How much does a office worker make?
Answer: A typical office worker in the United States makes $45,670 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 192,000 people work in this job. About the same as the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).
If 100 people had this job
Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-rightHover over a person to see their yearly pay
Office worker pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $31,090 | $45,670 | $71,940 | about 192,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $68,600 | about 1,000 |
| North Dakota | $54,200 | about 2,000 |
| California | $54,020 | about 23,000 |
| Colorado | $53,460 | about 2,000 |
| Virginia | $53,170 | about 6,000 |
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., pay can vary with experience, useful skills or credentials, and the type of employer or industry. Location and hours or shifts matter too, and this “all other” category includes specialties with different duties and training needs.
What if you lived in a different state?
Pay varies a lot by state in the USTop 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
What does a office worker do?
All office and administrative support workers not listed separately.
What's a typical day like?
Depending on the specialty, an office worker might answer calls, update records, and sort files at a computer. They may also schedule meetings or help coworkers and visitors, but the tasks differ widely across this catch-all job group.
How to get this job
Most U.S. workers in this category need a high school diploma or equivalent and short on-the-job training; related experience is not typically required. Build computer skills, then learn workplace procedures; some specialties need extra training.
Did you know?
“All Other” is a catch-all: the U.S. job list gives examples as different as envelope stuffers, fingerprint clerks, and notaries public.
What about Japan?
Nearly the same jobThe US figure is the median and the Japan figure is the average, so it's not a perfect comparison. Prices differ too.
Earn more in the same field
Office and Administrative Support jobs that pay a bit moreSources and data
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/emp/tables/education-and-training-by-occupation.htm
- www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-administrative-support/general-office-clerks.htm
- www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-administrative-support/secretaries-and-administrative
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- www.bls.gov/soc/2018/soc_2018_manual.pdf
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/43-9199.00
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY