Office Clerks, General
43-9061.00
Bright Outlook Updated 2024

Perform duties too varied and diverse to be classified in any specific office clerical occupation, requiring knowledge of office systems and procedures. Clerical duties may be assigned in accordance with the office procedures of individual establishments and may include a combination of answering telephones, bookkeeping, typing or word processing, office machine operation, and filing.

Sample of reported job titles: Administrative Clerk (Admin Clerk), Clerical Aide, Clerical Assistant, Clerk, General Clerk, Office Assistant, Office Clerk, Office Services Specialist, Office Support Assistant

  • Occupation-Specific Information
  • Overview

Occupational Requirements

Work Context Save Table: XLSX CSV

ContextWork Context
97
 
Telephone — How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
  • 93%
    93%
     
    Every day
  • 1%
    1%
     
    Once a week or more but not every day
  • 5%
    5%
     
    Once a month or more but not every week
  • 0%
    0%
     
    Once a year or more but not every month
  • 0%
    0%
     
    Never
94
 
Electronic Mail — How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
  • 89%
    89%
     
    Every day
  • 7%
    7%
     
    Once a week or more but not every day
  • 0%
    0%
     
    Once a month or more but not every week
  • 0%
    0%
     
    Once a year or more but not every month
  • 4%
    4%
     
    Never
93
 
Contact With Others — How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
  • 82%
    82%
     
    Constant contact with others
  • 14%
    14%
     
    Contact with others most of the time
  • 2%
    2%
     
    Contact with others about half the time
  • 0%
    0%
     
    Occasional contact with others
  • 2%
    2%
     
    No contact with others
92
 
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
  • 90%
    90%
     
    Every day
  • 2%
    2%
     
    Once a week or more but not every day
  • 0%
    0%
     
    Once a month or more but not every week
  • 0%
    0%
     
    Once a year or more but not every month
  • 8%
    8%
     
    Never
91
 
Face-to-Face Discussions — How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
  • 74%
    74%
     
    Every day
  • 18%
    18%
     
    Once a week or more but not every day
  • 7%
    7%
     
    Once a month or more but not every week
  • 0%
    0%
     
    Once a year or more but not every month
  • 1%
    1%
     
    Never
90
 
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
  • 77%
    77%
     
    Extremely important
  • 12%
    12%
     
    Very important
  • 6%
    6%
     
    Important
  • 5%
    5%
     
    Fairly important
  • 0%
    0%
     
    Not important at all
87
 
Work With Work Group or Team — How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
  • 64%
    64%
     
    Extremely important
  • 24%
    24%
     
    Very important
  • 7%
    7%
     
    Important
  • 2%
    2%
     
    Fairly important
  • 2%
    2%
     
    Not important at all
85
 
Spend Time Sitting — How much does this job require sitting?
  • 60%
    60%
     
    Continually or almost continually
  • 25%
    25%
     
    More than half the time
  • 7%
    7%
     
    About half the time
  • 8%
    8%
     
    Less than half the time
  • 0%
    0%
     
    Never
82
 
Deal With External Customers — How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
  • 65%
    65%
     
    Extremely important
  • 14%
    14%
     
    Very important
  • 13%
    13%
     
    Important
  • 2%
    2%
     
    Fairly important
  • 6%
    6%
     
    Not important at all
81
 
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks — How important is repeating the same physical activities (e.g., key entry) or mental activities (e.g., checking entries in a ledger) over and over, without stopping, to performing this job?
  • 66%
    66%
     
    Extremely important
  • 12%
    12%
     
    Very important
  • 5%
    5%
     
    Important
  • 13%
    13%
     
    Fairly important
  • 4%
    4%
     
    Not important at all
69
 
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
  • 45%
    45%
     
    Very important results
  • 17%
    17%
     
    Important results
  • 14%
    14%
     
    Moderate results
  • 16%
    16%
     
    Minor results
  • 8%
    8%
     
    No results
69
 
Time Pressure — How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
  • 24%
    24%
     
    Every day
  • 42%
    42%
     
    Once a week or more but not every day
  • 22%
    22%
     
    Once a month or more but not every week
  • 9%
    9%
     
    Once a year or more but not every month
  • 2%
    2%
     
    Never
68
 
Structured versus Unstructured Work — To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
  • 29%
    29%
     
    A lot of freedom
  • 24%
    24%
     
    Some freedom
  • 40%
    40%
     
    Limited freedom
  • 6%
    6%
     
    Very little freedom
  • 2%
    2%
     
    No freedom
67
 
Letters and Memos — How often does the job require written letters and memos?
  • 33%
    33%
     
    Every day
  • 25%
    25%
     
    Once a week or more but not every day
  • 27%
    27%
     
    Once a month or more but not every week
  • 8%
    8%
     
    Once a year or more but not every month
  • 8%
    8%
     
    Never
66
 
Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions — How much does this job require making repetitive motions?
  • 33%
    33%
     
    Continually or almost continually
  • 25%
    25%
     
    More than half the time
  • 23%
    23%
     
    About half the time
  • 10%
    10%
     
    Less than half the time
  • 8%
    8%
     
    Never
64
 
Physical Proximity — To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people?
  • 16%
    16%
     
    Very close (near touching)
  • 32%
    32%
     
    Moderately close (at arm's length)
  • 45%
    45%
     
    Slightly close (e.g., shared office)
  • 7%
    7%
     
    I work with others but not closely (e.g., private office)
  • 0%
    0%
     
    I don't work near other people (beyond 100 ft.)
59
 
Coordinate or Lead Others — How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job?
  • 32%
    32%
     
    Extremely important
  • 11%
    11%
     
    Very important
  • 34%
    34%
     
    Important
  • 9%
    9%
     
    Fairly important
  • 14%
    14%
     
    Not important at all
57
 
Freedom to Make Decisions — How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
  • 14%
    14%
     
    A lot of freedom
  • 34%
    34%
     
    Some freedom
  • 24%
    24%
     
    Limited freedom
  • 25%
    25%
     
    Very little freedom
  • 4%
    4%
     
    No freedom
52
 
Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People — How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements?
  • 20%
    20%
     
    Every day
  • 17%
    17%
     
    Once a week or more but not every day
  • 18%
    18%
     
    Once a month or more but not every week
  • 44%
    44%
     
    Once a year or more but not every month
  • 2%
    2%
     
    Never
52
 
Frequency of Decision Making — How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
  • 33%
    33%
     
    Every day
  • 11%
    11%
     
    Once a week or more but not every day
  • 14%
    14%
     
    Once a month or more but not every week
  • 14%
    14%
     
    Once a year or more but not every month
  • 28%
    28%
     
    Never
51
 
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls — How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
  • 36%
    36%
     
    Continually or almost continually
  • 17%
    17%
     
    More than half the time
  • 0%
    0%
     
    About half the time
  • 8%
    8%
     
    Less than half the time
  • 39%
    39%
     
    Never