Correspondence Clerks

What Correspondence Clerks do

When a customer writes in angry about a wrong bill or a damaged order, you dig up the facts and write the reply that settles it.

Correspondence clerks answer written questions and complaints for a company or agency. The letters and emails that land on your desk cover things like a bill that came out wrong, a shipment that arrived broken, a request for credit information, or an account that has fallen behind. Your job is to read carefully, work out what the person actually needs, pull the records that prove what happened, and write back clearly.

It is detective work plus writing. You search files, check whether the paperwork is complete and correct, attach the right documents, and keep a record of every exchange. Some letters belong to another department, so you pass those along. You also pull numbers from your records to build regular reports on what is coming in.

A day in the life

You sit at a desk indoors and start with the inbox. You read each message, decide who it belongs to, and send the ones outside your area to the right department. For the rest, you go looking: bills sent to customers, account history, notes from earlier letters. You check the records for gaps before you trust them. Then you write, plainly and politely, sometimes to someone who is upset. Much of this is quiet, solo concentration. But you are also part of a team, so you turn to a coworker to confirm a charge, sit in a short meeting, or speak with a customer or colleague face to face. You update your files so the next person can follow the trail, then pull figures for a monthly report.

How people get in

1. 1Finish high school or an equivalent diploma, which is the typical entry requirement.
2. 2Build your writing and reading skills on purpose. Practice turning a messy complaint into a short, clear reply with the facts attached.
3. 3Get comfortable with email, spreadsheets, and basic math, since you will compile figures and check billing.
4. 4Take any job that involves customer questions, filing, or office paperwork so you can show you handle records accurately.
5. 5If you want extra grounding, look at a program in general office occupations and clerical services.
6. 6Apply for openings under names like correspondence clerk, correspondence coordinator, or dispute resolution analyst, then expect short-term training on the employer's systems once hired.

Who tends to enjoy it

Official task list

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. (O*NET)

• 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.
• Route correspondence to other departments for reply.

A typical day involves

How much Correspondence Clerks make

The median pay for Correspondence Clerks in the U.S. is $46,800 a year ($22.50 an hour). Most earn between $33,300 and $64,510. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025)

Pay depends a lot on where you live: the median is highest in Connecticut ($61,310) and lowest in Louisiana ($36,790).

Where to study for this

College programs that commonly lead to this career, and how many US colleges offer each.

• General Office Occupations and Clerical Services 187 colleges

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