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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018

43-4021 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.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
5,460 4.1 % $18.75 $38,990 1.5 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $11.76 $14.58 $17.93 $22.44 $27.19
Annual Wage (2) $24,460 $30,330 $37,290 $46,680 $56,550


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 520 0.03 $15.80 $32,870
Insurance Carriers 460 0.04 $21.39 $44,480
Management of Companies and Enterprises 420 0.02 $20.42 $42,470
Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities 410 0.04 $16.59 $34,510
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 410 0.01 $18.68 $38,860

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities 410 0.04 $16.59 $34,510
Insurance Carriers 460 0.04 $21.39 $44,480
Nondepository Credit Intermediation 220 0.04 $18.16 $37,780
Business Support Services 310 0.03 $17.97 $37,370
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 520 0.03 $15.80 $32,870

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (8) (8) $23.57 $49,020
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities 240 0.03 $22.61 $47,030
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing 70 0.02 $22.47 $46,730
Oil and Gas Extraction (8) (8) $22.30 $46,390
Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 40 0.01 $22.14 $46,060


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 570 0.05 1.24 $20.07 $41,750
Indiana 440 0.14 3.83 $14.71 $30,600
California 400 0.02 0.63 $21.89 $45,530
Maryland 340 0.13 3.32 $20.40 $42,440
Pennsylvania 290 0.05 1.31 $19.95 $41,490




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
South Dakota 200 0.47 12.49 $14.00 $29,110
New Hampshire 130 0.21 5.44 $17.55 $36,510
Indiana 440 0.14 3.83 $14.71 $30,600
Maryland 340 0.13 3.32 $20.40 $42,440
Tennessee 220 0.08 2.00 $18.86 $39,240




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Rhode Island (8) (8) (8) $22.51 $46,820
California 400 0.02 0.63 $21.89 $45,530
New Jersey 170 0.04 1.08 $21.81 $45,370
Massachusetts 270 0.08 2.01 $21.60 $44,930
Georgia 70 0.02 0.41 $21.33 $44,360





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 310 0.09 2.30 $21.87 $45,500
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN 280 0.27 7.24 $13.00 $27,040
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 270 0.10 2.59 $21.46 $44,640
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 250 0.18 4.76 $20.03 $41,670
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 230 0.05 1.31 $18.77 $39,040
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 220 0.02 0.63 $21.52 $44,760
Sioux Falls, SD 190 1.19 31.64 $13.76 $28,620
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 160 0.03 0.69 $22.74 $47,290
St. Louis, MO-IL 160 0.12 3.07 $17.86 $37,150
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 150 0.05 1.37 $20.85 $43,370




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Sioux Falls, SD 190 1.19 31.64 $13.76 $28,620
Chattanooga, TN-GA 100 0.39 10.43 $20.93 $43,530
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN 280 0.27 7.24 $13.00 $27,040
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 250 0.18 4.76 $20.03 $41,670
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ 60 0.16 4.31 $19.20 $39,930
St. Louis, MO-IL 160 0.12 3.07 $17.86 $37,150
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 270 0.10 2.59 $21.46 $44,640
Tulsa, OK 40 0.10 2.72 $18.88 $39,270
Springfield, MA-CT 30 0.09 2.41 (8) (8)
Urban Honolulu, HI 40 0.09 2.33 $18.39 $38,260




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 160 0.03 0.69 $22.74 $47,290
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA (8) (8) (8) $22.69 $47,200
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (8) (8) (8) $22.58 $46,970
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 310 0.09 2.30 $21.87 $45,500
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA (8) (8) (8) $21.54 $44,800
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 220 0.02 0.63 $21.52 $44,760
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 270 0.10 2.59 $21.46 $44,640
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 80 0.04 1.04 $21.34 $44,390
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 30 0.03 0.68 $21.22 $44,140
Chattanooga, TN-GA 100 0.39 10.43 $20.93 $43,530


About May 2018 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2018 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 29, 2019