General Office & Clerical Services

Types of Degrees General Office & Clerical Services Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many general office occupations and clerical services graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

What General Office & Clerical Services Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, general office occupations and clerical services majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for General Office Occupations and Clerical Services Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills for General Office Occupations and Clerical Services Majors

general office occupations and clerical services majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for General Office Occupations and Clerical Services Majors

As you progress with your general office occupations and clerical services degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a General Office & Clerical Services Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with general office occupations and clerical services:

How Much Do General Office & Clerical Services Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $41,160 to $43,180 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to general office occupations and clerical services. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to General Office & Clerical Services

Some careers associated with general office occupations and clerical services require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for general office occupations and clerical services careers below.

Online General Office & Clerical Services Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 215 schools offered some type of general office occupations and clerical services program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Is a Degree in General Office & Clerical Services Worth It?

The median salary for a general office occupations and clerical services grad is $42,150 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 6% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $45,000 after 20 years!

Majors Related to General Office & Clerical Services

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to general office occupations and clerical services.

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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