General Clerk

A General Clerk performs routine administrative and clerical tasks in an office environment, including data entry, filing, correspondence management, and record keeping. They support the operations of their department or organisation by maintaining organised systems, processing documents, and responding to routine administrative enquiries. This role typically operates within established procedures and organisational policies, with little independent decision-making.

Enter data into computerised office systems, spreadsheets, and databases with accuracy and attention to detail. Sort, classify, and file documents and records using physical filing systems and electronic document management systems. Receive, open, and distribute incoming mail and packages, recording receipt as required. Prepare outgoing correspondence, envelopes, and parcels for dispatch. Copy, scan, and reproduce documents using photocopiers and digital scanning equipment. Answer routine telephone enquiries and direct calls to appropriate staff members. Maintain office supplies inventory and place orders with suppliers when stock levels deplete. Prepare and maintain simple reports, schedules, and registers by compiling data from multiple sources.

The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate II or III (ABS skill level 4). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

More pressing: automation may change this work quickly. Data entry, filing, and document processing are exactly what AI and software do better each year. You need to accept this role may shrink significantly in the next decade.

The practical reality is these jobs concentrate in capital cities wherever there's high office employment. Government agencies, banks, insurance companies, and large corporates are the main employers. Remote work is uncommon for general clerks; you'll be in an office.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 5311, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

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• Active Listeningcore
• Attention to Detailcore
• Confidentiality and Privacy Compliancecore
• Data Entry and Accuracycore
• Email Managementcore
• Microsoft Office Suite Proficiencycore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Record Managementcore
• Telephone Etiquettecore
• Time Managementcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Appointment Scheduling
• Digital Literacy
• Multitasking
• Quality Assurance and Checking
• Team Collaboration
• Verbal Communication
• Workflow Prioritisation

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

What General Clerk workers move into, from ten years of tax records.

Last updated: 30 October 2026