Correspondence Clerks: Salary Overview
Correspondence clerks compose letters and emails to reply to requests of merchandise, damage claims, and other information.
Their job duties may include gathering data that is needed in order to formulate the reply.
They may route correspondence to other departments, preparing reports, composing correspondence that requests medical information and records, and advising with other workers regarding the best response to a specific request.
A correspondence clerk’s job description typically also includes submitting completed documents to typists and preparing records for shipment.
Salaries and job responsibilities vary depending on the field of employment and the size of the company.
Those who work for a larger company may specialize in only some of the above tasks while those who work for a small firm typically perform all the tasks related to correspondence.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for this occupation was $38,140 per year which means that half of all correspondence clerks earned less than this amount while half earned more.
Salaries vary depending on the education and experience level but also based on industry and region of employment.
The lowest 10 percent of the workers in this profession reportedly made less than $26,540 per year while the top 10 percent made more than $55,050.
Correspondence Clerk Salary by Industry of Employment
According to BLS, the biggest employers for workers in this profession are agencies, brokerages, and other companies that provide insurance-related activities.
The average annual wage reported by correspondence clerks who worked in this field was $39,010 as of May 2019.
Correspondence clerks who worked in the field of business support services reportedly earned $35,450 per year on average while those employed in the field of nondepository credit intermediation reportedly made $35,880 per year on average.
The mean annual wage was $42,140 for correspondence clerks in the field of management of companies and enterprises and $39,040 for those who worked for general medical and surgical hospitals.
The report published by BLS shows that the highest-paying fields for this profession are companies in the sector of securities, commodity contracts, and other financial investments and related activities and merchant wholesalers.
The average annual wage reported by correspondence clerks in the field of financial investment activities was $49,810 as of May 2019.
Merchant wholesalers reportedly remunerated correspondence clerks with $47,140 per year.
There are many other factors that determine how much a correspondence clerk takes home each year.
Experience and a degree in a related field can help you improve your earning prospects.
However, your salary will also depend on the region of employment and the local economy.
According to BLS, the top-paying states for workers in this profession in 2019 were Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Arizona where correspondence clerks were remunerated at $47,450, $44,970, and $43,570 respectively.
On the other hand, correspondence clerks in Alabama, reportedly earned $27,990 per year on average- which is more than $10,000 less than the median for all states.
Other states where the mean salaries for this occupation were lower than the national average are South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming, Mississippi, Indiana, Maine, and Ohio.
The state with the highest employment level in this occupation is California, where the average annual wage reported by workers in this profession was $42,130.
The top-paying metropolitan areas for this occupation are Washington-Arlington-Alexandria- where the average annual wage reported by correspondence clerks was $50,410 in May of 2019.
Your total earning may also vary depending on your salary structure.
Some employers also offer bonuses and commissions in order to motivate their workers and you can considerably supplement your earnings if you’re an efficient employee who receives a salary package.
As an entry-level correspondence clerk, you may earn an hourly-based salary.
According to BLS, the median hourly wage for this profession was $18.34 as of May 2019.
In this case, your total earning will vary depending on your work hours and you will be paid time a half if you work more than 40 hours per week.
* Based on information from the May 2023 salary report from the BLS. The figures represent accumulated data for all states of employment for Correspondence Clerks. BLS data represents averages and medians for workers at all levels of education and experience. This data doesn't represent starting salaries.
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.