File Clerks vs Order Clerks: $44K vs $46K Median Pay

File Clerks vs Order Clerks: what changes?

Consider File Clerks if you want to file correspondence, cards, invoices, receipts, and other records in alphabetical or numerical order or according to the filing system used. Consider Order Clerks if you would rather receive and process incoming orders for materials, merchandise, classified ads, or services such as repairs, installations, or rental of facilities. Entry credentials differ: File Clerks, high school diploma or equivalent; Order Clerks, some college, no degree.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for File Clerks and Order Clerks. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

File Clerks

National median pay (2025): $43,600
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Perform general office activities, such as typing, answering telephones, operating office machines, processing mail, or securing confidential materials.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 5,600

Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 15.8% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full File Clerks brief

Order Clerks

National median pay (2025): $46,170
Route into the job: Some college, no degree; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Review orders for completeness according to reporting procedures and forward incomplete orders for further processing.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 6,300

Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 17.5% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Order Clerks brief

How the national numbers differ

Order Clerks has the edge on median pay

Order Clerks is at $46,170, compared with $43,600 for File Clerks.

Order Clerks has the edge on annual openings

Order Clerks is at 6,300 annual openings, compared with 5,600 annual openings for File Clerks.

File Clerks has the edge on projected growth

File Clerks is at -15.8% projected growth, compared with -17.5% projected growth for Order Clerks.

33.8/ 100

File Clerks

35.5/ 100

Order Clerks

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence