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Record Clerks

Nature of the Work

Organizations of all kinds businesses, government agencies, unions,
health care facilities, and colleges and universities need to keep
accurate records.  Maintaining and updating financial as well as
nonfinancial records, ranging from payroll records to information on
the shipment of goods to bank statements, is the job of record
clerks.  (Additional information about specific record clerk
occupations is provided in the separate statements in this section.)

   Record clerks perform a wide variety of recordkeeping duties.
Billing clerks prepare bills and invoices.  Bookkeeping, accounting,
and auditing clerks maintain financial data in computer and paper
files.  Brokerage clerks prepare and maintain the records generated
when stocks, bonds, and other types of investments are traded.
Statement clerks prepare monthly statements for bank customers.
File clerks store and retrieve various kinds of office information
for use by members of the staff.  Library assistants check books in
and out.  Order clerks process incoming orders for goods and
services.  Payroll and timekeeping clerks compute wages for payroll
records.  Personnel clerks keep employee records current.

   Record clerks' duties may vary with the size of the firm.  In a
small business, for example, one bookkeeping clerk may handle all
financial records and transactions as well as payroll and personnel
duties while a large firm may employ specialized accounting clerks
to work on each aspect of the balance sheet, as well as specialized
payroll and personnel clerks.

   Increased computerization has changed the duties of most record
clerks.  In the past, for example, clerks made calculations with
adding machines and entered figures into ledgers and paper files.
Now, many workers use financial software to enter and manipulate
data.  In many cases, these computer programs can automatically
perform calculations on data that previously had to be calculated
manually.  Computers enable clerks to access data within files more
quickly than by leafing through stacks of paper.  Despite increased
automation, however, workers still keep backup paper records for
research, auditing, and reference purposes.

   Interaction with the public and with coworkers is a basic part of
the job of many record clerks.  Payroll clerks, for example, may
answer employees' questions concerning benefits; bookmobile drivers
help patients in nursing homes and hospitals select books; and order
clerks may call customers to verify special mailing instructions.

Working Conditions

With the exception of library clerks and bookmobile drivers, record
clerks work in a typical office environment.  Most work alongside
the organization's other clerical workers, but some work in
centralized units away from the organization's front office.  Clerks
who review detailed data may have to sit for extended periods.
Although they do not do heavy lifting, file clerks and library
assistants must frequently stoop, bend, reach, and spend a lot of
time on their feet.  Bookmobile drivers must maneuver their large
vehicles in all kinds of traffic and weather conditions.  In
addition, some are responsible for the maintenance of the
bookmobile.

   An increasing number of record clerks use video display terminals
(VDT's) as part of their daily routine.  Workers who spend a lot of
time at VDT's may experience eyestrain and muscle strain, backaches,
headaches, and repetitive motion injuries.

   Most of these workers work regular business hours.  Some, such as
library assistants, may work evenings and weekends.  Library
assistants employed in school libraries generally work only during
the school year.  Accounting clerks may work longer hours to meet
deadlines at the end of the fiscal year, during tax time, or when
monthly and yearly accounting audits are performed.  Billing,
bookkeeping, and accounting clerks in hotels, restaurants, and
stores may work overtime during peak holiday and vacation seasons.
Brokerage clerks may have to work overtime if there is a high volume
of activity in the stock or bond markets.  Order clerks in retail
establishments may work overtime when sales volume is high,
especially around Christmas.

Employment

Record clerks held about 3,573,000 jobs in 1992.  The following
tabulation indicates the employment in each occupation.


Total................................................................100

Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks......................... 59
Billing clerks and related workers................................... 11
Order clerks, material, merchandise, and service.....................  8
File clerks..........................................................  7
Payroll and timekeeping clerks.......................................  5
Personnel clerks, except payroll and timekeeping.....................  4
Library assistants and bookmobile drivers............................  3
Brokerage and statement clerks.......................................  3

   These workers are employed in virtually every industry.  The largest
number work for firms providing health, business, and other types of
services.  Large numbers also work in trade; finance, insurance, and
real estate; manufacturing; and government.

Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement

Most record clerk jobs are entry level positions.  Most employers
require applicants to have at least a high school diploma or its
equivalent.  A higher level of education will usually be favored
over a high school diploma, but it is not generally required.
However, in some cases, more extensive education is mandatory.  For
example, order clerks in high-technology firms often need to
understand scientific and mechanical processes, which may require
some college education.  Regardless of the type of work being done,
most employers prefer those who are computer literate.  Knowledge of
word processing and spreadsheet programs is especially valuable, as
is experience working in an office and good interpersonal skills.

   High schools, business schools, and community colleges teach office
skills.  Business education programs typically include courses in
typing (keyboarding), word processing, shorthand, business
communications, records management, and office systems and
procedures.  Technical training needed for some specialized order
clerk positions can be obtained in technical institutes and in 2-
and 4-year colleges.

   Some entrants are college graduates with degrees in business,
finance, or the liberal arts.  Although a degree is rarely required,
many graduates take entry level clerical positions to get into a
company or into the finance and accounting field, with the hope of
being promoted to professional or managerial jobs.  Some companies,
such as brokerage and accounting firms, have a set plan of
advancement that tracks college graduates from entry level clerk
jobs into management positions.  These workers may start at higher
salaries and advance more rapidly than those without a degree.

   Once hired, record clerks generally receive on-the-job training.
Under the guidance of a supervisor or senior worker, new employees
learn procedures to follow.  Some formal classroom training may be
necessary, such as training in operating specific computer software.
Record clerks must be careful, orderly, and detail oriented in order
to avoid making errors and to be able to recognize errors made by
others.  These workers must also be honest, discreet, and
trustworthy because they frequently come in contact with
confidential material.  Payroll clerks, billing clerks, and
bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks should have a strong
aptitude for numbers.  Because statement clerks have access to
individuals' financial information, they must be bonded.  Many
bookmobile drivers are now required to have a commercial driver's
license.

   Workers usually advance by taking on more duties in the same
occupation with higher pay.  Others advance to closely related
occupations.  For example, some order clerks use their experience to
move into a sales position.  Others move into another clerical job,
such as secretary, or advance to a supervisory position.  With
appropriate experience and education, some clerks may become
accountants, personnel specialists, brokers, or librarians.

Job Outlook

Higher than average turnover in this large occupation places it
among those occupations providing the most job openings.
Opportunities will be very plentiful for full-time, part-time, and
seasonal employment as record clerks transfer to other occupations
or leave the labor force.  These are entry level jobs that require
little formal preparation and are characterized by a lot of movement
into and out of them.

   Employment of record clerks is expected to grow more slowly than the
average for all occupations through the year 2005.  Despite
continued growth in the volume of business transactions, rising
productivity will result in slow employment growth.

   The main factor affecting productivity in these occupations is the
spread of office automation.  Many of these jobs are back office
clerical positions, which have already been heavily automated in
many organizations.  Productivity has increased significantly as
workers use word processors and personal computers instead of more
time-consuming equipment such as typewriters, adding machines, and
calculators.  The growing use of equipment such as bar code readers,
point-of-sale terminals, and optical scanners by other employees
also reduces much of the data entry handled by record clerks.
Managers and professionals now do much of their own clerical work,
using computers to access, create, and store data directly in the
computer system.  The growing use of local area networks is also
facilitating electronic data interchange (EDI).  EDI refers to the
sending of data from computer to computer, without the need for
clerks to reenter the data.  To further eliminate duplicate
functions, more large companies may consolidate all their clerical
operations in a central office where accounting, billing, personnel,
and payroll functions are performed for all satellite offices in the
organization.

Earnings

Salaries of record clerks vary considerably.  Region of the country,
size of city, and type and size of establishment all influence
salary levels.  The level of industry or technical expertise
required and the complexity and uniqueness of a clerk's
responsibilities may also affect earnings.  Average salaries vary by
detailed occupation, as shown in the following tabulation.

Order clerks..................................................$22,200
Payroll and timekeeping clerks................................ 21,000
Personnel clerks.............................................. 20,300
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks.................. 19,100
Billing clerks................................................ 18,400
Library assistants and bookmobile drivers..................... 16,400
File clerks................................................... 15,700

   In the Federal Government in 1993, payroll and timekeeping clerks
and personnel clerks with a high school diploma or 6 months of
clerical experience started at $14,600.  In 1993, the average salary
for all payroll and timekeeping clerks was $20,300, and for
personnel clerks, $23,700.

   In addition to salary, record clerks receive the same package of
benefits as other employees in the organization.  In large and
medium-size establishments, sick and annual leave, life and health
insurance, and retirement plans are common.

Related Occupations

Most record clerks today enter data into a computer system and
perform basic analysis of the data.  Other clerical workers who
enter and manipulate data are bank tellers, statistical clerks,
receiving clerks, medical record clerks, hotel and motel clerks,
credit clerks, and reservation and transportation ticket agents.

Sources of Additional Information

   State employment service offices can provide information about job
openings for record clerks.

   Public libraries and libraries in academic institutions can provide
information about job openings for library assistants and bookmobile
drivers.

   The State Library of Ohio, Field Operations Department, can provide
specific information on bookmobile drivers.  The address is: 65
South Front St., Columbus, OH 43215.

   Information on careers in records and information management can be
obtained from:

   Association of Record Managers and Administrators (ARMA), 4200
Somerset Dr., Suite 215, Prairie Village, KS 66208.  (Phone:
1-800-422-2762.)