Correspondence Clerks
What Correspondence Clerks Do
Compose letters or electronic correspondence in reply to requests for merchandise, damage claims, credit and other information, delinquent accounts, incorrect billings, or unsatisfactory services. Duties may include gathering data to formulate reply and preparing correspondence.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 5.1%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Administrativeimportance 4.4/5
- English Languageimportance 4.0/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.8/5
- Economics and Accountingimportance 3.6/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.5/5
- Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.4/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 2.9/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 2.8/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- E-Mail5.0/5
- Contact With Others4.8/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.8/5
- Telephone Conversations4.7/5
- Spend Time Sitting4.6/5
- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks4.6/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs98% skill match
- Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks98% skill match
- Writers and Authors98% skill match
- Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors98% skill match
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants98% skill match
- New Accounts Clerks98% skill match
- Concierges98% skill match
- Customer Service Representatives98% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.3/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.1/5
- Service Orientationimportance 3.0/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
- Coordinationimportance 2.9/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.9/5
- Persuasionimportance 2.8/5
- Negotiationimportance 2.6/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Integrity
- Cooperation
- Self-Control
- Cautiousness
- Sincerity
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- ConventionalHigh
- EnterprisingMedium
- SocialLow
- InvestigativeLow
- ArtisticLow
- RealisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where correspondence clerks make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Chattanooga, TN-GA6.59× national avg
- 2Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC5.01× national avg
- 3Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY4.31× national avg
- 4San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX4.09× national avg
- 5Omaha, NE-IA4.07× national avg
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
General Office Occupations and Clerical Services
- Sinclair Community College (Dayton, OH)grads earn ~$25,759
- Rio Salado College (Tempe, AZ)grads earn ~$50,135
- Central Georgia Technical College (Warner Robins, GA)grads earn ~$27,327
- Central Louisiana Technical Community College (Alexandria, LA)grads earn ~$19,082
- Pueblo Community College (Pueblo, CO)