Career comparison
Correspondence Clerk vs. Office Clerk
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Correspondence clerks earn more at the median ($46,800 vs. $45,010), while correspondence clerks usually get to work faster (A few weeks on the job of training). Correspondence clerks answer customer letters and emails about accounts, claims and complaints. Office clerks handle the everyday tasks that keep an office running.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Correspondence Clerk | Office Clerk | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $46,800 ($22.50/hr) | $45,010 ($21.64/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $33,300 – $64,510 | $30,310 – $64,680 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | -5.6% (a projected decline) | -6.0% (a projected decline) |
| Openings per year | 500 | 249,000 |
| Typical entry education | High school diploma or equivalent | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Training time | A few weeks on the job | A few weeks on the job |
| Key credential | Business writing course | Microsoft Office Specialist |
| Work setting | Clerks work in offices and remotely.. | Office clerks work in nearly every kind of office.. |
What each job does
Correspondence Clerk
- Read incoming letters and emails
- Research accounts
- Write replies
- Send forms and records
- Route complex cases
Office Clerk
- Answer phones
- Greet visitors
- Type documents
- File records
- Enter data
How they’re similar
Both careers involve desk work and steady routines. Both are part of the business & office field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose correspondence clerk if…
- I write clearly
- I’m accurate
- I like quiet work
Choose office clerk if…
- I like variety
- I’m organized
- I’m friendly
Still torn? Take the Correspondence Clerk fit quiz and the Office Clerk fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, correspondence clerk or office clerk?
Correspondence Clerks earn more at the median: $46,800 versus $45,010 for office clerks, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Correspondence Clerks typically train faster (A few weeks on the job) than office clerks (A few weeks on the job).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects correspondence clerks to grow -5.6% from 2025–35, compared with -6.0% for office clerks.