Office Clerks, General
Perform duties too varied and diverse to be classified in any specific office clerical occupation, requiring knowledge of office systems and procedures. Clerical duties may be assigned in accordance with the office procedures of individual establishments and may include a combination of answering telephones, bookkeeping, typing or word processing, office machine operation, and filing.
2,464,940 people do this job in the US. $45,010 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 61%
- 6%
- 33%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 5%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 55%. Today's estimate: 58%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 20 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compute, record, and proofread data and other information, such as records or reports.Done daily by most who do it. | 12% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | 95%Half by now | |
| Maintain and update filing, inventory, mailing, and database systems, either manually or using a computer.Done daily by most who do it. | 8% | 25 min8 min to 1.7 h | 92%Half by now | |
| Compile, copy, sort, and file records of office activities, business transactions, and other activities.Done daily by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 8% | 25 min8 min to 1.3 h | 97%Half by now | |
| Open, sort, and route incoming mail, answer correspondence, and prepare outgoing mail.Done daily by most who do it. | 7% | 25 min8 min to 50 min | Stays with people | |
| Communicate with customers, employees, and other individuals to answer questions, disseminate or explain information, take orders, and address complaints.Done daily by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 6% | 13 min4 min to 38 min | 99%Half by now | |
| Operate office machines, such as photocopiers and scanners, facsimile machines, voice mail systems, and personal computers.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 6% | 8 min2 min to 25 min | Stays with people | |
| Collect, count, and disburse money, do basic bookkeeping, and complete banking transactions.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 33 min13 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Deliver messages and run errands.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 21 min8 min to 50 min | Stays with people | |
| Type, format, proofread, and edit correspondence and other documents, from notes or dictating machines, using computers or typewriters.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 25 min8 min to 1.3 h | 97%Half by now | |
| Review files, records, and other documents to obtain information to respond to requests.Done daily by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 5% | 17 min4 min to 50 min | 96%Half by now | |
| Complete work schedules, manage calendars, and arrange appointments.Done daily by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 5% | 25 min8 min to 1.3 h | 97%Half by now | |
| Monitor and direct the work of lower-level clerks.Done daily by most who do it. | 3% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive39% now, 69% by 2028
- File Clerks31% now, 53% by 2028
- Receptionists and Information Clerks83% now, 84% by 2028
- Administrative Services Managers18% now, 63% by 2028
- Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants87% now, 91% by 2028
- Correspondence Clerks81% now, 85% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).