materials filed or removed, using logbooks or computers and generate computerized reports. | Not published |
| Not much | Assign and record or stamp identification numbers or codes to index materials for filing. | Not published |
| AI + software | Input data, such as file numbers, new or updated information, or document information codes into computer systems to support document and information retrieval. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Complete general financial activities, such as processing accounts payable, reviewing invoices, collecting cash payments, or issuing receipts. | Not published |
| AI + software | Modify or improve filing systems or implement new filing systems. | Not published |
| AI + software | Perform periodic inspections of materials or files to ensure correct placement, legibility, or proper condition. | Not published |
| AI + software | Track materials removed from files to ensure that borrowed files are returned. | Not published |
| Not much | Operate mechanized files that rotate to bring needed records to a particular location. | Not published |
| AI + software | Design forms related to filing systems. | Not published |
| Not much | Retrieve documents stored in microfilm or microfiche and place them in viewers for reading. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 5 of the 19 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 19 tasks fall under 15 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #1 Gather information from physical or electronic sources
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- #30 Perform administrative or clerical activities
- and 2 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operate office equipment | |||
| Perform administrative or clerical activities | |||
| Compile records, documentation, or other data | |||
| Develop operational or technical procedures or standards | |||
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Stock supplies or products | |||
| Gather information from physical or electronic sources | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes |
Show all 15 activities
| Process digital or online data | |||
| Evaluate the quality or accuracy of data | |||
| Examine materials or documentation for accuracy or compliance | |||
| Sort materials or products | |||
| Monitor operations to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Mark materials or objects for identification | |||
| Maintain operational records |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An analysis or summary22%
- A document or report19%
- Data or a spreadsheet18%
- An explanation or answer7%
- A script or snippet3%
How they worked with Claude
61% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for file clerks specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 43,187 moves out
- 1 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 7%
- 2 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 7%
- 3 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 4 Receptionists and Information Clerks Very high -1.7% 4%
- 5 Office Clerks, General Very high -6.0% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 32,885 moves in
- 1 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 8%
- 2 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 7%
- 3 Receptionists and Information Clerks Very high -1.7% 5%
- 4 Cashiers High -6.5% 5%
- 5 Office Clerks, General Very high -6.0% 5%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 30% high school
- 23% some college
- 38% associate's
- 8% bachelor's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 23 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 6% less than high school
- 23% high school
- 29% some college
- 15% associate's
- 22% bachelor's
- 4% master's
- 1% professional degree
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 1,389 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
1 program: General Office Occupations and Clerical Services.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
11.8% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a certification | 1.6% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
| a license | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/43-4071.00