Clerical Staff Job Description

Clerical staff perform a variety of tasks depending on where they work, which could include doctor's offices, retail outlets and banks. In general, clerical staff operate office machinery such as computers, copiers and fax machines. They may perform data entry, proofread and print documents, greet visitors and answer phones and take messages.

Duties

• Less experienced clerical staff make copies, record phone messages and stuff envelopes. More experienced staff may be given more responsibility such as maintaining financial records, verifying the accuracy of reports, handling customer complaints and setting up spreadsheets. Further experience may qualify a clerical worker to work with vendors, make arrangements for travel, perform inventories and prepare invoices and receipts. Senior clerks are often given supervisory responsibility over other clerks.

Job Types

• Administrative assistants are clerical workers who perform a variety of tasks to insure the smooth operation of an organization. They manage communications for the office in which they work, set appointments, and plan and schedule meetings. They also organize and maintain electronic and paper files, make travel arrangements and disseminate information using e-mail, regular mail, telephone and websites. Executives assistants provide administrative support for the top executives of an organization. Generally, they perform fewer strictly clerical tasks and more information management tasks than regular clerical workers, but have more responsibility in arranging meetings and arranging conference calls.

Skills

• Clerical staff use all types of office equipment and must be computer proficient, since so many tasks now require this skill. Clerical staff handle tasks on computers that were once performed by managers, such as creating spreadsheets, managing databases, and creating reports and documents using presentation and graphic design software. Administrative assistant may also provide orientation and training for new hires and conduct Internet research.

Education

• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook, entry-level clerical workers may only be required to have a high school diploma. Medical and legal secretaries complete specialized training at the post-secondary level. Classes in transcription, computer technology, bookkeeping, and website design are common requirements. Executive secretaries are increasingly required to have a bachelor's degree, since they work closely with top executives.

Salaries

• According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, median annual wages for clerical workers were about $29,000 in May 2008. Salaries ranged from about $18,000 for the lowest-paid 10 percent of workers to more than $43,000 a year for the top 10 percent of earners. Legal secretaries earned salaries ranging between $31,000 and $51,000, and medical secretaries averaged from $30,000 to $50,000. Executive secretaries and administrative assistants earned a median annual wage of $40,030 in May 2008.