Correspondence Clerks Salary
Correspondence Clerks in Pennsylvania make a median of $40,270 a year, or about $19.36 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $59K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.97), which stretches that salary to about $42,403 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,351/month, about 48.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Pennsylvania. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $40K get you in Pennsylvania?
About correspondence clerks
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Pennsylvania
Pay for correspondence clerks in Pennsylvania runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $47K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,351/month, which is 48.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.97 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for correspondence clerkss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Pennsylvania
Entry-level correspondence clerks (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $59K or more, a $23K spread from bottom to top.
Correspondence Clerks salary by metro in Pennsylvania
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $43K | +8% | 40 |
Compare to other states
Track correspondence clerks salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Pennsylvania numbers change.
Related careers in Office & Admin
Frequently asked questions
Can a correspondence clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Pennsylvania?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 48.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,351/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for correspondence clerks in Pennsylvania?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new correspondence clerks typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,138/month. At HUD’s $1,351/month FMR, rent would take 63% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is correspondence clerk a high-paying job in Pennsylvania?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $40K here vs. $47K nationally. Cost of living is 5% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Pennsylvania compare to the national average for correspondence clerks?
Pennsylvania pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — below the national median.
How much do correspondence clerks make in Pennsylvania?
The median is $40,270 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,630, and experienced correspondence clerks can clear $58,610. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in Pennsylvania?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,763/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,351/month, which eats 48.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a correspondence clerks salary go in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has a Regional Price Parity of 94.97 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median correspondence clerks salary is worth about $42,403 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do correspondence clerks get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.