Correspondence clerks
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.
Correspondence clerks compose letters or electronic correspondence in reply to requests for merchandise, damage claims, credit and other information, delinquent accounts, incorrect billings, or unsatisfactory services. The role reports a median annual salary of $46,740 in the US and is projected to decline by 6% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a High school diploma or equivalent, and shows high AI exposure (0.86 on a 0-1 scale) — significant portions of core tasks are already being automated. The most in-demand skills for the role include information confidentiality, company policies, communicate with customers, use spreadsheets software, disseminate internal communications.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £28,294 a year for Other administrative occupations n.e.c. (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £24,636 to £34,741 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 4159). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Clerical support workers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Correspondence clerks, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 4. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Administrative
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Economics and Accounting
- Mathematics
- Computers and Electronics
- Administration and Management
- Public Safety and Security
What you'd actually do
- Maintain files and control records to show correspondence activities.
- Read incoming correspondence to ascertain nature of writers' concerns and to determine disposition of correspondence.
- Gather records pertinent to specific problems, review them for completeness and accuracy, and attach records to correspondence as necessary.
- Prepare documents and correspondence, such as damage claims, credit and billing inquiries, invoices, and service complaints.
- Compile data from records to prepare periodic reports.
- Compose letters in reply to correspondence concerning such items as requests for merchandise, damage claims, credit information requests, delinquent accounts, incorrect billing, or unsatisfactory service.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does 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.
How much does Correspondence clerks earn?
The median annual salary for Correspondence clerks in the US is $46,740.
What is the job outlook for Correspondence clerks?
The role is projected to decline by 6% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 6,900 workers.
How do I become correspondence clerks?
The typical entry education is a High school diploma or equivalent. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Correspondence clerks need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include information confidentiality, company policies, communicate with customers, use spreadsheets software, disseminate internal communications, file documents. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Correspondence clerks?
Our AI-durability model gives Correspondence clerks a score of 0.86 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at high AI risk — many core tasks are already being automated by generative AI and workflow tools. Focus on AI-adjacent skills or plan a pivot to an AI-durable adjacent role.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Correspondence clerks has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.