6 free templates for general, small business, medical, legal, digital, and entry-level roles, with the FLSA non-exempt classification and record-retention guidance the generic templates skip. Download as DOCX.
A file clerk organizes, maintains, and retrieves an organization's records, keeping documents accurate, findable, and secure. For a small office, a clinic, or a law firm without a dedicated HR team, the right hire keeps the paperwork under control and the confidential records protected, and the job description sets the scope, the confidentiality expectation, and the retention duties from the start.
These six templates cover the most common versions of the role: general office, a small business version for a company without an HR department, medical with HIPAA, legal, a digital records specialist, and entry-level. Each is ready to use, with the FLSA non-exempt classification and the record-retention guidance that generic templates leave out. For the fundamentals behind any posting, the guide to writing a job description is a useful companion.
TL;DR
A file clerk organizes, files, retrieves, and protects records, both paper and digital. The role is hourly and non-exempt under the FLSA, so overtime applies over 40 hours a week. The work connects directly to confidentiality and record retention, from I-9 forms to HIPAA documents. The latest published federal data shows a median wage near $18.33 an hour. Download six templates as DOCX, by setting, with the compliance built in.
What a File Clerk Does
A file clerk keeps an organization's records in order: filing and retrieving documents, scanning paper into digital systems, maintaining consistent labels and naming, tracking retention, and protecting confidential information. The work is detail-driven and trust-based, since a file clerk often handles sensitive employee, customer, medical, or legal records.
The federal occupation is 43-4071 File Clerks, which groups related titles such as records clerk, medical records clerk, and documentation specialist. Because the same occupation spans office, medical, legal, and digital settings, the templates here are organized by setting so you can match the posting to the records you actually keep.
File Clerk Duties and Responsibilities
File clerk duties cluster into four areas: organizing and filing, scanning and retrieval, tracking retention, and protecting and securing records. A strong job description picks the specific responsibilities from each area that fit your office, rather than listing every possible task.
Organize and file
Sort and file documents by system
Keep paper and digital files current
Maintain consistent labels and naming
Scan and retrieve
Scan, label, and index documents
Retrieve files accurately on request
Support fast, reliable lookups
Track retention
Track record retention schedules
Flag records due for review
Log files checked out and returned
Protect and secure
Keep confidential information secure
Follow secure-destruction procedures
Maintain audit-ready records
For a medical or legal office the confidentiality and retention duties carry the most weight; for a digital role the scanning and metadata work leads. For a structured way to scope the role, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by the setting and the records you keep. The core structure is the same across all six, but each one emphasizes the duties, skills, and compliance that fit a specific kind of office. Use this guide to choose the closest fit, then adjust.
General / Office
Any office
The all-purpose version for a corporate or office setting: file, retrieve, scan, and keep records organized. Start here if no specialty applies.
Small Business (No HR)
5 to 50 employees
The flagship for a small business without an HR department: reports to the owner or office manager, light bureaucracy, compliance-aware.
Medical / HIPAA
Clinics, practices
For a medical office: patient charts, EMR indexing, HIPAA confidentiality, and state medical-records retention.
Legal
Law firms
For a law office: case files, pleadings, court filing deadlines, and confidential, privileged information.
Digital / Records Specialist
Modern records role
For a digital-first role: scanning, metadata, document management systems, and retention lifecycle. The evolution of the role.
Entry-Level
First office job
For a trainable first hire: no experience required, focused on learning the system, filing, scanning, and reliability.
Match the Template to Your Office
A general office? Start with General / Office. A small company without HR? The Small Business version is the flagship. A clinic or practice? Medical / HIPAA. A law firm? Legal. Going paperless? Digital / Records Specialist. A trainable first hire? Entry-Level. When in doubt, the General version is the baseline to adapt.
6 Free File Clerk Job Description Templates
Download all six as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: company and job summary, key responsibilities, qualifications, a classification note, and how to apply, with an EEO statement. Fill in the brackets and post.
Download All 6 Job Description Templates
General, small business, medical HIPAA, legal, digital, and entry-level. All in one DOCX.
Template 1: General / Office File Clerk
The all-purpose version for a corporate or office setting: file, retrieve, scan, and keep records organized. Start here when no specialty applies.
[One or two sentences about your office, what you do, and the team the file clerk
will support. Note hours, on-site requirement, and any records systems used.]
JOB SUMMARY
[Company Name] is hiring a File Clerk to organize, maintain, and retrieve company
records, both paper and digital. You will file documents accurately, keep records
current and easy to find, protect confidential information, and support the office
with day-to-day records tasks. Accuracy, discretion, and organization are key.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Sort, organize, and file documents by an established system
•Retrieve files and records on request, accurately and promptly
•Scan, label, and index paper documents into digital systems
•Keep filing systems current, consistent, and clearly labeled
•Track record retention and flag documents due for review or destruction
•Protect confidential and sensitive information at all times
•Maintain logs of files checked out, returned, or destroyed
•Support general office and clerical tasks as needed
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•High school diploma or equivalent
•Strong organization and attention to detail
•Basic computer skills (scanning, data entry, file systems)
•Ability to handle confidential information with discretion
•Reliable, accurate, and able to work independently
•[Records or document management experience a plus]
CLASSIFICATION (read before posting)
A file clerk is an hourly, non-exempt role under the FLSA, so overtime is paid at
one and a half times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. Set a
competitive hourly range for your local market. This is general information, not
legal advice.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Pay range: $_____ to $_____ per hour
Benefits: __
To apply, send your resume to __ by _.
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Template 2: File Clerk for a Small Business (No HR Department)
The flagship version for a company of 5 to 50 employees without an HR team: reports to the owner or office manager, light bureaucracy, and compliance-aware. Use this when you are the one doing the hiring.
File Clerk for a Small Business (No HR Department)
For a clinic or practice: patient charts, EMR indexing, HIPAA confidentiality, and state medical-records retention. Use this when the role touches protected health information.
Medical / HIPAA File Clerk Job Description
MEDICAL FILE CLERK JOB DESCRIPTION
Company: __
Location: __
Reports to: Office Manager / Practice Administrator
[Practice Name] is hiring a Medical File Clerk to organize and maintain patient
records and charts in line with HIPAA and practice policy. You will file and
retrieve medical records, scan and index documents into the [EMR / EHR] system,
protect patient privacy, and support the front and back office with records tasks.
Discretion and accuracy are essential.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•File, retrieve, and update patient charts and medical records
•Scan and index documents into the [EMR / EHR] system
•Maintain confidentiality of protected health information per HIPAA
•Track record retention under applicable state medical-records law
•Process record requests and releases per practice policy
•Keep filing systems organized, current, and audit-ready
•Follow secure handling and destruction procedures for records
•Support reception and administrative tasks as needed
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•High school diploma or equivalent
•Understanding of patient confidentiality and HIPAA basics
•Experience with [EMR / EHR] systems a plus
•Strong organization, accuracy, and discretion
•Reliable and detail-oriented
•[Medical office experience preferred]
COMPLIANCE NOTE
Handling patient records carries HIPAA confidentiality obligations, and medical
record retention is governed by state law, commonly five to ten years and longer
for minors. State HIPAA training and confidentiality expectations in the posting,
and build them into onboarding. This is general information, not legal advice.
CLASSIFICATION AND HOW TO APPLY
This is an hourly, non-exempt role with overtime over 40 hours a week.
Pay range: $_____ to $_____ per hour
To apply, send your resume to __ by _.
[Practice Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Template 4: Legal File Clerk
For a law office: case files, pleadings, court filing deadlines, and confidential, privileged information. Use this when accuracy and discretion in a legal setting are central.
[Firm Name] is hiring a Legal File Clerk to organize and maintain case files,
pleadings, and legal documents. You will file and retrieve case materials, track
filing and court deadlines, prepare and index documents, and protect confidential
and privileged information. Accuracy and discretion are critical in a legal
setting.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Organize and maintain case files, pleadings, and exhibits
•File and retrieve legal documents accurately and on time
•Scan, label, and index documents into the case management system
•Track filing deadlines and assist with court filing logistics
•Protect confidential and privileged client information
•Maintain logs of files checked out and returned
•Follow retention and secure-destruction procedures for closed matters
•Support attorneys and paralegals with administrative tasks
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•High school diploma or equivalent
•Strong organization and attention to detail
•Ability to handle confidential and privileged information
•Comfortable with case management or document software
•Reliable, accurate, and deadline-aware
•[Law office experience preferred]
CLASSIFICATION AND HOW TO APPLY
This is an hourly, non-exempt role with overtime over 40 hours a week.
Pay range: $_____ to $_____ per hour
To apply, send your resume to __ by _.
[Firm Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Template 5: Digital File Clerk / Records Specialist
For a digital-first role: scanning, metadata, a document management system, and retention lifecycle. Use this to hire for the modern, evolving version of the role.
Digital File Clerk / Records Specialist Job Description
DIGITAL FILE CLERK / RECORDS SPECIALIST JOB DESCRIPTION
For a trainable first hire: no experience required, focused on learning the system, filing, scanning, and reliability. Use this when you can train the right dependable person.
[Company Name] is hiring an Entry-Level File Clerk. This is a great first office
job for someone organized and dependable. You will learn our filing systems and
help sort, file, scan, and retrieve documents. No prior experience is required;
we will train the right person. Reliability, attention to detail, and a willingness
to learn matter most.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Sort and file documents by an established system
•Scan and label paper documents for digital storage
•Retrieve files and records when requested
•Keep filing areas neat, labeled, and organized
•Handle documents carefully and keep information confidential
•Learn the company's records and retention procedures
•Support basic office and clerical tasks
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•High school diploma or equivalent [or currently enrolled]
•Organized, dependable, and detail-oriented
•Basic computer comfort and a willingness to learn
•Able to handle information responsibly and confidentially
•No prior experience required
CLASSIFICATION AND HOW TO APPLY
This is an hourly, non-exempt role with overtime over 40 hours a week.
Pay range: $_____ to $_____ per hour
To apply, send your resume to __ by _.
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
FLSA, Confidentiality, and Retention
This is the part the generic templates skip, and for a file clerk it is the part that matters most: the FLSA classification, the confidentiality expectation, and the record-retention and destruction duties. Get these right and your posting signals a well-run employer and sets the role up correctly.
FLSA: a file clerk is hourly and non-exempt
This is straightforward and worth stating in the posting. The Department of Labor treats clerical and routine recordkeeping work as non-exempt, so a file clerk is paid hourly and is entitled to overtime at one and a half times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. Generic templates leave this out. Naming the classification signals a well-run, compliant employer and sets the right expectation for candidates. Some states add their own overtime rules on top of the federal standard. This is general information, not legal advice.
Records carry retention rules
A file clerk is often the person who keeps regulated records in order, so the role connects directly to retention duties. I-9 forms have their own retention window, OSHA injury logs have another, and HIPAA compliance documents have a third, each with different timelines. The clerk does not set policy, but the job description should name that the role follows the company's retention and destruction schedule. The cheat-sheet above summarizes the common ones for a small business. This is general information, not legal advice.
Confidentiality is part of the job
File clerks handle employee, customer, financial, medical, or legal records, so confidentiality is a core duty, not a nice-to-have. For a medical office this means HIPAA; for a law firm it means client and privileged information; for any office it means personal and financial data. State the confidentiality expectation clearly, and pair it with a signed confidentiality acknowledgment during onboarding. This is general information, not legal advice.
Secure destruction matters too
Retention is only half the job. When records reach the end of their schedule, they need secure destruction, shredding for paper and proper wiping for digital, ideally with a log of what was destroyed and when. For a small business this is easy to overlook and easy to build into the file clerk role from the start. Name secure-destruction procedures in the posting so candidates know the role takes the full records lifecycle seriously. This is general information, not legal advice.
A file clerk is often the person who keeps regulated records in order, so it helps to put the common retention rules in one place. These are general federal reference points for a small business; your state and industry may set longer or additional requirements, so confirm before you rely on them.
Record Retention Cheat-Sheet for a Small Business
General reference only, not legal advice. Confirm rules for your state and industry.
I-9 forms
Keep: 3 years after hire, or 1 year after the worker leaves, whichever is later
Required under federal immigration rules. Penalties for paperwork violations run from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars per form, so accurate filing and timely purging both matter.
OSHA 300 injury logs
Keep: 5 years after the calendar year they cover
Required where the OSHA recordkeeping rule applies. Many small and low-hazard offices are partially exempt, so confirm whether your business must keep these.
HIPAA compliance documents
Keep: 6 years from creation or last effective date
Applies to HIPAA compliance documentation such as policies and authorizations. The medical records themselves are governed by state law, commonly 5 to 10 years and longer for minors.
OSHA exposure and medical records
Keep: Duration of employment plus 30 years
Applies where employees have exposure to hazardous substances. Most general offices will not have these, but clinics and shops may.
I-9 Retention Has Two Clocks
I-9 forms must be kept for 3 years after the hire date or 1 year after the worker leaves, whichever is later, under the federal I-9 retention rule (8 CFR 274a.2). The USCIS I-9 Central resource covers the details. Paperwork violations carry per-form penalties, so both timely filing and timely purging matter.
Skills and Requirements
File clerk roles prioritize organization, accuracy, and discretion over formal credentials. Scale the requirements to the setting and the seniority, adding HIPAA awareness for medical, deadline awareness for legal, and metadata skills for digital.
Requirement
What to look for
Education
High school diploma or equivalent; trainable for entry-level
Core skills
Organization, accuracy, and consistent filing
Computer
Scanning, data entry, and document or records software
Confidentiality
Discretion with sensitive employee, medical, or legal records
Specialty
HIPAA and EMR for medical; case software for legal; metadata for digital
Reliability
Dependable, detail-oriented, and able to work independently
Classification
Non-exempt, hourly; overtime over 40 hours a week
Keep the posting neutral and inclusive, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on a protected characteristic, and the SHRM guide covers the standard sections of a job description.
File Clerk Pay
File clerks are paid hourly, with pay varying by setting, region, and experience. Set your range using government data as a baseline, then adjust for your local market and the specific version of the role.
Median Near $18.33 an Hour (BLS)
File clerks had a median wage of $18.33 an hour, about $38,130 a year, and a mean of $19.58 an hour, roughly $40,730 a year, in the latest published occupation-specific national data, with the lowest 10 percent near $27,040 and the highest 10 percent near $58,140 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The broader information clerks group had a median near $43,730 a year.
Pay tends to run higher in government and legal settings and lower in physicians' offices. Employment in the role has been declining, which federal analysis links partly to automation, so a competitive rate and a modern, digital scope help a small business attract a capable records person.
Hiring a File Clerk for a Small Business
A large organization hires file clerks through a dedicated HR and records team. A small office, clinic, or firm does not. The owner or office manager writes the posting, screens applicants, and onboards the new hire, often while running everything else. For related clerical hires, the same pattern holds, which is why bringing on an administrative assistant or a data entry clerk shares the same challenge. Here is how to write the posting for that reality.
The template farms write a generic clerk; you have specific records
Most published file clerk job descriptions are thin, one-size-fits-all bullet lists. A real small business has specific records with specific rules: a clinic has patient charts under HIPAA, a law firm has case files and deadlines, and every employer has I-9s and tax documents. The six versions above match the role to the records you actually keep. Pick the one closest to your business, fill in the brackets, and you have a posting that fits your office rather than a generic plant or corporate template.
The role is changing, so write for where it is going
File clerk work is shifting from moving paper to managing digital records, and federal labor analysis points to automation and digital tools steadily reducing demand for routine office clerical work. That does not mean the work disappears; it means the valuable version is organized, compliance-aware records management. The digital file clerk and records specialist version is written for exactly that, scanning, metadata, a document management system, and retention. Hiring for the modern version of the role protects your investment as the work evolves.
Onboarding a file clerk is where confidentiality and records setup happen
Whichever template you use, the work after hiring is ordinary people operations made specific by records: a signed offer letter, the new hire paperwork, a confidentiality acknowledgment, and a clear handoff of the filing system and retention schedule. FirstHR fits this people side for a small business: e-signature for the offer letter and confidentiality agreement, document management with retention tracking that flags I-9 re-verification, expiration, and scheduled destruction dates, and task workflows for the new-hire checklist. To be clear about scope, FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not a records or document management system for your business files, and it does not run payroll or administer benefits, so pair it with those tools. Applicant tracking is coming soon.
From Hiring to Onboarding
The job description is step one. Once a candidate accepts, the same document becomes the basis for the offer and a records-aware onboarding. Because the role handles confidential and regulated documents, a smooth, repeatable process matters from the first day.
Send the offer
Confirm the role, hourly rate, non-exempt status, hours, and start date in writing. An offer letter template makes this quick for a clerical role.
Get the confidentiality agreement signed
Records work means handling sensitive information, so a signed confidentiality acknowledgment belongs in onboarding, with e-signature on file.
Run the new-hire checklist
I-9 and W-4 and any background check, tracked as a task workflow so nothing is missed before the first day in the file room.
Hand off the system and retention rules
Walk the new hire through the filing system and retention schedule, and store key documents with retention tracking from day one.
Once your offer is ready, the offer letter template handles the next step, and an onboarding template gives the new hire a structured start. FirstHR connects the offer, confidentiality agreement, e-signatures, new-hire paperwork, and document management with retention tracking in one place so a small business can manage the full process from one system. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not a records system for your business files, and it does not run payroll or administer benefits, so connect those separately. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Key Takeaways
A file clerk organizes, files, retrieves, and protects records, both paper and digital, across office, medical, legal, and digital settings.
Use the template that matches your office: general, small business, medical, legal, digital, or entry-level.
A file clerk is hourly and non-exempt under the FLSA, with overtime over 40 hours a week.
The role connects directly to confidentiality and record retention: I-9 (3 years or 1 year), OSHA logs (5 years), HIPAA compliance docs (6 years).
The occupation is declining as work goes digital, so hire for the modern, compliance-aware records version of the role.
Use BLS data as a baseline: the latest published occupation-specific median is near $18.33 an hour.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a file clerk do?
A file clerk organizes, maintains, and retrieves an organization's records, both paper and digital. Day to day, that means sorting and filing documents by an established system, scanning and indexing paper into digital storage, retrieving files accurately on request, keeping filing systems current and clearly labeled, tracking record retention, protecting confidential information, and logging files that are checked out, returned, or destroyed. The specifics vary by setting: a medical file clerk handles patient charts under HIPAA, a legal file clerk manages case files and court deadlines, and a digital file clerk focuses on scanning, metadata, and a document management system. In a small business, the file clerk often supports general office tasks as well.
What are the main duties and responsibilities of a file clerk?
File clerk duties group into four areas. Organizing and filing means sorting documents by system and keeping paper and digital files current with consistent labels. Scanning and retrieving means digitizing documents, indexing them, and pulling files accurately and promptly when requested. Tracking retention means following retention schedules, flagging records due for review or destruction, and logging files in and out. Protecting and securing means keeping confidential information safe, following secure-destruction procedures, and keeping records audit-ready. A good job description selects the specific responsibilities from each area that match your office, then states the classification, requirements, and how to apply.
Is a file clerk exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
A file clerk is non-exempt and paid hourly. The Department of Labor treats clerical and routine recordkeeping work, such as recording, tabulating, or filing data, as work that does not meet the duties test for the executive, administrative, or professional exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act. That means a file clerk is entitled to overtime pay at one and a half times the regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. Many generic templates leave the classification out, but naming it as non-exempt and hourly signals a compliant employer and sets the right expectation. Some states, including California and New York, add their own overtime rules on top of the federal standard. This is general information, not legal advice.
What is the difference between a file clerk and a records clerk?
The two overlap heavily and are grouped under the same federal occupation, but the emphasis differs. A file clerk focuses on the everyday handling of documents: filing, retrieving, scanning, and keeping records organized and accessible. A records clerk, sometimes called a records specialist or records management clerk, leans more toward the full lifecycle of records: retention schedules, classification, compliance, and secure destruction, often across a document management system. In a small business the same person frequently does both. The digital file clerk and records specialist template on this page is written for the records-management version of the role, which is also where the job is heading as offices go digital.
What skills and qualifications does a file clerk need?
Most file clerk roles ask for a high school diploma or equivalent and prioritize organization, accuracy, and reliability over formal credentials. Core skills include strong attention to detail, the ability to follow and maintain a filing system, basic computer skills for scanning and data entry, comfort with document or records software, and discretion in handling confidential information. For specialized versions, add the relevant context: HIPAA awareness and EMR experience for a medical office, case management software and deadline awareness for a law firm, and metadata and document management skills for a digital records role. Entry-level postings can drop the experience requirement and emphasize trainability, since the system can be taught to a dependable, detail-oriented hire.
How much does a file clerk make?
File clerks are paid hourly. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a median wage of $18.33 an hour, about $38,130 a year, for file clerks, with a mean of $19.58 an hour, roughly $40,730 a year, based on the latest published occupation-specific national data. The lowest 10 percent earned about $27,040 a year and the highest 10 percent about $58,140. Pay tends to run higher in government and legal settings and lower in physicians' offices. The broader information clerks group had a median wage near $43,730 a year. Benchmark your range to your local market and the specific version of the role, and post a competitive hourly rate. This is general information, not legal advice.
Is file clerk a declining occupation?
Yes, and it is honest to plan around that. Federal employment data shows file clerk employment declining, and BLS labor analysis attributes the broader decline in office and administrative support roles partly to automation and AI-driven efficiency. National file clerk employment was reported around 82,290 in the most recent occupation-specific data and lower in the following year. The practical takeaway for an employer is not to avoid hiring, since the work of organizing and protecting records still has to happen, but to hire for the modern version of the role: a digital, compliance-aware records person who works in a document management system rather than only moving paper. The digital file clerk template on this page is written for that.
What should a file clerk job description include?
A strong file clerk job description names the setting up front, whether general office, small business, medical, legal, digital, or entry-level, and includes a short company summary, a job summary that makes the records scope clear, and responsibilities grouped into filing, scanning and retrieval, retention tracking, and confidentiality. It should list real requirements such as organization, accuracy, basic computer and software skills, and discretion, plus any setting-specific needs like HIPAA awareness or case management software. State the FLSA non-exempt, hourly classification and a competitive pay range. The additions that generic templates skip and that matter most are the confidentiality expectation, the record-retention duties, and secure-destruction procedures, plus an equal opportunity statement and clear apply instructions. This is general information, not legal advice.
