What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Correspondence Clerks in the U.S. earn more than $46,800 a year — the middle 80% land between $33,300 and $64,510. About 4,290 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Correspondence Clerks”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Clerical support workers earn about ₹24,252 a month on average — around ₹2.9 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$46,800typical pay / year
4,290people in this work
$64,510+top 10% earn
₹2.9 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
Keeping the record4
Maintain files and control records
+Update the filing log with the Beirut dispatch packet, attach scanned visas and location reports, mark access…
Maintain files and control records
+Update the filing log with the Beirut dispatch packet, attach scanned visas and location reports, mark access restrictions, flag files needing follow-up, and archive older Kabul desk notes into the secure records set by Friday close of business.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft SharePointjob descriptionsO*NET
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Read incoming correspondence
+Read all unread embassy and bureau correspondence received since Monday, note key action items and deadlines,…
Read incoming correspondence
+Read all unread embassy and bureau correspondence received since Monday, note key action items and deadlines, extract names and dates into a summary sheet, and notify the Rome desk by noon of anything requiring immediate reporting.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft Wordjob descriptionsO*NET
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Sort and route correspondence items
+Sort today's incoming cables into intelligence, logistics, and admin piles, assign each to the corresponding…
Sort and route correspondence items
+Sort today's incoming cables into intelligence, logistics, and admin piles, assign each to the corresponding city correspondent with a priority code, update the routing column in the control sheet, and email routing confirmations to recipients before 16:00.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft SharePointMicrosoft Outlookjob descriptionsO*NET
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Compose letters or electronic correspondence
+Draft a response to the culture attaché about the festival accreditation, include the itinerary, three…
Compose letters or electronic correspondence
+Draft a response to the culture attaché about the festival accreditation, include the itinerary, three staffing options, estimated costs, and a requested reply by Wednesday, then save the letter to the dispatch folder and queue it for signature.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft Outlookjob descriptionsO*NET
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The daily work16
Organise facilities for office personnel
+Arrange hot desk allocations, meeting rooms and a reliable printer for the Kabul bureau team from next Monday…
Organise facilities for office personnel
+Arrange hot desk allocations, meeting rooms and a reliable printer for the Kabul bureau team from next Monday to Friday, confirm desk assignments with Maria and Jamal, order additional stationery if stocks fall below two weeks, and note any access pass issues.
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Facilitate access to information
+Pull the recent visa, customs and local contact files for the Egypt assignment, consolidate key contacts and…
Facilitate access to information
+Pull the recent visa, customs and local contact files for the Egypt assignment, consolidate key contacts and access instructions into one searchable file, then share the file with the reporting team and flag any missing documents to Lina by Thursday.
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Maintain correspondence records
+Compile all sent and received cables, press releases and embassy notes from the past three months into a…
Maintain correspondence records
+Compile all sent and received cables, press releases and embassy notes from the past three months into a dated correspondence log, link each entry to the original file, and save the log where desk editors can query it, flagging any unacknowledged items.
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Disseminate messages to people
+Draft and schedule an alert to the bureau mailing list announcing the new security protocol, include a…
Disseminate messages to people
+Draft and schedule an alert to the bureau mailing list announcing the new security protocol, include a one-paragraph summary, the full protocol link, and a request for acknowledgement by Friday noon, then follow up personally with any non-responders.
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Compile data from records to prepare periodic reports.
+Compile the travel, expense and filing records from bureau archives for the April quarterly report, reconcile…
Compile data from records to prepare periodic reports.
+Compile the travel, expense and filing records from bureau archives for the April quarterly report, reconcile totals against receipts, flag missing pages, and deliver a single printable report to the editor by next Wednesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft WordO*NET
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Ensure that money collected is properly recorded and secured.
+Record all cash and cheque receipts from the Kabul bureau for June into the accounts register, scan and…
Ensure that money collected is properly recorded and secured.
+Record all cash and cheque receipts from the Kabul bureau for June into the accounts register, scan and password the deposit slips, note who handled each payment, and confirm the locked safe inventory with the bureau chief before Friday close.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelO*NET
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Process orders for goods requested in correspondence.
+Process the office supply requests in correspondence, match each to its vendor quote, create a single…
Process orders for goods requested in correspondence.
+Process the office supply requests in correspondence, match each to its vendor quote, create a single purchase instruction with quantities and delivery addresses, get the bureau manager's verbal ok, and submit the order for procurement by Tuesday morning.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft OutlookO*NET
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Present clear and concise explanations of governing rules and regulations.
+Draft a one-page explainer of press accreditation rules and safety protocols for stringers in Cairo, include…
Present clear and concise explanations of governing rules and regulations.
+Draft a one-page explainer of press accreditation rules and safety protocols for stringers in Cairo, include citations to the regulation sections, list consequences for breaches, and circulate it to all correspondents with a read receipt request by Monday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft OutlookO*NET
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Prepare records for shipment by certified mail.
+Assemble the dispatch bundle for certified mailing: list each record, attach scanned signatures, prepare the…
Prepare records for shipment by certified mail.
+Assemble the dispatch bundle for certified mailing: list each record, attach scanned signatures, prepare the customs declaration where needed, print labels, and notify the recipient and the bureau administrator with tracking details before collection tomorrow.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft OutlookO*NET
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Research customer accounts and previous contacts
+Search the contact logs and past assignment files for the Beirut stringer, compile a timeline of all payments…
Research customer accounts and previous contacts
+Search the contact logs and past assignment files for the Beirut stringer, compile a timeline of all payments and correspondence, note unresolved issues, and submit the account summary to the investigations editor by Friday afternoon.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft Exceljob descriptions
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Check policies and relevant regulations
+Check the bureau’s accreditation rules, visa requirements and press safety advisories for Afghanistan and…
Check policies and relevant regulations
+Check the bureau’s accreditation rules, visa requirements and press safety advisories for Afghanistan and Iran, flag any recent changes that affect filing deadlines or equipment restrictions, and summarise actions I must take before next Monday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft Outlookjob descriptions
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Draft responses using templates or original writing
+Draft a reply to the Kabul fixer asking for expense advance using the bureau template voice, explain limits…
Draft responses using templates or original writing
+Draft a reply to the Kabul fixer asking for expense advance using the bureau template voice, explain limits of entitlements, request receipts within five days, and include a brief paragraph offering alternative payment options.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Wordjob descriptions
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Gather data to formulate replies
+Collect the last three days of cables, phone logs, and incident reports about the Mogadishu convoy, extract…
Gather data to formulate replies
+Collect the last three days of cables, phone logs, and incident reports about the Mogadishu convoy, extract timestamps, witnesses and expense items, and produce a one-page facts digest so I can answer the editor’s query tonight.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Outlookjob descriptions
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Prepare damage claims, billing inquiries, and service complaints
+Prepare the damage claim and billing query from our Nairobi bureau: list damaged equipment with serial…
Prepare damage claims, billing inquiries, and service complaints
+Prepare the damage claim and billing query from our Nairobi bureau: list damaged equipment with serial numbers, attach photos and vendor invoices, state desired reimbursement and a two-week response deadline, then mark the complaint urgent for the finance desk.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft Exceljob descriptions
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Sort mail
+Sort the weekend mail backlog: prioritise visas, visas renewal notices, and legal letters first, put invoices…
Sort mail
+Sort the weekend mail backlog: prioritise visas, visas renewal notices, and legal letters first, put invoices into finance, personal mail to recipients, and scan any time-sensitive items to the newsroom by noon.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OutlookESCO
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Organise business documents
+Organise the bureau’s business documents: create a named folder structure for contracts, invoices, visas and…
Organise business documents
+Organise the bureau’s business documents: create a named folder structure for contracts, invoices, visas and safety reports, move current-year files into it, and produce an index so the bureau chief can find anything within two clicks.
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Says who?
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Activities this job lives in
The human activities behind the tasks — each with its honest AI ceiling.
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Shared with other careers — the same record means something different in each.
Related careers
Same family of work — each with its own tasks and prompts.
The LLOS Work Atlas is the world's largest evidenced task library — a map of human work, with a ready prompt behind every task. 1,774 careers · every task named by the sources that witnessed it — O*NET, ESCO, real job descriptions, Wikipedia — and the deepest tasks by several at once. And it is honest about limits: where AI cannot help, the map says so.
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Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses